Washington booklet pane remains good buy

Stamp Market Tips by Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

The U.S. Post Office Department issued a 2¢ carmine George Washington stamp (Scott 583) on April 14, 1924. The stamp was printed by rotary press on unwatermarked paper. The stamp design measures 19¼ millimeters by 22½mm, and the stamp is perforated gauge 10. This stamp was later issued in booklet panes of six (583a) on Aug. 27, 1926.

The Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values the booklet pane of six in unused, hinged condition at $110. A mint, never-hinged pane of six is valued at $200.

We previously tipped this booklet pane of six in the Stamp Market Tips column in the May 16, 2016, issue of Linn’s. Both values are unchanged from 2016.

Most early booklet panes are surprisingly difficult to find in very fine grade. Buyers must be concerned with both the interior centering of the stamp designs between the perforations and the margins on the outer straight edges.

This is especially true of Scott 583a. This booklet pane of six remains in demand from specialist U.S. collectors. It is well worth 80 percent of and up to full Scott catalog value in both unused, hinged condition and mint, never-hinged condition.

Unexploded (intact) booklets with well-centered panes are especially difficult to find.

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