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1922 Fourth Bureau Series - Flat Plate issues (perf. 11)

The low values of this series are mostly portraits of famous persons from early U.S. history, with the higher values largely scenes or buildings. This change was implemented due to complaints that it was too difficult to tell the various denominations apart among all the Washington-Franklin definitives of the preceding series.

This series also introduced the first fractional U.S. stamps, two varieties of the 1/2¢ and several varieties of two different portraits of the 1-1/2¢.

Scott 551, 1/2¢ Nathan Hale, plate number 17048. This was the first fractional regular stamp issued by the U.S., other than revenue stamps.

Scott 551P, proof plate number 17017 (Image courtesy of the National Postal Museum)

Scott 551 var, 1/2¢, cap on fraction bar, plate number 17041

Scott 551 var, 1/2¢ precancel, plate number 17020

Scott 552, 1¢ Franklin, plate number 15160

Scott 552 var, 1¢ precancel, plate number F16050

Scott 552 var, 1¢, misperfed, plate number 16026

Scott 552 var, 1¢, misperfed vertically, plate number 15408 (Image courtesy of Stuart Katz)

Scott 552 var, 1¢, misperfed due to paper fold, plate number 15399 (Image courtesy of hipstamp.com / momenstamps)

Scott 552 var, underinked, plate number 15326

Scott 552a, 1¢ single from booklet pane, plate number F15964

Scott 553, 1-1/2¢ Harding, plate number 16866

The 1-1/2¢ denomination was required immediately to meet the new third class mailing rate. The design of the 2¢ Harding Memorial issue (which had in turn been "borrowed" from the Fourth Bureau designs in order to produce it quickly) was re-adapted with some minor adjustments. When additional plates were required, there was sufficient time to redesign the stamp with the preferred 3/4 profile portrait. By that time, these definitive stamps were being produced on the rotary press. See examples with Scott 684 and 686.

Scott 553 var, 1-1/2¢ precancel, plate number 16912

Scott 553 var, 1-1/2¢, paper fold, plate number 16839

Scott 554, 2¢ Washington, plate number 18224

Scott 554 var, 2¢ precancel, plate number F14670

Scott 554 var, 2¢, plate number F17119 with double F

Scott 554 var, 2¢, misperfed vertically, plate numbers F17391, 14530, 15686

Scott 554 var, 2¢, misperfed, plate numbers 16269, 17578

Scott 554 var, 2¢, ink smear, plate number 17676

Scott 554 var, 2¢, underinked, plate number 16645

Scott 554c, 2¢ single from booklet pane, plate number F15258

Scott 554a, imperforate vertically error, plate numbers 14689, 16505

Scott 554a var, imperforate vertically error, misperfed horizontally, plate number 15749 (Image courtesy of the Philatelic Foundation)

Scott 554d, perf 10 at top error, perf 11 on other sides, plate number 14411

Scott 610, 2¢ Harding, plate number 15164

To produce the Harding memorial stamp quickly, the frame of the vertical Fourth Bureau definitives was "borrowed" with some minor adjustments. Some collectors consider the 2¢ Harding as part of, or at least very closely associated with, the Fourth Bureau Series due to the design similarities and the fact that the identical portrait was used for the 1-1/2¢ denomination soon afterward.

For a special study of the 2¢ Harding varieties, check out the Harding page.

Scott 555, 3¢ Lincoln, plate number 16669

Scott 555 var, 3¢ precancel, plate number 15725

Scott 555P, proof plate number 17921 (Image courtesy of the National Postal Museum)

Scott 556, 4¢ Martha Washington, plate number 15222

Scott 556 var, 4¢ precancel, plate number F15220

Scott 556 var, 4¢, string on paper during printing, plate number 14094

Scott 557, 5¢ Theodore Roosevelt, plate number 15228

Scott 557 var, 5¢ precancel, plate number 15546

Scott 557 var, 5¢, ink smear, plate number 16332

Scott 557a, 5¢ imperforate error, plate number 15568

Photographically cropped from one of two plate blocks (Left and Bottom) from the sole pane of 100 discovered in Stamford, CT in 1925. Image courtesy of The Philatelic Foundation.

