A stamp yet to be acquired by many U.S. collectors

Stamp Market Tips by Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

On June 30, 1914, the U.S. Post Office Department issued a 2¢ carmine George Washington imperforate coil stamp, type I (Scott 459). The stamp was printed by rotary press and issued in horizontal coils.

The Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values the stamp in unused, hinged condition at $275 and in mint, never-hinged condition at $400. A used example is valued at $1,300 with the value in italics.

Most examples are well centered. It is hard to find one in a grade below fine-very fine. Unlike other coil stamps of this period, this one is difficult to successfully fake by trimming off the perforations.

It is the only imperforate 2¢ Washington type I coil stamp that was produced by rotary press, so pairs are unquestionably genuine. Singles could only be faked by trimming the perforations from a 2¢ Washington coil stamp perforated 10 vertically (Scott 453), and the resulting margins at the side would be very small and unconvincing.

Many intermediate to advanced U.S. collectors have yet to acquire this stamp, and it remains in strong and steady demand, which is why this is the fifth time in 16 years we are tipping it.

Some collectors have erroneously accepted a flat plate imperforate 2¢ carmine Washington stamp in its place. You can use two common and inexpensive stamps (Scott 455 or 492) for comparison of the correct width of the genuine stamp.

The stamp is a good buy in mint, never-hinged condition and unused, hinged condition at or near Scott catalog values.

We advise against buying a used example without a recent certificate that you are comfortable with. Used examples are truly scarce. Some with older genuine certificates bear spurious or out-of-period cancellations.

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