Show Your US 1851-57 Imperforate Stamps

Did you send me an email? I didn't receive anything.

Edit: I received it.

Another patient. Most certainly plate 4 because of the very thin and close left frame line. The easy to see features are Relief B and no inner lines. However, there is a guide dot at lower right that is just off the end of the label bottom corner. It is obscured by the cancel. There's a bit of gunk on the lower bust. Hopefully it will soak off.

This should be 69L4 making it a Scott #11.

Another patient. This one had the help of including parts of two adjacent stamps. This was important because the top part of my stamp is missing. Features include Relief A and no inner lines. The strength of the borders and no obvious recuts anywhere pointed me to plate 8.

Position 16R8 seems proper because of the bend of the left frame line toward the top, the strength of the bottom frame line and closeness under the T on the left side. The left adjacent stamp looks like a good match for 15R8 and the part of the bottom adjacent stamp that can be seen is consistent with the 26R8 examples that I could find.

The cancel is Cold Spring, NY, which is just down the road from me.

Another patient. This stamp is very faded. Easy to see features are Relief B and two inner lines. But, believe it or not, there are what looks like double guide dots at the lower right. The inking shows under a microscope. Having the adjacent stamp helps with the identification.

This should be Scott #11A position 27R2L. The top frame line and open corner of the stamp below are consistent with 37R2L.

Note: This position is supposed to also have a recut in upper left triangle. I cannot see any inking under the microscope. Some of the images I have seen don't show the recut either.

Here's a candidate for Scott #11A position 61L3.

It's definitely a column 1 stamp. It is Relief B with two inner lines. The widening of the gap on the left frame line towards the top and the unique closeness of the inside and outside frame lines on the right, opposite the back of the head, are key features that helped in identifying the position. It just so turns out that this stamp has 2 guide dots, one at lower left that cannot be seen and one at lower right that sits right on the bottom frame line below the left center of the diamond block.

This one is a dead ringer for Scott #11A position 24L2L.

It is a double transfer in THREE CENTS. It is Relief B, with two inner lines and a lower right guide dot. There are what appear to be recuts in upper left triangle, but I think this is one of those that Chase didn't consider as a recut due to blurring.

Another THREE CENTS double transfer!

This time it looks like a perfect match for Scott #11A position 26R2L. All of the ink marks for the shift match incredibly well with the Chase image.

This is Relief B with two inner lines. There is a recut in upper left triangle and a LR guide dot below the frame line just to the right of the S. It is very faint and obscured by the cancel, but I can see the ink under microscope.

Trifecta!

This is the major shift THREE GENTS position 66R2L.

I think I finally plated my birthday stamp.

This one came in a lot and was marked as US #10 because it was more orange looking than the others. Clearly it is isn't a #10 because of the inner lines. The ink quality and actual color (maybe orange-red) says it also isn't a #10A.

Features:
- Relief A
- Two inner lines

That's not much to go by. Being not orange brown, I decided it was going to be plate 2L or plate 5L based on frame line strength. That gave me 174 stamps to search through.

On the 24th stamp, I found my match: 54L2L

It just so happens the Chase image also includes the bottom frame line of the stamp above. The thickness of that line and the offset of the above stamp, shifted a bit to the right, is a match with mine. Reviewing the other reference images I could find for both 54L2L and 44L2L, I saw nothing to change my opinion.

Hey experts...

Looks like this might be #10A position 16R0.

This appears to have the diagonal recut in the upper left diamond block.

What say you? I can send the full uncompressed image via email if desired.

A couple of #11 came in the mail today

The first one looks like 78L3. Extra frame line at right. There are only 5 positions with that characteristic. I believe it is listed in the specialized catalog.

Hi NicholasC the envelope said 78L3!
Where can I learn the plating?
Does stamp smarter have a resource?
Are there any good reference books to guide me?
Cheers

I start with stampplating.com. But there are other resources, too, including stampsmarter. Just search through this forum topic to see references.

Ok let's go!