2018 Rarities of the World continued...

VERY FINE. A RARE SOUND EXAMPLE OF THE 1923 ONE-CENT ROTARY PERF 11 ISSUE.

Like the 2c, Scott 595, this issue was perforated in both directions on the flat plate perforating machine. This machine was not designed to perforate rotary press stamps, which are slightly different in size due to the curvature of the printing plate. This caused notoriously poor perforations. The existence of Scott 594 was not reported until four months after the final sheets were delivered, and the 1c Rotary Perf 11 was soon recognized as one of the rarest United States stamps.

Our exhaustive census of Scott 594, available at our website at: https:/siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/594 , contains 89 used singles, four used pairs and five covers (including one with a pair) for a total of 103 used stamps. Many have perforations either in on one or more sides, or have faults.

Census No. 594-CAN-85. Ex Drucker and Curtis and signed by George B. Sloane. With 1934 A.P.S. and 2002 P.F. certificates. Scott Catalogue notes "both unused and used are valued with perforations just touching frameline on one side" (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE MINT NEVER-HINGED EXAMPLE OF THE PERF 12 JOHN PAUL JONES ISSUE.

This issue was printed by the American Bank Note Company and perforated in three different formats: Perf 11 x 12, Perf 11 All Around and Perf 12 All Around. It is believed that the USPS was unaware that there were different perforations. The Perf 12 All Around is by far the rarest.

With copy of 1995 P.F. certificate for a block of 12 (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE HORIZONTAL PAIR OF THE 29-CENT NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE ERROR, CONTAINING ONE WITH AN INVERTED CENTER AND ONE WITH THE CENTER OMITTED.

Two panes in total were discovered. This block comes from the first to be discovered, which was auctioned in 2002. Each pane consists of 40 stamps, and of these 28 were with the centers inverted and 12 were with the centers completely omitted. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE VERTICAL PAIR OF THE 29-CENT NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE ERROR, CONTAINING ONE WITH AN INVERTED CENTER AND ONE WITH THE CENTER OMITTED.

Two panes in total were discovered. This block comes from the first to be discovered, which was auctioned in 2002. Each pane consists of 40 stamps, and of these 28 were with the centers inverted and 12 were with the centers completely omitted. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE NON-INVERTED JENNY SHEET. ONLY 100 WERE DISTRIBUTED TO RANDOM POST OFFICES AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND ONLY APPROXIMATELY 32 HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE POSTAL SERVICE. A PHENOMENAL MODERN RARITY.

According to the U.S. Postal Service's website (http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2013/pb22371/html/info_003.htm ) and other sources, the $2.00 Inverted Jenny souvenir sheet went on sale nationwide September 22, 2013, and a ceremony was held on that day at the National Postal Museum. The souvenir sheet was printed using the intaglio printing process and plates made from the original dies used to produce the 1918 24c Air Post stamp (Scott C3). The denomination was changed to make it easily distinguishable from the original. The souvenir sheet background depicts the original airmail route, the National Postal Museum, and aviation pioneer Reuben H. Fleet.

A special automatic distribution was done to all post offices. Pre-orders and re-orders through stamp distribution offices or centers were not allowed once original automatic distribution quantities were sold. A total of 13,200,600 stamps were printed, which translates into 2,200,100 souvenir sheets of six. They were printed six souvenir sheets at a time, and their position on the plate is noted on back of each. The sheets were sold individually wrapped in cellophane, which collectors questioned at the time of issue.

The reason for the odd quantity and cellophane wrapping was revealed shortly after the release of the souvenir sheets, when an upright example was discovered by a collector in Ontario, Canada. The USPS then revealed that 100 had been created and randomly seeded throughout their distribution system. The cellophane wrappers were used to prevent searching through stocks for the upright designs -- souvenir sheets with opened cellophane were not returnable.

As of June 2017, Linn's Stamp News reported that only 32 had been registered with the Postal Service, but it is possible the number is now 33 or 34. (Image)

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