3c Dull Red, Ty. I, Chicago Perf 12-1/2 (11 var). Attractive centering with fully formed perfs all around, cancelled by Michigan town datestamp, completely sound

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 3-CENT CHICAGO PERF AND ONE OF ONLY FOUR KNOWN EXAMPLES TO ORIGINATE FROM OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO.

The origin of the Chicago perforation was revealed in an article published by Jerome S. Wagshal in the Chronicle 130 (May 1986). To briefly summarize Mr. Wagshal's revelations, the inventor of the machine used to create the Chicago Perf stamps was Dr. Elijah W. Hadley, a Chicago dentist. He probably constructed the machine in 1854. Over a two-year period, beginning in November 1854, Dr. Hadley's device was offered for sale to the Post Office Department thru R. K. Swift, a prominent Chicago banker and businessman. The distinctive 12-1/2 gauge Chicago Perf was applied to sheets of the 1c and 3c 1851 Issue.

Four examples are recorded of the 3c Chicago perf used from outside of Chicago. Two are on cover, from Rosedale Wis. and New York City, respectively, and were offered in Part 3 of our Jerome S. Wagshal sale in 2010 (sale 996, lots 3185-3186). This stamp also comes from the Wagshal collection. The fourth example, from Boston, resides in an important West Coast collection.

Ex Wagshal. With 2010 P.F. certificate

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