1851-57 12c Washington

Here is one from Siegel (sale 1278 lot 3140). It is a column 1 stamp with a small left margin. The stamp to the right is lower. The left pane is even to slightly lower and right pane is slightly lower. That points to the right pane. The guide dot only matched 1 position in that column, 21R1. The Neinken drawing shows the upper right and lower left frame line over extends. This example only shows the upper right extending beyond, not the lower left. This is bad because I wanted to count on Neinken being correct on the extensions for my data sheet.

Rlsny, this pair is also yours. It comes from the bottom row. The right stamp is higher than the left. That narrows the left stamp to column 2 or 5 on the left pane or columns 8 or 9 on the right pane. The spacing between column 2 and 3 on the left pair has a narrow spacing so that is eliminated. Positions 95L and 96L have marks in the lettering so they are out. Positions 98-100R have very few plate marks but I found a match on the left stamp for 99R (see image). So the position is 99-100R.

Here is a Siegel pair, sale 1320 lot 1201. The right stamp is moderately lower than the left stamp. This indicates the first stamp is from columns 3 or 4 left pane or columns 1, 4 or 7 from the right pane. The guide dot on the right stamp is unique. I matched the guide dot at 34L1. Neinken shows it as a dot and a line, but this stamp shows it as a single line. The guide dot for 33L1 matches the left stamp as well. I have another copy of 34L from the block of 28. It is not very clear but looks more line the dot and line that Neinken shows. I am guessing that it is just a bit of wear that breaks the line. The pair is 33-34L1. This pair also shows that 3-4L spacing is slight lower not higher as Neinken stated. I am slowly filling up the left pane guide dot chart but the right pane is not going too well.

Very interesting. Jim Allen had the opposite experience. He found far fewer stamps from the left pane over his tenure plating this stamp. He had no real explanation for it, but that was his experience.

Here is a pair from Siegel, sale 1315 lot 5094. The pair shows part of the stamp before and after it. That makes it simple. We have slightly lower, lower, higher. That only occurs on column 4 - column 5 on the left pane. Again it shows that space 3-4 is slightly lower. The right stamp has a guide dot above the inner line. The guide dot on the left stamp is hard to see. Position 35L1 has a dot inside the inner line but it looked too close to the right inner line. Looking further I found the match at 75L1. It has a dash between 75 and 76L1 in the bottom right corner that is clearly seen and the guide dot matches.

The right pane guide dot chart only has 13 images. I cannot even verify the spacing chart. I had help with the left pane with the block of 28 and the block of 9. Here is how the left pane chart is coming. There are 3 partial images from the stamp below but I figure a partial image is better then none. I does show the guide dots for shape and position.

If anyone is looking for the PDF of Neinken's 12c Washington, here it is:
https://www.uspcs.org/wp-content/up...kmarked2.pdf

We have started on the 12c plating program.
If anyone wants to help test it when it is ready, let me know.

jaxom, I'd love to help test. Sign me up!

I have finished the data sheet for the 12c plating program and sent it to Lorry for integration in the program. I used the data the Neinken supplied but was forced to make changes as I found many errors according to his plating drawings. Hopefully, it will not take long to get the first trial version.

Moyock, send me your email and I will send you a copy.

Anyone else want to help test it?

I just found a nice strip of three on Siegel (1310 lot 101). It is position 8-10R1. A nice find.

Nice strip. Siegel powersearch allows one, under Symbol, the second pull-down, you can select 'block' and 'strip', along with the catalog number from above: 17 or 36.

That query shows all kinds of fun stuff.

Great progress, by the way.

Here is another beautiful strip of 3 from the top row from Siegel (1265 lot 602).
Positions 1-3R1. Neinken lists the spacing as 1-2 as slightly lower and 2-3 as moderately lower. They are all even across the top.

I am beginning to think that the plate was rocked in with a two relief roller, both identical, and the spacing between the tops and bottoms on the two reliefs were not the same. This would result in the vertical spacing being different. Maybe all different on the whole plate. As I find more multiples, this should show up.

It was a 2 relief roller. Jim Allen points out the differences in one of his articles.

Here are some more nice strips.
26-29R1 - Siegel 1265 lot 610

21-24L1 - Siegel 1187 lot 54

37-401L1 - Siegel 1242 lot 401

53-56L1 - Siegel 1365 lot 611

71-75L1 - Siegel 1074 lot 543

63-65L1 - Siegel 1068 lot 51

55-58R1 - Siegel 923 lot 2077

jaxom, you just simply amaze me! Great find on those strips!

Came up with this 12c and am having difficulty plating. it appears to be a bottom row, no guide dot. But there's a break in the lower outer frameline, just below the "L" of TWELVE. According to Neinken none of the framelines of plate 1 were broken. Could this be a plate 3 stamp?