Gitner reports new tagging-omitted error on U.S. 1986 Ameripex pane

By Charles Snee

In mid-December 2023, Linn’s Stamp News learned of a new tagging-omitted error on one of the four United States 1986 22¢ Ameripex ’86 panes of nine.

Stamp dealer Henry Gitner of Middletown, N.Y., made the discovery in his stock on Dec. 12.

That same day, he sent Linn’s a scan of a 2007 American Philatelic Expertizing Service certificate for the tagging-omitted fourth pane (Scott 2219) from the set of four (2216-2219) that reads, in part: “ … tagging omitted error on all stamps, unused, full original gum, never hinged, genuine in all respects.”

Gitner also provided Linn’s with a photograph of the tagging-omitted pane and a normal example of Scott 2219 taken under shortwave ultraviolet light.

As shown here, the block tagging on the nine stamps in the normal pane on the right glows a bright yellow green. No evidence of tagging is visible on the error pane on the left.

The new error will be listed in the 2025 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers, scheduled for publication in October 2024.

The Scott U.S. Specialized catalog already lists three other tagging-omitted varieties of Scott 2219: 2219m, 2219n and 2219o. On those errors, the tagging is missing on different combinations of some, but not all, stamps in the pane.

Gitner operates Henry Gitner Philatelists, Inc., in Middletown and co-authors the weekly Stamp Market Tips column for Linn’s.

In a Dec. 19 phone call with Linn’s, Gitner said he wasn’t sure how an error expertized 16 years ago was just now coming to light.

Gitner’s stock of modern U.S. material is substantial, so it’s possible that this subtle error, visible only under a specific type of light, might have been overlooked.

“I don’t know where it’s been,” Gitner said.

In recent months, Gitner has actively been combing through his inventory for new tagging-omitted errors.

Linn’s reported in the Oct. 16, 2023, issue Gitner’s discovery of a full pane of U.S. 1994 29¢ stamps commemorating significant events in 1944 during World War II with a substantial shift of the block tagging that resulted in all 20 stamps (two blocks of 10 with wide central selvage, Scott 2838) being tagging-omitted errors.

During the past year or so, Linn’s has reported tagging-omitted errors of the 1991 29¢ Comedians booklet stamp picturing Laurel and Hardy (Scott 2562), 2017 nondenominated (47¢) Love stamp (5155), 2022 nondenominated (58¢) Flags coil stamp printed by Banknote Corporation of America (5656), 2019 nondenominated (55¢) Flag coil stamp printed by Banknote Corporation of America (5343), 2022 nondenominated (58¢) pink Love stamp (5661), and two of the four 2022 Mountain Flora stamps (5676 and 5677).

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