What Is The Possibility Of Scott #576 Imperforate Coil Pairs?

I understand that imperforate sheets of Scott #576 was sent to a private vendor to make coil strips and then add their own perforations. Do you think any of these imperforated coil strips were given away or sold BEFORE they got the private perforation? Just curious! Is this impossible, almost impossible or there could be some?

All kinds of them on ebay

LOL! I mean true coil pairs. We see all the time in Scotts were items were special made and given away to dignitaries and so forth. This would have been so easy to do by some many different people. Unless I am missing something about the process.

So I think I found my answer these were perforated first by the private company then slit into coils! But the possibility was still there to not perforate a sheet and slit it. Correct?

I'm not quite sure where you are going with this argument. It seems like you have a strip which you are trying to claim is unique. Isn't it also just as possible that someone carefully cut up a sheet of 576 so that they looked like strips?

Oh I believe someone not affiliated with the private vendor cut up the imperf sheet. So I know it is not a coil imperf. But I am wanting to see if the scenario I suggest is possible? Thats how new discoveries come about. I had seen the items Mr. Weiss had in his exhibit years ago and he had several items still never listed in Scotts. So I know there are items out there that the general collecting isn't aware of.

The short answer is no.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing stopped making imperforate coils in 1915 when rotary press coils replaced flat plate coils. Imperforate flat place sheet stamps remained available for making private vending and affixing machine coils until production of flat plate low denomination sheet stamps ceased in 1926. Rotary press sheet layouts with mid-sheet gutters were incompatible with private coil production. Remaining users of private vending coils that had not converted to Bureau coils between 1915 and 1925 were forced to transition in 1926.

It would be helpful to read Steve Belasco's book on private vending coils before speculating about possible "new discoveries". Some tried and true reference books like Brookman and Johl require some updates to reflect more recent research from sources not available when the books were published. Recent recognition of small and large hole sizes in wet printed rotary press coils suggest that additional documentation is needed. It is clear from careful observation that perforation pin sizes may have varied from time to time without much notice, until recently, by the philatelic community.

Hi Cfrphoto, I know this and understand this info. I am not questioning if the bureau made the 576 imperf coils I am asking of the possibility that the private vendor could have? They had the 576 imperf sheets and equipment to slit into coils. What kind of controls did they have in place?

3193zd, You could buy blocks of 576 today and make your own private imperf coils.
If you have an actual item in-hand that you have questions about, it's time to post an image.

Thanks John I just got the answer I was looking for . "Unlikely, the Schermack Co. bought the imperforate sheets from the government, then they pasted the sheets together to form large rolls then they passed the large roll through their perforation machine then they slit the large roll into individual rolls for use in their customers machines. There are many instances of the Schermack Co. selling perforated block and position strips to collectors so there is no chance that they had imperforate strips before the perforations were applied."

U.S. Scott 576 was flat plate printed whereas U.S. Scott 631 was rotary press printed.

U.S. #576
Series of 1923-25 1 ½¢ Warren Harding

Issue Date: April 4, 1925
First City: Washington, D.C.
Quantity Issued: Unknown
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Flat Plate
Perforation: None
Color: Yellow brown

Private Companies Purchased
Imperforates for Vending Machines
Like the Washington-Franklin imperforates, the imperforate stamps of 1923-25 were issued for private companies to use in their vending machines. Since the machines required special perforations, the companies bought the imperforate stamps and applied their own perforations.

U.S. #576 was issued to cover the new third class circular rate. The imperforates were used primarily by the Mail-o-Meter Company in their vending machines.

https://www.mysticstamp.com/Product...tes/576/USA/

U.S. #631
1926 Rotary Stamps
1 ½¢ Warren G. Harding

First Day of Issue: August 27, 1926
First City: Washington, D.C.
Quantity Issued: 2,226,000

Overlooked by Collectors
In 1926, the last private coil company (Schermack) ordered 1 1/2¢ imperforate sheets. By mistake, the stamp was printed on a rotary press instead of a flat plate press. The spacing between the panes was not acceptable for the Schermack Co. and the stamps were returned.

Never distributed to any post office, #631 could be purchased only through the Philatelic Agency in Washington, D.C. For this reason it was overlooked by most collectors of the time. Today, it can be difficult to find.

https://www.mysticstamp.com/Product...tes/631/USA/

Thanks for the info Jogil! My main focus was scott 576 that schermack purchased to make their 576 private coil. I wonder if any of those samples or experiments from the 631 stamp got into collectors hands!

No mistake. When the Bureau switched production of 1 through 10 cent sheet stamps, including the 1 1/2 cent stamp, to rotary press, it was no longer possible to fulfill orders for 1, 1 1/2 and 2 cent imperforate flat plate sheets. Schermack ceased making coils rather than attempt to adapt their coiling process to rotary press sheets or possibly uncut imperforate rotary press coil rolls. Adapting affixing machines for perf 10 Bureau rotary press coils may have been simpler and less expensive than continuing to make custom privately assembled coils.

Thanks CFRphoto. So you mean what by "No mistake"? No schermack trials took place? They recognized up front that the rotary sheets wouldn't work and all sheets were returned?

I don't know if anyone has records of any testing that may have occurred. By the mid-1920s the cost of privately preparing coils for older machines would have become expensive compared to converting to Bureau coils. Fragile early perf 12 hand assembled flat plate coils were replaced in 1910 by auto-wound flat plate coils with stronger perforations. Rotary press coils replaced flat plate coils in 1915 and were even more robust and less challenging to use in vending or affixing machines.

And many companies switched to postage meters during the 1920s.