FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS A NEW DISCOVERY OF THE EXTREMELY RARE 4-CENT MARTHA WASHINGTON PERFORATED 10 AT TOP. ONLY TEN ARE RECORDED IN THE SIEGEL CENSUS.

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.

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, available at our website at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/556b , contains three unused (one in a block of six with five normal stamps) and seven used examples. Two of the other used examples are contained in a vertical strip of four with the same Jacksonville Florida precancel. The centering on those stamps also matches this example and it is apparent that they are from the same portion of the sheet. It is the existence of that strip of four that encouraged the consignor of this stamp to review his extensive Jacksonville precancel collection, where he found this rarity.

Census no. 556b-CAN-05. With 2020 P.F. certificate

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