Nice! It's a perforation error, and not particularly valuable — I'd guess $25 tops for a collector who especially appreciates such stamps, which certainly raise a collection a few steps above ordinary. Since entire sheets of stamps were perforated at once, I'm guessing there were another 399 similarly mis-perfed stamps in this particular sheet. Which raises questions: Were the cancels of pre-printed stamps applied after or before perforation? If after, why was it not noticed and discarded?If it was perforated before the cancels were printed, why was the error not noticed and the sheet discarded! Whatever happened, it's to your benefit.
Bob
While a production error, the offset perforations are not severe enough to be considered an "error" in the catalogue sense. It would fall under the freak category. It's probably not quite as valuable as Bob, states, but it is still desirable to collectors of this type of item.
The pre-cancel is of a local post office origin, so it would have been applied at the Wheeling post office, definitely after the the stamps were printed and shipped to the post offices.
As to the other question as to why was this not destroyed by the Bureau of engraving and Printing? Can't say for certain. The stamp was put in service in 1925 (Scott #623) through 1938. Maybe the stamp was printed during the depression, and tossing things away then was not a frugal idea at that time, due to the cost of reprinting.
(just speculation on my part).
I seem to recall (very dimly) that, if the denomination of the stamp (or banknote, or any other official coupon) is not obscured by the fault, that it would not be subject to official destruction as printer's waste, or something else. From that, the official definitions of "error" or "freak" may follow.
I'm not an EFO collector, but it would seem evident that formal definitions exist...
-Paul
If my memory serves me, I believe Scott's policy is that a perforation shift has to be at least 1/3 off of normal to be called an error.
This thread has me wondering what this 17-cent precanceled stamp was used for. It must have paid for some specific service that was common at the time, but what was that? It can't have been for bulk mailings of 1st class mail.
Bob
Well, perhaps a 17 cent stamp in 1925 could be used for paying first class postage (2 cents), then the special delivery surcharge (15 cents).
Back to the original question about its status as an error.
There will be two basic responses: it's an error, so it's valuable; it's an error, so it's trash. Two perspectives, both of which have already been posited here.
I'd keep it if I had no other example. I'd certainly sell it to anyone offering me $25 or anywhere near that.
It clearly doesn't qualify officially as an "error." it is a printing mistake (perforation misregistration), but is nowhere near significant enough to qualify for the prestigious and more valuable error category.
as to rate, I believe Michael is correct about it being the first class + special delivery rate.
Thank you all for your wonderful responses. As usual this group has provided me with a fascinating discussion that I have gleaned valuable information from.
(On a side note, if anybody would like to buy a 17c Wilson stamp with a perforation error for $25, feel free to reach out. )
no shame....
Greetings. I was wondering if the value of the below Wilson 17c stamp is altered by it's mis-printing / printing error / offset issue? (I'm not sure what the official term is for the way this one turned out.) Thank you for any help!
re: Wilson, 17C Issue
Nice! It's a perforation error, and not particularly valuable — I'd guess $25 tops for a collector who especially appreciates such stamps, which certainly raise a collection a few steps above ordinary. Since entire sheets of stamps were perforated at once, I'm guessing there were another 399 similarly mis-perfed stamps in this particular sheet. Which raises questions: Were the cancels of pre-printed stamps applied after or before perforation? If after, why was it not noticed and discarded?If it was perforated before the cancels were printed, why was the error not noticed and the sheet discarded! Whatever happened, it's to your benefit.
Bob
re: Wilson, 17C Issue
While a production error, the offset perforations are not severe enough to be considered an "error" in the catalogue sense. It would fall under the freak category. It's probably not quite as valuable as Bob, states, but it is still desirable to collectors of this type of item.
The pre-cancel is of a local post office origin, so it would have been applied at the Wheeling post office, definitely after the the stamps were printed and shipped to the post offices.
As to the other question as to why was this not destroyed by the Bureau of engraving and Printing? Can't say for certain. The stamp was put in service in 1925 (Scott #623) through 1938. Maybe the stamp was printed during the depression, and tossing things away then was not a frugal idea at that time, due to the cost of reprinting.
(just speculation on my part).
re: Wilson, 17C Issue
I seem to recall (very dimly) that, if the denomination of the stamp (or banknote, or any other official coupon) is not obscured by the fault, that it would not be subject to official destruction as printer's waste, or something else. From that, the official definitions of "error" or "freak" may follow.
I'm not an EFO collector, but it would seem evident that formal definitions exist...
-Paul
re: Wilson, 17C Issue
If my memory serves me, I believe Scott's policy is that a perforation shift has to be at least 1/3 off of normal to be called an error.
re: Wilson, 17C Issue
This thread has me wondering what this 17-cent precanceled stamp was used for. It must have paid for some specific service that was common at the time, but what was that? It can't have been for bulk mailings of 1st class mail.
Bob
re: Wilson, 17C Issue
Well, perhaps a 17 cent stamp in 1925 could be used for paying first class postage (2 cents), then the special delivery surcharge (15 cents).
re: Wilson, 17C Issue
Back to the original question about its status as an error.
There will be two basic responses: it's an error, so it's valuable; it's an error, so it's trash. Two perspectives, both of which have already been posited here.
I'd keep it if I had no other example. I'd certainly sell it to anyone offering me $25 or anywhere near that.
It clearly doesn't qualify officially as an "error." it is a printing mistake (perforation misregistration), but is nowhere near significant enough to qualify for the prestigious and more valuable error category.
as to rate, I believe Michael is correct about it being the first class + special delivery rate.
re: Wilson, 17C Issue
Thank you all for your wonderful responses. As usual this group has provided me with a fascinating discussion that I have gleaned valuable information from.
(On a side note, if anybody would like to buy a 17c Wilson stamp with a perforation error for $25, feel free to reach out. )
re: Wilson, 17C Issue
no shame....