The Natalee Grace Collection of Used Stamps of the United States, Part Three continued...

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EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY CONFIRMED SOUND AND CENTERED USED JOINT LINE PAIR OF THE 2-CENT TYPE I VERTICAL COIL, SCOTT 449. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF UNITED STATES COIL COLLECTING.

The 2c Type I rotary plate was used very briefly to make vertical coils issued in late 1915. It was briefly used because the Type I plate was not very deeply engraved and the curvature of the rotary press yielded impressions lacking in some of the details. The Bureau noticed this immediately, and quickly replaced it with the Type III plate (according to Scott, the EDU for No. 449 is Oct. 29, 1915 and the EDU for Type III is Dec. 21, 1915).

Our census of Scott 449 used joint line pairs, available at our website at http://siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/449/449.pdf , records a total of ten used joint line pairs and one in a strip of four. Of these six have faults. Of the five sound examples, two have not been seen in a long time and need to be examined to confirm soundness. The other two (Nos. 8 and 9) have perfs almost touching the design at top. This leaves the example offered here as the only confirmed sound and centered used joint line pair of this rarity.

Ex Anderson. With 1992 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (VF-XF 85, SMQ $30,800.00). This is the only graded used joint line pair of this issue, which is unpriced in any higher grade. We were told at the time of grading that five points were taken off for the heavy cancel, but the use of a year-dated contemporary datestamp is, in our opinion, a positive attribute. (Image)

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VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE USED JOINT LINE PAIR OF THE 1916 3-CENT COIL, SCOTT 456. ONLY A HANDFUL ARE KNOWN.

Our informal search of joint line pairs of this issue found fewer than ten, several of which have faults.

With 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A PHENOMENAL USED JOINT LINE PAIR OF THE 1916 5-CENT ROTARY PRESS COIL, SCOTT 458, IN THE FINEST CONDITION ATTAINABLE.

With 2003 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo, SMQ $960.00 as 95, unpriced in the grade of 98). This is the highest grade awarded to date and the only example to achieve this grade. (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS IS THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USE OF THE 2-CENT IMPERFORATE COIL, SCOTT 459. IT IS ALSO THE ONLY JOINT LINE PAIR WITH A CONFIRMED CONTEMPORARY CANCELLATION. THIS WAS THE FIRST ROTARY PRESS COIL TO BE ISSUED. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF 20TH CENTURY PHILATELY.

According to information in both the Johl and Armstrong books, the 2c imperforate coil, Scott 459, was actually the first rotary press coil to be issued, prior to Scott Nos. 448-458. Armstrong notes that 21,000 imperforate horizontal coils were ordered by the U.S. Automatic Vending Machine Company, which consisted of fourteen rolls of 1,000 and fourteen rolls of 500. These were intended for private use. No notice was given or mentioned that this order was filled with the new rotary press stamps, and so its existence went unnoticed. They were issued on June 30, 1914.

Its existence was not "discovered" until 1917, after all but two rolls (one of 1,000 and one of 500) had been used for postage. These two rolls were discovered by noted dealer Philip H. Ward, Jr. in Washington D.C., and it is likely that he used some on mail, as examples are known with either a nondescript wavy-line machine cancel or cancels dated after 1917. This is also the source of virtually all known unused examples. The example offered here, with a clear December 1914 cancel, predates the philatelic discovery of this unusual coil. This is therefore a number of firsts:

* The only recorded genuine used joint line pair of this coil

* The earliest documented use of this rare coil.

* The first Rotary Press printing of any kind to be issued (earlier than Scott 448-458)

* The only rotary press coil to be issued in imperforate form

With 1981 and 2009 P.F. certificates. (Image)

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