Washington-Franklin series, Single Line watermarks

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1910-11 Washington-Franklin issues

Perforated 12, Single Line watermark

Scott 374, 1¢, plate number 5484

Scott 374 var, 1¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 5605

Scott 374 var, 1¢ local mimeo precancel, (374-L-1M-var1), plate number 5605

Scott 374, 1¢ misperfed vertically, plate number 5600

Scott 374 var, 1¢ with partial print of another row, plate number 5596

Scott 374a, 1¢ booklet single, plate number 5454

Scott 375, 2¢ carmine, plate number 5353

Scott 375 var, 2¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 5624

Scott 375a, 2¢ booklet single, plate number 5461

Scott 375b, 2¢ lake, plate number 5544

Scott 376, 3¢ violet, plate number 5131

Scott 376 var, 3¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 6050

Scott 376 var, 3¢ lilac, plate number 5428

Scott 377, 4¢, plate number 6025

Scott 377 var, 4¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 6004

Scott 378, 5¢, plate number 5649

Scott 378 var, 5¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 6352

Scott 378 var, 5¢ double printing of plate number, plate number 5379 / 5376

Scott 379, 6¢ orange, plate number 5215

Scott 379 var, 6¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 5215

Scott 379 var, 6¢ light red orange, plate number 5203

Scott 380, 8¢, plate number 5238

Scott 381, 10¢, plate number 5200

Supplies of the 13¢ stamp were sufficient, so it was not reprinted during the period when single line watermarked paper was used.

Scott 382, 15¢, plate number 4949

Imperforate, Single Line watermark

Scott 383, 1¢, plate number 5709

Scott 383 var, 1¢, photographically cropped from a larger multiple of a special plate of 160 subjects used to print coils for private perforating companies, plate number 5639

Scott 383V, 1¢ vertical coil, plate number 5322

Image courgesy of Stuart Katz

Scott 383 var, 1¢, photographically cropped from a larger multiple with counterfeit Farwell Group 2 private vending machine perforations, plate number 5643

Scott 383 var, 1¢, photographically cropped from a larger multiple with faked Farwell 4B4 private vending machine perforations in the margine, faked Farwell 4A4 perfs at right, plate number 5715

Scott 384, 2¢ carmine, plate number 5296. The printer's initials also appear in the margin, tracking each time the plate was checked out of the vault for print runs, or checked back in.

Scott 384 var, 2¢ double star, plate number 5296

Scott 384 var, 2¢ dark carmine, plate number 5687

Scott 384 var, 2¢ precancel, privately perforated, plate number 5554

Scott 384, 2¢ privately perforated coil (Farwell Co., Chicago), corner margin pair, showing the siderographer's initials (J.S.S.). This is one of the few plates where they appear at the upper left. Image courtesy of Doug D'Avino.

Scott 384V, 2¢ paste-up from private coil, plate number 5307

Coil stamps, Single Line watermark

Scott 385, 1¢, plate number 5387 on a paste-up single. Perforated 12.

This stamp appeared at the end of a strip, and another strip of coil stamps was originally pasted over the top of the plate number "leader" strip to make up the continuous coil for vending machines..

Scott 386, 2¢, plate number 5508 on a paste-up single. Perforated 12.

Scott 390, 1¢ paste-up pair, plate number 5573. Perforated 8-1/2.

Scott 391, 2¢ paste-up pair, plate number 5560. Perforated 8-1/2.

Scott 392, 1¢ paste-up single, plate number 5657. Perforated 8-1/2.

This single stamp appeared at the right end of a strip of coil stamps, and another strip was originally pasted over it to the right,

Scott 393, 3¢ paste-up single, plate number 5560. Perforated 8-1/2.

Scott 394, 3¢ paste-up single, plate number 5433. Perforated 8-1/2.

Scott 395, 4¢ paste-up single, plate number 5575

Scott 396, 5¢ paste-up single, plate number 5894

1912-14 Washington-Franklin issues

Redesigned with Washington appearing on 1-6¢ and the new 7¢ denomination, and Franklin on 8¢ through $1. Numerals on 1¢ and 2¢ values replaced "ONE CENT" and "TWO CENTS" to conform with UPU regulations. New values for 7¢, 9¢, 11¢, 12¢, 20¢ and 30¢ introduced.

Perforated 12, Single Line watermark

Scott 405, 1¢, plate number 6028

Scott 405 var, 1¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 6028

Scott 405 var, 1¢ misperfed vertically, plate number 7535

Scott 405 var, 1¢ inverted tablet offset in margin, plate number 6532

Scott 405b, 1¢ booklet single, plate number 6363

Scott 406, 2¢ carmine, plate number 5817

Scott 406 var, 2¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 7052

Scott 406 var, 2¢ misperfed vertically, captured plate number 6646

Scott 406 var, 2¢, experimental electrolytic plating, plate number 6023

Only three plate number singles are known. (Image courtesy of Wallace Cleland)

Scott 406 var, 2¢, plate number 5946 over plate number 5954.

The explanation for this is that an attempt was made to print from plate 5954, but the press was halted. Only the plate number was printed, which was apparently not noticed. New plate 5946 was then installed, and the supposedly blank sheet of paper was used to print the pane of stamps. Unique, Ex Lilly.

Scott 406c, 2¢ lake, plate number 6999

Scott 406a, 2¢ booklet single, plate number 6559

Scott 407, 7¢, plate number 6904. This was the first 7¢ stamp issued by the U.S.

Scott 414, 8¢, plate number 5721

Scott 414 var, 8¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 5722

Scott 415, 9¢, plate number 6915. This was the first 9¢ stamp issued by the U.S.

