2c Harding, Rotary, Perf 11 (613). Intense shade and impression, attractive centering with three wide margins and intact perfs at left with part of adjoining stamp, neat machine cancel

FRESH AND VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT HARDING ROTARY PERF 11, WHICH IS ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL 20TH CENTURY ISSUES. ONLY 50 ARE RECORDED.

Warren G. Harding, the 29th President, died in San Francisco on August 2, 1923, during a cross-country "Voyage of Understanding". Several people suggested a Harding memorial stamp, printed in black, and it was rushed into production. The first flat plate printing (Scott 610) was issued on September 1, 1923, in his home town of Marion, Ohio, followed less than two weeks later by the normal Perf 10 rotary press printing (Scott 612) on September 12.

The 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 stamp was discovered in 1938 by Leslie Lewis of the New York firm, Stanley Gibbons Inc. Gary Griffith presents his hypothesis in United States Stamps 1922-26 that rotary-printed sheets of 400 were first reduced to panes of 100 and then fed through the 11-gauge perforating machine normally used for flat plate sheets. This method explains the existence of a straight-edge on Scott 613. Production quality and quantity was very low, due to the rotary press stamps' natural tendency to curl, and the use of the flat plate perforator for the slightly different-sized rotary printing.

Our census of the 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11, available at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/613 , records 45 used singles (one faintly cancelled, if at all), one used pair and the used strip of three, for a total of 50 stamps. Of the singles, 22 are confirmed as sound, but of these only six rate a grade of Very Fine or Extremely Fine. The example offered here, in sound condition with three wide margins, is highly desirable.

Census no. 613-CAN-46. With 2006 P.F. certificate.

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