Sale 1010 — 2011 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Saturday, 18 June, 2011
Category — Washington-Franklin and Panama Pacific Issues
2c Deep Rose, Ty. Ia, Imperforate (482A). Brilliant color on bright white paper, wide margins on all sides which is difficult to obtain on this issue, Schermack perforations clearly evident at right, wavy-line machine cancel leaves design clearly visible, tiny natural inclusion on neckVERY FINE. ONE OF ONLY 41 RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS MAJOR 20TH CENTURY RARITY. ESPECIALLY RARE AND DESIRABLE WITH SUCH CHOICE CENTERING.
Scott 482A, like its more famous predecessor, Scott 314A, was issued imperforate by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and sold to the Schermack Company for use in its patented stamp-affixing machines. The Schermack "Sealer and Stamper" machine typically applied stamps one at a time, and, in most cases, the hyphen-hole perfs on one side would be cut off. Unlike Scott 314A, the release of imperforate sheets printed from the experimental Type Ia plates escaped the notice of contemporary collectors, and, therefore, this stamp has a very small survival rate.
Our updated census of Scott 482A published in the Zoellner catalogue and available at our website at: http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/482A/482A.pdf records three covers, one unused single, a used pair and 35 used singles for a total of 41 stamps. Most examples are either cut well into the design or have the Schermack perfs trimmed away on one side.
Schermack Type III stamps are often cut into the design by the oblong perforations or miscut with one side of the perforated margin missing. This problem for collectors, which meant very little to contemporary users of the stamps, resulted from two consecutive events. First, the sheets were perforated with the Schermack holes, creating an opportunity for misalignment between the stamps. Second, when the strip of stamps was fed through the Schermack affixing machine, the cutting blade did not always align with the space between stamps.
Census No. 482A-CAN-41. From a new discovery and offered to the market for the first time. With 2010 A.P.S. certificate.