Scott 416, 10¢ orange yellow, plate number 5745

Scott 416 var, 10¢ yellow orange, Bureau precancel, plate number 5751

Scott 416a, 10¢ brown yellow, plate number 5751

Image courtesy of Bill Langs

Scott 417, 12¢, plate number 6910

Scott 418, 15¢, plate number 5850

Scott 418 var, 15¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 5771

Scott 419, 20¢, plate number 6926. This was the first 20¢ stamp issued by the U.S.

Scott 420, 30¢, plate number 6914

Scott 421, 50¢ with single line watermark, plate number 7049

Scott 422, 50¢ with double line watermark, plate number 5749

Scott 423, $1 with double line watermark, plate number 5782

Imperforate, Single Line watermark

Scott 408, 1¢, plate number 6722

Scott 408 var, 1¢, single with Farwell Group 4 private perforations, Type A, photographically cropped from a larger block, plate number 6041

Scott 408 var, 1¢, single with "Kansas City roulette" private perforations, photographically cropped from a larger block, plate number 6018

Scott 409, 2¢, plate number 5872

Scott 409 var, 2¢ precancel, plate number 7575

Scott 409 var, 2¢ with Schermack private vending machine perforations, plate number 7390

Scott 409 var, 2¢ with Farwell private vending machine perforations, plate number 5740

Scott 409 var, 2¢, single with "Kansas City roulette" private perforations, photographically cropped from a larger block, plate number 6491

The Kansas City postmaster had full sheets or the 2¢ imperforate stamps privately rouletted. Collector C.A. Spahte purchased many plate blocks and other position pieces over the counter. Many are backstamped "CAS".

1912-14 Washington-Franklin coil issues

Perforated 8½, Single Line watermark

Scott 410, 1¢ paste-up single, plate number 6008

Scott 411, 2¢ paste-up single, plate number 5960

Scott 412, 1¢ paste-up single, plate number 6040

Scott 413, 2¢ paste-up single, plate number 6362

1914-15 Washington-Franklin issues

Mixed Perf 12 x 10 errors, Single Line watermark

Scott 423B, 2¢, perf 12 x 10 error, unique plate number single, 7082. (Formerly Scott 425d)

Scott 423D, 1¢ precancel, perf 10 x 12 error, unique plate number single, 7142. (Formerly Scott 424a)

Most of these compound (12x10 or 10x12) perforation errors occurred in rows toward the middle of the pane so plate number examples are extremely rare.

1914-15 Washington-Franklin issues

Perforated 10, Single Line watermark

Scott 424, 1¢, plate number 7164

Scott 424 var, 1¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 7464

Scott 424d, 1¢ single from booklet pane, plate number 7181

Scott 425, 2¢, plate number 7079

Scott 425 var, 2¢ from "Coil Stamps" pane, plate number 6568

Scott 425 var, 2¢, pair showing vertical plate crack, photographically cropped from a larger block, plate number 7582

Scott 425 var, 2¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 7234

Scott 425e, 2¢ single from booklet pane, plate number 6711

Scott 426, 3¢, plate number 6863

Scott 426 var, 3¢ "pink back" variety, plate number 6749. The reverse of a single stamp is shown to the right.

Scott 426 var, 3¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 7272

Scott 427, 4¢, plate number 6730

Scott 427 var, 4¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 7263

Scott 428, 5¢, plate number 7241

Scott 428 var, 5¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 7237

Scott 428, 5¢ with perfins, plate number 6733

Scott 429, 6¢, plate number 5423

Scott 429 var, 6¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 5222

Scott 430, 7¢, plate number 6904

Scott 430 var, 7¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 6904

Scott 431, 8¢, plate number 5718

Scott 432, 9¢, plate number 6905

Scott 433, 10¢ yellow orange, plate number 7215

Scott 433 var, 10¢ brown yellow, plate number 6735

Scott 433 var, 10¢ Bureau precancel, plate number 7213

Scott 434, 11¢ dark green, plate number 7498. This was the first 11¢ stamp issued by the U.S.

Scott 434 var, 11¢ bluish green, plate number 7505

Scott 434 var, 11¢ precancel, plate number 7505

Scott 435, 12¢, plate number 6902

Scott 435a, 12¢, plate number 6900

Scott editors intended to assign catalogue number 436 to an expected 13¢ stamp, but none were printed until the perforation gauge had been standardized at 11, and on unwatermarked paper.

Scott 437, 15¢, plate number 6819

Scott 438, 20¢, plate number 6908

Scott 439, 30¢, plate number 6914

Scott 440, 50¢, plate number 7057

Experiment with perf. 11

Scott 461, 2¢, single-line watermark, flat plate printing, perforated 11, plate number 7261

Postal officials were looking for a compromise between the perf. 12, which separated too easily, and the perf. 10, which was hard to separate and often tore the stamps. Logically, 11 was the compromise, and the experiment was done on a small sample of 2¢ stamps that were distributed mostly in the Washington, DC area. It was not extended to other denominations yet due to World War I.

Perf. 11 was considered a success, at least for the "short" side of the stamps, but experiments continued for another decade before it was ultimately decided that 10-1/2 was the optimum balance between strength and separability for the "long" side perforations.

USPS kept perf. 10 for coil stamps because they needed the extra strength to prevent early separation. But 11 x 10-1/2 was the standard perforation gauge for the next 80 years, with only occasional exceptions. Scott 461 was the first step in that direction.

Flat plate horizontal coil stamps, Single Line watermark, perf. 10 vertically

Scott 443, 1¢ paste-up single, plate number 6946