4c Brown, Imperforate, Schermack Ty. III Private Perforation (314A). Wavy-line machine cancel, nearly full Schermack perfs at right and easily visible perfs at left, deep rich color, small surface scrape at top left

A FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 4-CENT 1908 IMPERFORATE, SCOTT 314A. ONLY 32 USED SINGLES ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS.

With the rising popularity of vending and affixing machines, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing received numerous requests from manufacturers for supplies of imperforate stamps, which could then be privately perforated to conform to each firm's machine. In May 1908, a supply of 25 sheets (400 stamps per sheet) of the 4c 1902 Issue, without perforations, was delivered to the Schermack Mailing Machine Co. in Detroit. The entire supply was cut into coils with Schermack Type III perforations, designed for the firm's patented affixing machine and delivered to the Winfield Printing Co. for use on mass mailings of advertising material. Approximately 6,000 were used on a mailing for Hamilton Carhartt Manufacturer, and almost all of the 4,000 balance were used on a mailing for Burroughs Adding Machine Co.

Our census of Scott 314A, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/314A , incorporates the records of The Philatelic Foundation, the Levi records (which represents over 40 years of auction sales) and our own computerized sales history. The census reveals a startling fact--there are only 32 used singles (two on piece), two used strips of three (one in the Miller collection at The New York Public Library), a used pair and four covers (one of which bears a strip of three), for a total of 46 used stamps. Almost half of the used examples have faults.

Census no. 314A-CAN-24. With 1993 and 2007 P.F. certificates

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