1c Green, Perf 10 at Top (498g). Deep rich color, bold strike of Cincinnati O. boxed cancel

FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE USED EXAMPLE OF THE ONE-CENT GREEN 1917 ISSUE PERFORATED 10 AT TOP. ONLY FIVE USED EXAMPLES OF THIS RARITY ARE RECORDED.

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 this rarity, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/498g , contains 12 unused (including two in a block of four, four in a block of 25 and and two in a plate block of six) and seven used examples (two are part of a block).

Census No. 498g-CAN-03. With 1986 P.F. certificate.

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