![]() (The basic skills in determining a reperforated stamp are described on page 68.) Other than saying that a collector or investor would be wise to buy from an expert, wisdom would suggest that he or she should insist on guarantees and void bargains. Many of the straight-edged sides were large enough to permit reperfing, with plenty of room left over. Simply insisting on large margins is not enough. Many are identified as such when sold, but a lot of other times they are not. This is because so many of the straight-edged copies have been reperforated over the years. But from the number of stamps currently offered with straight edges, rather than this condition being quite common, you would think straight edges were a rarity. (The history of the discovery of this error is related in Chapter 8.)Īll of the 1918 Airmail stamps were issued in sheets of 100 with 19 straight edges on two sides (one stamp being a double straight edge). A plane flying upside down is a spectacular error, and an example of this stamp with the center inverted can sell for as much as $130,000. The stamp is of particularly pleasing appearance, and is probably one of the most famous American stamps for the simple reason that through an unfortunate error, one sheet came out with the center inverted. The twenty-four-cent stamp is printed in two colors, the blue center bearing a picture of the airplane Curtiss Jenney, surrounded by a bright carmine frame. Perfect, mint, large margin, never hinged Airmails have sold for as much as $1,000, whereas off-center mint stamps with a thin can sell for as little as $75. So collectors have a greater degree of choice in the copies they wish to buy, and many gravitate through choice (or because they are advised to do so) toward higher-quality stamps. ![]() A much larger supply of the early issue Airmails exists than there is demand. This is because a truly rare stamp is snatched up by collectors whenever it is offered. Generally, however, the rarer a stamp is, the smaller the difference between perfect and imperfect price. All of the Airmails sell for large discounts from catalogue value if in damaged or slightly damaged condition. As a general rule, more attention is paid to condition on scarce stamps than it is on rare ones. Like the six-cent stamp, 3 million copies were printed. The sixteen-cent stamp was printed in green. The stamp is not rare over 3 million copies were sold. The six-cent orange, like all of the first two Airmail issues, is a difficult stamp to find in well-centered condition, and substantial premiums are paid for perfectly centered, never hinged copies. This is a time-consuming process, but it usually works wonders. Often, it is possible to paint the sulfurized portions of the stamps with the peroxide from a small brush. This solution does not work so well for mint stamps, though. Fortunately, soaking the sulfurized examples in hydrogen peroxide can quickly restore the original color by unfixing the sulfur in the stamp. Unlike coins, toned stamps are considered quite unappealing. The six-cent stamp is in an orange shade that often reacts, in spots or in whole, with sulfur in the air to have a deep red brown toning. In 1918, a new set of stamps were issued for airmail service. The first airmail flight (by airplane rather than balloon) took place in September 1911, and was a private flight carrying little mail and covering but a few miles. These stamps were issued to pay the increased fee on letters sent by airmail. Some of the most popular United States stamps are the Airmail issues.
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