4c Yellow Brown, Perf 10 at Top (556b). Rich color, light strike of oval registry cancel, transitional perfs at top where perforated 10 at left to perforated 11 at right

FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 4-CENT MARTHA WASHINGTON PERFORATED 10 AT TOP. ONLY TWO REGULARLY-CANCELLED COPIES ARE KNOWN, AND THIS IS THE ONLY ONE IN SOUND CONDITION. IT IS ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH TRANSITIONAL PERFORATIONS.

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 556b, illustrated below and available at our website at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/556b/556b.pdf , contains two unused and six used (two in a multiple). Four of the six used copies have precancels and so cannot be confirmed as having gone thru the the mails. Of the two regularly-cancelled copies, this is the only one in sound condition.

Census No. 556b-CAN-01. Ex Twigg-Smith. With 1986 and 2001 P.F. certificates.

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