Every now and then I become enamored with a certain stamp type or cancel type, whether I find it aesthetically pleasing, interesting, or I feel the catalogue value doesn’t accurately reflect its actual scarcity.

The “sewing machine perforated” stamps of the 2nd issue (R112c, R115c, R120a) get all of the attention as they are the sewing machine perfs most commonly seen in the marketplace (R120a notwithstanding, as it is the most scarce of all of the Scott-listed sewing machine perf revenues).

The next most “common” (if you can call it that) to come to market is the 3-cent Proprietary, RB3a.

Lastly, we have the R19a, the first issue 3-cent Telegraph. Unlike the other sewing machine perfs, Scott hasn’t given it a letter designation.

I remember first becoming aware of the R19a sewing machine perf in 2008 when it became listed in Scott for the first time. There had been a single example on fragment in the Henry Tolman collection auctioned by Siegel in May of 2007. It had a 1992 PF certificate (#258325). However, one of the balance lots contained six additional examples, four out of the six on piece, but all inferior in condition to the one lotted as a single. I believe Michael Aldrich was the buyer of this lot, and he submitted them all to the PF, where they received certs as genuine (#454597 through 454602).

At least some of them he listed on eBay, as over the next year I purchased the 3 most flawed examples of the six as he became more willing to entertain offers, so I was able to obtain them at prices commensurate with their condition. Had I known then just how few are out there, I probably wouldn’t have held off as long as I did.

Since that “hoard” evaporated, the only other example I’ve seen come to market since then was in one of Eric Jackson’s auctions in 2010, which I also purchased. I seem to vaguely recollect there might have been one other example come up at major auction in the last 10 years, but for the life of me I’m not finding it in my data anywhere. I could be misremembering though.

I’ve come up with a population of reported examples totaling 10. Virtually all are faulty.

If anyone owns or knows of any examples other than the examples shown below, please let me know.

Thanks.

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