Scott 558, 6¢ James Garfield, plate number 15893

Scott 558 var, 6¢ precancel, plate number 16472

Scott 559, 7¢ McKinley, plate number 18119

Scott 559 var, 7¢ precancel, plate number 14813

Scott 559 var, 7¢, misperfed horizontally, plate number 18163

Scott 560, 8¢ Grant, plate number 18701

Scott 560 var, 8¢ precancel, plate number 14569

Scott 561, 9¢ Jefferson, plate number 15262

Scott 561 var, 9¢ precancel, plate number 15262

Scott 562, 10¢ James Monroe, yellow, plate number 15926

Scott 562 var, 10¢ precancel, plate number 15943

Scott 562 var, 10¢ perfins, plate numbers F14810 CGL; F14811 inverted GT (General Telephone?); 14818 UP (probably University of Pennsylvania as Union Pacific is known to have used UPRR); F15127 inverted PE (Potomac Electric?); F15346 CNB (C__ National Bank?); F14609 with erroneous double perfin MN

Scott 562, 10¢ orange yellow, plate number 16379

Scott 562P, 10¢ yellow, proof plate number F14229 (Image courtesy of the National Postal Museum)

Scott 562b, 10¢ imperforate error, plate number 14818

A single pane of 100 imperforate stamps was designated for destruction but was inadvertently released. Only a Top and Left plate block of the imperforates exist. This example was photographically cropped from the unique left plate block of 6.

Scott 563, 11¢ Rutherford B. Hayes, plate number 19137

Scott 563 var, 11¢ precancel, plate mumber 14061

Scott 563 var, 11¢, misperfed vertically, plate mumber 19135

Scott 563 var, 11¢, misperfed, plate mumber 19135

Scott 564, 12¢ Grover Cleveland, plate number 17421

Four plates of the 12¢ issue were printed with a large five-pointed star below the upper right plate number.

One plate was printed with a large six-pointed star below the upper right plate number.

Scott 564 var, 12¢ precancel, plate number 17471

Scott 564 var, 12¢ perfin, FRB-K (Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City), plate number F18922

Scott 564 var, 12¢, misperfed vertically, plate numbers 17418, F17421, 19442

Scott 622, 13¢ Benjamin Harrison, plate numbers 18106-18113, 18924, 19104-19105, 19119-19122, and F alone

Scott 622 var, 13¢ precancel, plate number 18111

Scott 622 var, 13¢, misperfed due to paper fold, plate number 19119

Scott 565, 14¢ American Indian, plate number 19418

This was the first regular 14¢ stamp issued by the U.S., other than revenue stamps.

Scott 565 var, 14¢ precancel, plate number 14512

Scott 565 var, 14¢, underinked, plate number 14526

Scott 566, 15¢ Statue of Liberty, plate number 18929

Scott 566 var, 15¢ precancel, plate number 14071

Scott 566 var, 15¢ misperfed due to pre-print paper fold, plate numbers 14913, 19462

Scott 566 var, 15¢ precancel, misperfed due to pre-print paper fold, plate number F14910

Scott 566 var, 15¢ misperfed horizontally, plate number 19463

Scott 566 var, 15¢ misperfed vertically, plate number 17xxx

Scott 623, 17¢ Woodrow Wilson, plate number 18026

This was the first regular 17¢ stamp issued by the U.S., other than revenue stamps.

Scott 623 var, 17¢ precancel, plate number 18025

Scott 567, 20¢ Golden Gate, plate number 20197

Scott 567 var, 20¢ precancel, plate number 19134

Scott 567 var, 20¢, plate mumber 19647, as well as ghost plate number 19648

Scott 567 var, misperfed horizontally, plate number 17685 (Image courtesy of eBay / sheetguy2)

Scott 567 var, 20¢, preprint paper fold, plate number 17426

Scott 567a, 20¢ error, imperforate vertically, unique pair with plate mumber 19646

Scott 568, 25¢ Niagara Falls, green, plate number 14064

This was the first regular 25¢ stamp issued by the U.S., other than revenue stamps.

Scott 568 var, 25¢ dark green, plate number 14063

Scott 568 var, 25¢ dark green, precanceled, plate number 14063

Scott 569, 30¢ Bison, plate number 16066

Scott 569 var, 30¢ precanceled, plate number 17448

Scott 569a, 30¢ special paper, plate number 16068 (Image courtesy of Bob Rufe)

Scott 570, 50¢ Arlington Amphitheater, plate number F19145

Scott 570 var, 50¢ precancel, plate number 14043

Scott 571, $1 Lincoln Memorial, plate number F18642

Scott 571, $1 precanceled, plate number 18680

Scott 571, $1, preprint paper fold, plate number F18680

Scott 572, $2 Capitol, plate number 14306

Scott 573, $5 "America," carmine & blue, carmine plate number F14327, blue plate number F14326

Scott 573 var, blue vignette shifted up and left, carmine plate number F14327 (Image courtesy of Bill Langs)

Scott 573, $5, proofs of frame (plate mumber F14327) and vignette (plate number F14326)   

Scott 573a, $5 carmine lake & dark blue, dark blue plate number F14326, carmine lake plate mumber F14327

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This page last updated March 21, 2026.