Show Your US 1857 Perforated Stamps

txstamp,

Thank you for the detail. I will go back and do some more reviewing of the available research material and document these two accordingly. If the #21 was better in condition it would be a good find. I am always cautious to confirm those that have a bit of a higher cat value when compared to potential other candidates. As is, at least I learned something on this one.

Hobsun

25A on cover likely plate 5L.

It's misidentified with three different pencil notations. It's possible the Type I notations are older and from a time when Type I was frame lines top and bottom. The #26 notation on the top of the back cover is just irresponsible
Anyhow, this appears to me like a plate 5L stamp. I'm not able to plate it though. Any thoughts?

Nice Christmas date.
Looks like plate 5L to me too - I'll defer to ioagoa though.

StampCrow and TxStamp —

Have a house full of family this week — including trying to keep up with grand kids running around — so won't be able to look at this closely until mid week next. In the meantime — preliminary observations as follows:

— Definitely 25A — and agree that the stamp is most likely from plate 5L (based on weakness of recut inner lines — especially the LIL). Still — the stamp should be plated to be sure.

— With all the usual caveats — color on my iPhone monitor looks closest to typical 1857 claret.

— Relief uncertain — no B oval break at top — but oval at 3:00 does not look like an A. Cancel covers 6:00 position on the oval — and also covers the toga button where a C relief gash would be located.

— Hard to see from my iPhone — but it looks like the perf tips across the top may show the BFL of the stamp above? If that be the case — then the top row is eliminated. I need to get on my desktop and look at on a full sized screen to be sure about this.

— No recutting varieties of note — no obvious DT or shifted transfer.

— TFL fairly distinctive — open corner at left edge (i.e, TFL stops short of intersection with LFL — with potential doubling at its left end — and varying strength of the recut across the remainder of the TFL. This would be my initial search feature.

I will give it a go-around once family departs — but in the meantime perhaps somebody else can give it a go? Classic Coins or Harper — feel free to weigh in.

Happy ThanksGiving to All !!!

Regards // ioagoa

Typed on iPhone — excuse typos

Focusing on the TFL I looked at the left pane of 5L last night with no results. My eyes were shot at that point so I ate some more pie and fell asleep.

I'm working today so won't get back to it until later this evening.

Hi StampCrow --

Before you dig back in on hunting your 25A this evening -- I wanted to let you know that I have tentatively plated your stamp -- and have sent my work to ClassicCoins for his confirmation before posting here on SCF.

FYI -- I am 99.9% confident in my plating -- BUT -- there are a couple of things about this one that were giving me pause -- one being that "open corner" at upper left -- which is not present on the position I plated your stamp to. Perhaps there is a scuff in this area? Likewise -- now that I have access to a desktop (versus an iPhone) I believe that potential doubling of the TFL at its west end looks more like staining?

In any event -- I am 99.9% confident that your stamp is from the left pane of plate 5L -- and once I hear back from Classic I will post the position.

Regards // ioagoa

Ioagoa, thank you! I look forward to seeing the results of your efforts.

Hi StampCrow --

I plated your 25A to position 86L5L -- and ClassicCoins confirmed the plating (Thank You Classic !!!).

Your cover was most likely postmarked X-Mas Day 1857.

25A's in any condition are very scarce.

Regards // ioagoa

Thank you!!

You're welcome, ioagoa.

double perfs on this pair - used or stained, not sure, but interesting find. Plating on back says 9R24 - is there a plate 24? Is there anywhere online I can check that?

I'm not an expert on these, someone like Winston will, hopefully, answer. The Y-4 DT terminology dates back to alpha-plate terminology, as platers were figuring out #26's.

When a consistent variety was found like a double transfer, it was often assigned a letter/number designation to identify it without knowing the position. Later it appears this got plated for real. Given the small number of specialized collectors who actually know this stuff - its not all well documented - my guess is the notation on the reverse will highly likely be correct.

It calls this pair 8-9R24 with 8R being a Double transfer.

edit: and yes plate numbers went up to plate 28.

Hi txstamp and rlsny --

There are a number of USPCS Chronicle articles on the double transfers associated with the perforated 3c issue.

One of them is authored by Bob Hegland -- a well-known expert on the issue -- and a link to his article in Chronicle #106 from May 1980 is here:

http://chronicle.uspcs.org/PDF/Chro...106/7634.pdf

In the Hegland article -- he clearly references DT Y-4 as being associated with position 8R24. He also references the source for his plating as Chronicle #6 -- published in 1949 -- which contains a short list on DT's authored by Tracy Simpson -- (one of the well-known Chase era experts on the issue) -- and contains a narrative description of DT Y-4. Link is here:

http://chronicle.uspcs.org/PDF/Chro..._6/14072.pdf

Regards // ioaoga

ioagoa - thanks. Funny, I had earlier done a chronicle search for "Y-4". No hits. Y4 would have worked

Thank you guys. Interesting info.