Show Your US 1851-57 Imperforate Stamps

Hi Classic, thanks. I'll double check the Massachusetts stamp.

Update: I went back and corrected to other post. The stamp is absolutely #11A. I have to remember that many times the image between early and late are very similar.

You're welcome, NicholasC.

I liked this cover because of the 3c due script. But what jumps out is the sharpness of the stamps impression.
I don't have a scanner so it might be lost in the translation.

That's a neat cover with a clearly printed stamp, stampcrow. The color looks post-office fresh. Thanks for showing it.

Have you plated the stamp? Looks like plate 5L.

I have not plated it. I agree plate 5L at first look because of the, what I call, delicate inner frame lines.



Edit to fix typo

Must this be 34R5L?

It has pretty much all the same rust marks as the sample shown at stampplating.com.

What do you think of 21R1L for this one?

Seems to be a right pane stamp and there is what looks to be a guide dot way over on the bottom left.

Could that be a dot in the diamond block? It appears to be the same color as the inking of the stamp, but it is much smaller than the examples.

Hi Nicholas C --

That dot in the center of the LRDB only exists on 2 positions -- 69L5E and 69L5L.

FYI -- 69L5E has one line recut in the ULT -- which was pressed out and completely eradicated when the plate was re-entered to become plate 5L.

The size of the GD can vary due to differences in inking, impression, and plate wear.

Post up a 1200 dpi scan and lets see the full stamp.

Regards // ioagoa

Here's the whole stamp. Unfortunately, it's missing the entire left side.

Hi NicholasC --

Your stamp with the apparent GD in the LRDB is definitely not position 69L5E nor 69L5L. The RIL is way off -- both by way of its relationship to the RFL -- and its stopping point at its upper end. On both 69L5E and 69L5L the RIL runs up and into the URT -- but on your stamp it stops at a level roughly opposite the 3:00 position of the URR which is well short of the URT.

A couple of additional comments about your stamp:

-- Your stamp has a NY integral "1 bar" cds cancellation -- with the bar underneath the day. This particular cds cancellation is discussed by Hubert Skinner in his article titled "The Cancellations and Postmarks of New York City: 1845–1876, Their Usage and Postal History" -- which was published in the Philatelic Foundation Seminar Series Textbook No. 3 -- U.S. Postmarks and Cancellations -- Copyright 1992. Skinner classified the cancellation as NYDM 56-2 -- and states that it was in use from 1856 to 1860.

-- The stamp is an A relief.

-- The stamp appears to either be a double transfer or have a bunch of stray inking (???). Look in the white space between the RIL and RFL just above the LRR -- and it appears that a bit of the tessellation work might be doubled up -- OR -- perhaps that is an unusual bit of ink splatter (???). I also see what looks like a possible DT in the S of CENTS -- but again -- that may just be more stray ink. Likewise -- there also appears to be stray inking outside of the frame lines in the lower right corner margins -- which might explain that unusual dot of ink in the LRDB?

FWIW -- Based on everything that I am seeing, I am leaning toward all of the ink specks and splatter being stray ink -- but that is only a guess at this point.

You should try and plate the stamp and see what you come up with.

Regards // ioagoa

Hi @ioagoa. Thanks for the input. I think I found it. How about 12L5L? It's described as having rust marks in the lower right corner area. There's even a dot in the diamond.

Here's the Dr. Chase image:

Hi Nicholas C --

YES -- 12L5L is correct -- nicely done!

Great example of plate 5L rust spots by the way.

Regards // ioagoa

Hi NicholasC,

I checked out your 21R1L, and it is correctly plated. Nice plating reference. Thanks for showing it.

It's interesting that a dot in the middle of the LR diamond block is a rust spot at one position on plate 5L, and a position dot at another position.

Here is a recently acquired 69L5L showing the position dot in the middle of the lower-right diamond block.

The color is brownish claret. However, my scanner doesn't render the claret color well.