EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE FINEST OF ONLY SEVENTEEN RECORDED GENUINE USED MULTIPLES OF THE 10-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL, SCOTT 356. A GREAT RARITY OF THE WASHINGTON-FRANKLIN ISSUES.

According to Johl (Volume 1, page 181), only 10,000 of the 10c Washington coil stamp were issued. They were made especially for a New York firm to send out advertising samples, similar to the 3c Orangeburg coil. Only a few rolls were sold to the firm, and the remaining rolls were distributed to some of the large post offices across the country. Dealers acquired several rolls, but because most contemporary collectors did not collect coils, many were used and destroyed.

Our census of Scott No. 356 in used multiples, available at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/356/356.pdf , contains 14 pairs, one strip of four and one strip of three. Four of the pairs originated on the same cover, which was prepared by Henry Hammelman and mailed in August 1911 from Washington D.C. A guide line pair has been certified as genuine, but the cancel needs to be reexamined to see if it is one of the fakes produced during the last 20 years. Of the recorded pairs, only five or six are sound. Of the sound pairs, this is the best centered by far, making it an exceptional condition rarity among an already rare population of genuine used coils.

Census No. 356-CAN-PR-17. With 2016 P.F. certificate

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