50c Red Violet, Perf 10 at Top (517c). Beautiful centering, deep rich color on bright paper, bold strike of oval registry cancel

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. OF THE TWO KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THE 50-CENT PERF 10 AT TOP OR BOTTOM VARIETY. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE WITH A REGULAR CANCEL AND THE ONLY SOUND COPY -- NONE IS KNOWN UNUSED. THIS IS PERHAPS THE RAREST OF ALL PERF 10 ON ONE SIDE VARIETIES.

At a certain point during production one of the perforating wheels became defective. In the course of repairs part of one perforation wheel was inadvertently changed from Perf 11 to Perf 10. Based on the physical evidence of surviving copies, this was the nineteenth row of pins on the wheel.

Many examples of the Perf 10 on One Side rarities show transitional perfs from 10 to 11 or from 11 to 10. This is because the out-of-gauge perforation pins would frequently cross the span of more than one stamp, depending on where the wheel contacted the sheet.

The Perf 10 on One Side varieties span both the 1917 Washington-Franklin and 1922-23 Issues. It is interesting to note that, apart from the 2c, there is no duplication of denomination between the issues. This would seem to indicate that the improperly repaired wheel was in use for only a short period of time, as there was little overlap in production of the issues. Based on dates of issue of the basic stamps, this probably occurred early in 1923.

Our census of Scott 517c, illustrated below and available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/517c/517c.pdf , contains only two certified examples of this rarity. The other example has a precancel and a small fault. The example offered here is the only regularly-cancelled copy of this rarity, and the only example in sound condition.

Census No. 517c-CAN-01. Ex Twigg-Smith. With 1991 A.P.S. and 2002 P.F. certificates. Scott Catalogue value is outdated -- the stamp offered here was the last to be offered to the market, in 2001, when it realized $15,500 hammer.

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