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US Scott # R152A/B (1875-1878 2-Cent Blue Liberty) Plate Varieties

US Scott # R152A/B (1875-1878 2-Cent Blue Liberty) Plate Varieties

I recently purchased a small bulk lot of common U.S. revenue stamps on eBay, and in it there were about 1000 Scott # R152a and R152b (no R152c sadly), and decided to use it as an opportunity to do some flyspecking.

I’ve not seen any definitive references to plate varieties on R152; it wasn’t included in the Shift Hunter Letters. There have been a couple of brief articles in The American Revenuer, showcased below.

For each stamp I show an image, a second copy of the same image but with arrows showing the diagnostic points, high-res cutouts, and then a link to a 3200dpi high-resolution image of the full stamp.

If anyone has other types of R152 varieties or any platings/references, please send them to me. Thanks.

You may need to click on images to view them at full size.

Doubled framelines.

Mentioned in this 1966 TAR article:

1. Doubled frameline at upper right; twisted transfer or a recutting?

High-res image: https://revenue-collector.com/zoomify/5401.jpg

2. Doubled frameline at upper left.

High-res image: https://revenue-collector.com/zoomify/5402.jpg

3. Another doubled frameline at upper left.

High-res image: https://revenue-collector.com/zoomify/5403.jpg

4. A doubled frameline at bottom.

High-res image: https://revenue-collector.com/zoomify/5404.jpg

5. This one is likely a printing anomaly rather than a plate variety. Many of the details along the left side are mushy, possibly the result of the paper bouncing against the plate? Also some muddiness in the portrait.

High-res image: https://revenue-collector.com/zoomify/5405.jpg

6. A tool gouge or plate crack in the numeral 2 at bottom, but also some anomalies in the NTS of CENTS.

High-res image: https://revenue-collector.com/zoomify/5406.jpg

7. Extra frame/guide line at upper right.

High-res image: https://revenue-collector.com/zoomify/5407.jpg

8. Presumably the Scott-listed double transfer.

From the July 1985 issue of The American Revenuer:

High-res image: https://revenue-collector.com/zoomify/5408.jpg

9. And a more bold example.

High-res image: https://revenue-collector.com/zoomify/5409.jpg


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