Show Your US 1851-57 Imperforate Stamps

You're welcome, Captain Stamp.

I just have a last question. How can you remark if the top label of one of these stamps got recut? I can't find anything that explain this.

I said that the top frame line of your stamp was recut. However, the top label on many of these issues was recut too.

Nearly all of the top-row stamps on plates 6, 7, and 8 didn't have the top frame line recut. If you look at the stamp below from position 3L8 with the big sheet margin, there is only a trace of the top frame line because it was transferred very lightly from the transfer roll to the plate, and the top frame line was not recut on the plate. In comparison, the top frame line on your stamp was recut, as it is clearly visible.

The second image below, from position 14R1L, shows an example of the top label block being recut, as you can see a heavy line of color over the word POSTAGE. It also shows heavy inking in the top half of the upper-right diamond block from it being gouged out with an engraving tool on the plate, which is characteristic of plate 1-late stamps. This stamp also shows a line connecting the top label to the upper-left diamond block, and a line connecting the bottom label to the lower-right diamond block, both errors of recutting.

You can download a free copy of the book by Carroll Chase at the link below, which is an entire book about this 3-cent stamp covering the recut varieties, and much more:

https://www.uspcs.org/wp-content/up...okmarked.pdf

Again,wow! Thank you so much! That enormously help! By the way, you have some really nice examples of the 3 cents Washington

Thanks, Captain Stamp. And you're welcome.

I acquired this C-relief stamp in a September stamp show bulk purchase, and just plated it to 9R5L this afternoon. While confirming my plating on stampplating.com and the Stamp Smarter plating database, I learned that it is a major plate crack position with an accidental dot at bottom right. The plate crack runs diagonally just below where Washington's hair meets the oval, ending above the lower-right rosette.

I'm happy that this stamp has a small pen cancel well away from the crack and the outer edges of the design.

This is a really lovely stamp! I wonder, how many US 3 cents Washington stamps do you have?

In the mail today came 76 copies of the 3c Washington imperforate, PLUS 3 pairs. Can't wait to start going through them and showing some here. Most are cut very close and many are missing a margin or two, but that's fine with me. The pairs aren't great, but they are indeed pairs.

Really nice, NicholasC! Can't wait to see them, even if I'm not an expert.

What is the term for describing what's going on here with the letters?

Here's an ugly pair. They are only held together in a very small area.

These are both #11A plated as 9L1L and 10L1L. The left stamp has 2 recuts in upper left triangle and 1 recut in lower left triangle. The right stamp is a double transfer according to stampplating.com.

Hi NicholasC,

That's a shift, otherwise known as a double or triple transfer. The transfer roll may have shifted out of place or may have been intentionally moved slightly after initially entering some of the design on the plate.

You should be able to plate the stamp using the Plating Wizard and searching for double or triple transfers.

I believe this is my first plate 8 stamp. #11 at position 8L8. This is also a double transfer according to stampplating.com.

This appears to be #10A position 20R2E. It has 2 recuts in upper left triangle and one recut at lower right triangle. It's not in great shape. Looks like the cancel has the year included, but cannot see the full 4 digits.

My 2019 specialized says this would be cv $220 if it were in better condition.

Correction: This is #11A position 20R2L.

Hi NicholasC,

That 9L1L 10L1L gutter snipe pair showing a portion of a stamp from the right pane is really something special. Congrats on acquiring it!

Nice job plating that 8L8. It looks like it could be in the yellowish rose red group, but I can't be certain from the scan.

Unfortunately, the Massachusetts stamp is an #11A. You got the position right, but it is from the late state of the plate, making it 20R2L. The stamp doesn't have the ink quality of orange brown, and the four-digit year-date integrated into the CDS strongly suggests an #11A.