#477 - 1916 - Perf. 10 - Unwatermarked
See below for details
Basic Info
50¢ Light violet
Printing Method: FLATE PLATE
Subject: Benjamin Franklin
Number issued: 591,000
Perforations: 10
Watermark: Unwatermarked
Scott #: 477
Issued: March 2nd, 1917
Value
Used
$8- $15
No postmark with gum (MH)
$190-$370
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$600 - $900
What the 50ยข was used for
The fifty cent denomination was issued primarily to care for the payment of registration fees and for parcel post. An example of the parcel post box cancel can be seen on the stamp shown above.
Earliest Known Use
Earliest known use of #477, August 31, 1917
A short life
The more easily separated perf 11 stamps were due out three weeks after these perf 10 #477's were issued. Consequently many post offices chose to wait out the three weeks to order the better suited for their needs, perf 11's. As a result these stamps are more scarce than its predecessor or successor.
Heavy cancels
Town cancels on #477 are scarce. Most commonly you will find the oval registry postmark, or the boxed parcel post postmark, which are heavy and frequently stamped multiple times on the stamp. This making the locating of an attractive used stamp difficult
Plate Numbers
#477 was issued with the following plate #'s
Number Only
7040-42, 49, 57
This stamp differs from the lower values in that it was printed from 200 subject plates instead of the usual 400.
Postal Transport
1916 Harley Davidson mail motorbike
1919 Railway Post Office collecting mail bag
The 1916 Definitive Issue Perf 10
