The Cheshire Collection of United States 1902-08 Issues continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB 5-CENT 1908 IMPERFORATE PLATE BLOCK.

This block is bright and fresh, unlike so many of the 5c 1908 multiples that have brownish toned gum and yellowish paper. (Image)

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. PAIRS OF THE 1908 ONE-CENT HORIZONTAL COIL ARE EXTREMELY RARE IN THIS GRADE OF CENTERING AND CONDITION.

Signed E. Stern in pencil. ith 1976 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE FOR THIS MAJOR BUREAU ISSUE PERFORATION VARIETY. THIS MULTIPLE WITH PLATE LETTERS IN THE SELVAGE IS BELIEVED TO BE UNIQUE.

There are three distinct imperforate errors in the 1908 2c Shield Issue, listed in Scott as Nos. 319d, 319e and a sub-variety of 319e, the San Francisco Roulette.

The imperforate-horizontally multiples (Scott 319d) come from a block of 25 purchased from the Washington D.C. post office. All known examples of Scott 319d are printed in a deeper shade of Carmine than 319e or the San Francisco Roulette. The two multiples in the Brody collection (Shreve lots 105 and 106) show that the original Scott 319d multiple came from the upper half of the lower right pane of 100.

The imperforate-between multiples (Scott 319e and San Francisco Roulette) come from two sources, according to research by Roger Brody. All multiples listed as Scott 319e (without roulette) have very faint blind perf holes between the stamps, the shade and centering of all Scott 319e's are identical, but as a group they differ from the rouletted examples. The ex-Brody bottom imprint and plate no. 4475 block of four (lot 108) proves that the bottom two rows were imperforate between.

The third error -- imperforate-between with roulette -- should be separately listed in Scott, but it is identified as a sub-variety of 319e, which confuses the two unrelated sources. The rouletted multiples come from a small number of sheets received by the San Francisco postmaster that were missing a line of perforations between the first and second rows at top, unlike No. 319e without roulette, which comes from the bottom two rows. Rather than destroy or return the problem sheets, the postmaster applied his own roulette for separation. The top imprint block in the Zoellner sale confirms the position of the error stamps in the sheet. The strip offered here has wide selvage showing the string of plate letters entered on the plate by the siderographer. The pencil notation identifies Plate 3292 as the source, possibly based on the plate letters, because we have been unable to locate a plate number on any of the multiples appearing in auctions over the past 60 years. To the best of our knowledge, the strip offered here is a unique position multiple.

Ex Col. Green (Image)