2c Deep Rose, Ty. Ia, Imperforate, Schermack Ty. III Private Perforation (482A). Deep rich color on bright white paper, Schermack perforations completely intact at right including portion of adjoining stamp, margin barely clear of design at left, cancel leaves design characteristics clearly visible, small thin spot at bottom right mentioned on accompanying certificates

FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF ONLY 40 RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS MAJOR 20TH CENTURY RARITY.

Scott 482A, like its more famous predecessor, Scott 314A, was issued imperforate by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and sold to the Schermack Company for use in its patented stamp-affixing machines. The Schermack "Sealer and Stamper" machine typically applied stamps one at a time, and, in most cases, the hyphen-hole perfs on one side would be cut off. Unlike Scott 314A, the release of imperforate sheets printed from the experimental Type Ia plates escaped the notice of contemporary collectors, and, therefore, this stamp has a very small survival rate.

Our updated census of Scott 482A published in the Zoellner catalogue and available at our website at: http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/482A/482A.pdf records three covers, one unused single, a used pair and 34 used singles for a total of 40 stamps. Most examples are either cut well into the design or have the Schermack perfs trimmed away on one side.

Schermack Type III stamps are often cut into the design by the oblong perforations or miscut with one side of the perforated margin missing. This problem for collectors, which meant very little to contemporary users of the stamps, resulted from two consecutive events. First, the sheets were perforated with the Schermack holes, creating an opportunity for misalignment between the stamps. Second, when the strip of stamps was fed through the Schermack affixing machine, the cutting blade did not always align with the space between stamps.

Census No. 482A-CAN-21. With 1993 and 2005 P.F. certificates.

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