1c Green, Rotary Perf 11 (596). Bold "Kansas City Mo." Bureau precancel, dark shade and rich color, fine impression, small thin spot at bottom right

FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE THE ONE-CENT FRANKLIN ROTARY PERF 11 ISSUE, SCOTT 596, WHICH IS ONE OF THE KEYS TO A COMPLETE COLLECTION OF UNITED STATES STAMPS.

The Rotary Perf 11 rarities (Scott 544, 594, 596 and 613) were created during an attempt by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to salvage waste from the end of the paper during rotary press printings. The rotary press, first used for printing coil stamps in 1915, was a new printing method designed for rapid production. Rather than print stamps on a flat plate one sheet at a time, the rotary press was fitted with a cylindrical plate that continually applied impressions to long rolls of paper.

Rotary press stamps have dimensions that differ slightly from their flat plate counterparts, due to the curvature of the cylinder. If the plate is wrapped around the cylinder from top to bottom (endwise) then the design is slightly longer; if wrapped around from side to side (sidewise) then the design is slightly wider.

At the beginning or end of rotary press printings, there was some leading or trailing paper that was too short for either rolling into coil rolls, or for perforating for 400-subject plates. In 1919, the Bureau devised a plan to salvage this waste by perforating and cutting the sheets into panes. These were put through the flat-plate perforating machine in use at the time, giving the stamps full perforations on all sides.

Scott 596 is waste from a vertical rotary press printing used to make sheet stamps -- a fact proven by the existence of precancelled copies such as the example offered here.

Our updated census of Scott 596 published in our Zoellner sale (and available at our web site at: http://siegelauctions.com/enc/census/596/596.htm) records thirteen used stamps. Of these, eight are precancelled at Kansas City Mo. There are no known unused examples.

Census No. 596-CAN-12. Ex Lessin. With 2002 P.F. certificate

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