#538 - 1919 1ยข Rotary Coil Waste, no watermark, 11 x 10
See below for details
Basic Info
1¢ Yellowish green, green, bluish green
Subject: George Washington
Printing Method: Rotary Press (see below)
Perforations: 11 x 10
Watermark: None
Scott #: 538
Issued: June 14th, 1919
#538 Value
Used
$4 - $10
No postmark with gum (MH)
$2 - $4
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$4 -$11
#538 Plate Numbers
#538 was issued with the following plate #'s
Number followed by S30
8336-40
9099
9111-14, 41-42, 51-52
9452-53, 63-64, 67-68
10087-90
10103-04, 84-85
10202
10347-48, 50, 61
10640-41, 43, 86-95
11742-43, 64-67
13312-15
Number only
13445-46
13575-76
13611-12
Number and star
13810-13, 26-27, 56-57, 72-73, 96-97
13910-11, 30, 42-43, 68, 76
14104
Star only
No plate number
Earliest date of use
The earliest known use of #538, June 20th, 1919
Coil waste and the creation of the 11 x 10 perforation
These stamps had already been perforated 10 vertically when saved from destruction. Several reasons were given for saving the stamps: previous orders had been filled, leftovers were too small to make the correct sheet size and some kind of defect in the sheets themselves. The waste was saved and when enough of it was accumulated and needed, the waste was processed in the flat plate perforating equipment with the horizontal perf 11 gauge and sent out as sheet stamps. 538 was coil waste of 490, 539 was coil waste of 491, 540 was coil waste of 492 and 541 was coil waste of 494. The plate size for sidewise (horizontal orientation) printed stamps was 170 subjects. For stamps printed endwise (vertical orientation) printed stamps was 150 subjects
Credit: Steven Unkrich
#538a
Vertical Imperf
#538a
The Bureau misunderstood an order for stamps with imperf edges and purposely printed the stamps imperf between
#538a Value
Used
$60 - $100
No postmark with gum (MH)
$7 - $16
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$36 - $60
A Full Sheet
A complete sheet of #538a (170 stamps)
#538a Plate Numbers
#538a was issued with the following plate #'s
Number only
13611-12
Star only
No plate number
#538a Earliest date of use
The earliest known use of #538a, September 5, 1919
Flat Plate or Rotary Press?
As the curved plates of the Rotary press made the stamps slightly larger it is relatively easy to discern which stamp is flat plate and which is a rotary press stamp. First select any perf Washington Franklin stamp or the first issue Washington Franklin 1 cent or 2 cent. These are the stamps with the numbers one and two spelt out, instead of numbers being displayed. I chose the latter alternative as shown in the first image above.
Then cut out squares at each corner. As shown in the second image above. Placing the stamp you wish to test under your cut out stamp you can see if the frame lines match. If, as in the last image shown above the frame lines are outside the top stamp in either the top, bottom or sides then you have a rotary stamp. If the lines are in the same place, as shown in the third image, you have a flat plate stamp.
This test works with any value stamp.
The image above is a perfect example of the reverse of a flat plate stamp. The flecks of carmine ink on the reverse can be found on flat plate and are very rare on rotary press stamps. The cause of the flecks of carmine ink is that during the flat plate process the sheets were placed on top of each other before the ink had a chance to dry properly.
1919-20 Isues
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