#409 - 1912 2ยข single line watermark, imperforate
See below for details
Basic Info
2¢ Carmine, dark carmine, scarlet, pale carmine, rose, carmine rose
Type I (see below)
Subject: George Washington
Printing Method: Flat Plate
Perforations: Imperforate
Watermark: Single Line USPS (see below)
Scott #: 409
Issued: February 23rd, 1912
Value
Used
$1
No postmark with gum (MH)
$1.50 - $3
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$4 - $6
#409 Plate Numbers
#409 was issued with the following plate #'s
Imprint, A and plate #
5785-89, 92
5802
A and plate #
5811-15, 18-19, 27, 30, 32, 35-36, 38-39, 41-42, 45, 51, 56, 61, 66, 72, 76-77, 88-90, 96
5904-08, 17
Plate # only
5920-23, 29, 62, 65, 69, 75-78, 80-81, 83, 88, 91, 93-96, 98
6003-51, 58-59, 63-65, 67, 70-72, 77, 82, 89, 91, 93-96, 98-99
6111-51, 57, 59 , 90
6294
6300-03, 19, 43, 58
6436-46, 51-54, 56, 61, 64, 89-98
6501-03, 07-11, 22
6620-30, 33, 41, 43, 45-46, 51, 54, 70-73
6757-58, 61, 65, 70-74, 80, 84, 94, 96, 99
6815-18, 27, 39, 42, 67, 73, 77, 86
6943-52, 56, 69, 78-80, 88
7043-44, 46, 48, 54, 60, 67, 76-78, 80, 88
7117-20, 84-87
7224-27, 59, 64
7311-15, 36-37, 47, 49-50, 52, 56, 68, 73, 76-77, 88-95
7400-02, 04, 16, 20-21, 24, 51, 54-55, 59, 72, 78, 81, 86-87, 95
7501-69, 71-73, 76, 78-80, 82-83, 90-91, 93-94
7609-12
7701-24, 32, 35
Private perforations
Brinkerhoff private perforation, type II. The complete list of private perforations for this issue can be found by scrolling down.
A new format
Prior to the issuance of this stamp Franklin's head was used as the vignette subject. Indeed every 1¢ stamp issued in the US up to this point had Ben Franklin grace its design. The 1¢ was changed to George Washington and all values 8¢ and above were changed to Ben Franklin.
Another change was to change the value from TWO CENT to 2 CENT 2. This was to conform to the Universal Postal Union regulations that stated the value of a stamp has to be displayed numerically.
The Kansas City Roulette
The post office in Kansas City discovered that they could separate the stamps in their unwanted imperforate sheets by using a common dress pattern tracing wheel. 69,200 of these stamps were sold. A large quantity were sold to collectors.
The problem lies with how easily these could be recreated. There were 18 different tracing wheels used at the time, on different surfaces and sometimes a few sheets stacked on top of each other when rouletted. Consequently the roulette takes on many different shapes and forms. So anyone with a cheap tracing wheel and some cheap imperforate stamps can change a $1 stamp into a $40 stamp. Except one should never buy one of these unless it is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
A dress makers tracing wheel, tracing wheels were used for perforating the Kansas City roulette.
The Watermark
The watermark consists of single lined USPS letters. A stamp may show only part of a letter or letters
Earliest Known Use
Earliest known use of #409, March 13th, 1912
How to identify a Type I
THE LEFT RIBBON'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURE
TYPE I, Ia and II
There is but a single shading line in the top fold of the ribbon at the left.
TYPE III
There are two shading lines in the top fold of the ribbon at the left.
THE RIGHT RIBBON'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
TYPE I, Ia and II
There is but a single shading line in the bottom fold of the ribbon at the right.
TYPE III
There are two shading lines in the bottom fold of the ribbon at the right
TYPE I and Ia
The first shading line after the first ribbon fold of the right ribbon often appears as a single, unbroken line. At times there maybe one or two indistinct breaks. The bottom third of the line often appears stronger
TYPE II and III
The first shading line after the first ribbon fold of the right ribbon usually appears as a series of three dashes
THE BUTTON'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURE
TYPE I
The outline of the toga button is thin and sometimes broken
TYPE Ia
The outline of the toga button is stronger than the other types
TYPE II and III
The outline of the toga button is complete and fairly strong
THE LOCK OF HAIR'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURE
TYPE I and Ia
The lock of hair on Washington's cheek will show only a faint, often broken, vertical line along its left edge. It will be slightly stronger on type Ia, but not as strong as type II and III
TYPE II
The lock of hair on Washington's cheek will show a distinct vertical line along its left edge, joining at least four of the horizontally engraved lines of the cheek
TYPE III
The lock of hair on Washington's cheek will show a distinct vertical line along its left edge, joining at least five of the horizontally engraved lines of the cheek
THE MOUTH'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURE
TYPE I
The dark line forming the mouth is almost straight or may even curve slightly upward at the corner of the mouth
TYPE Ia
The dark line forming the mouth is a strong straight line with a downward stroke at the corner of the mouth
TYPE II
The dark line forming the mouth is crooked
TYPE III
The dark line forming the right end of the mouth is crooked and it also dips down
THE EAR'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURE
TYPE I and Ia
Directly below the ear there are several shading lines which are clearly severed, resulting in the appearance of a thin, white, vertical line
TYPE II
Directly below the ear there are several shading lines which are severed, and the breaks are narrower than those of the type I stamp. Thus the impression is of a thinner and shorter white line, although certainly more pronounced than the type III design.
TYPE III
Directly below the ear the shading lines have been closed up to such a point, that the thin white line visible in type I, Ia and type II designs has all but dissapeared.
THE PONYTAIL'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURE
TYPE I and Ia
The two lines shading the hair at the top of the ponytail, directly behind the ear are of unequal length
TYPE II
The two lines shading the hair at the top of the ponytail, directly behind the ear are approximately the same length, the bottom one being very slightly shorter
TYPE III
The two lines shading the hair at the top of the ponytail, directly behind the ear are approximately the same length, the top one can be slightly longer
The 1912 Definitives, Part I
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