1c Green, Rotary, Perf 11
(594). Light machine cancel, deep shade, remarkably choice centering
for this difficult stampEXTREMELY FINE. SOUND COPIES OF THE 1923 ROTARY PERF 11 ISSUE RARE, AND ONLY A FEW HAVE THE CENTERING AND MARGINS OF THIS SUPERB STAMP.
The 1c Green, Scott 594, is waste from a horizontal rotary printing used to make coils. At the beginning or end of a coil-stamp print run from the 170-subject rotary plates, some leading or trailing paper was produced that was too short for rolling into 500-stamp rolls. In 1919 the Bureau devised a plan to salvage this waste by perforating and cutting the sheets into panes. They were put through the flat-plate perforator in use at the time, giving the sheets full perforations on all sides. In 1923 coil waste from the new 1c and 2c rotary production was turned into stamps later classified as Scott 578-579 and 594-595. These were the last of the coil-waste issues. Fewer than 100 survive of Scott 594 today.
With 1995 P.F. certificate (Image)
1c Green, Rotary Perf 11
(596). Bold "Kansas City Mo." Bureau precancel, dark shade and rich
color, fine impression, well-centered for this difficult stamp with perfs
clear all aroundVERY FINE AND CHOICE SOUND COPY OF SCOTT 596. AMONG THE FINEST OF THE TWELVE RECORDED EXAMPLES, OF WHICH ONLY SEVEN ARE SOUND. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF 20TH CENTURY UNITED STATES PHILATELY.
The Rotary Perf 11 rarities (Scott 544, 594, 596 and 613) were created during an attempt by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to salvage waste from the end of the paper during rotary press printings. The rotary press, first used for printing coil stamps in 1915, was a new printing method designed for rapid production. Rather than print stamps on a flat plate one sheet at a time, the rotary press was fitted with a cylindrical plate that continually applied impressions to long rolls of paper.
Rotary press stamps have dimensions that differ slightly from their flat plate counterparts, due to the curvature of the cylinder. If the plate is wrapped around the cylinder from top to bottom (endwise) then the design is slightly longer, if wrapped around from side to side (sidewise) then the design is slightly wider.
At the beginning or end of rotary press printings, there is some leading or trailing paper that is too short for either rolling into coil rolls, or for perforating for 400-subject plates. In 1919, the Bureau devised a plan to salvage this waste by perforating and cutting the sheets into panes. These were put through the flat-plate perforating machine in use at the time, giving the stamps full perforations on all sides.
Scott 596 is waste from a vertical rotary press printing used to make sheet stamps -- a fact proven by the existence of precancelled copies such as the example offered here.
Our updated census of Scott 596 published in our Zoellner sale (and available at our web site at: http://siegelauctions.com/enc/census/596/596.htm) records twelve used stamps. Of these, seven are precancelled at Kansas City Mo. There are no known unused examples.
Census No. 596-CAN-11. Ex Isleham. With 1964, 1992 and 1994 P.F. certificates (Image)
2c Harding, Perf 11 (610).
Three First Day covers with George W. Linn cachet, each different
sizes (Sizes IIa, IIIa and IIIb), all with "In Memorium, Warren G. Harding
Twenty-Ninth President, Born Nov. 2, 1865, Died Aug. 2, 1923" at lower
left, and "Marion Ohio Sep. 1, 1923" postmark, different thicknesses of
mourning borders, Fine-Very Fine group of scarce Linn's cacheted Harding
covers, widely recognized as the first cacheted First Day Covers, Planty's
Photo Encyclopedia of Cacheted F.D.C.'s states that "All complete
classic collections [of FDC's] should start with this cover" -- a set of
four realized $2,400 hammer in last year's Rarities sale. (Image) 
2c Harding, Perf 11 (610).
Complete set of seven different uncacheted unofficial First Day
covers from the Ohio towns of Dublin, Columbus, Delaware, Linworth,
Powell, Waldo and Worthington, the Columbus has natural s.e. at left, all
prepared by George W. Linn, five addressed to him in Columbus O., other two
also addressed to Columbus, fresh and Very Fine, mailed by Linn on his way
home after sending some first day covers at Marion, the official city of
issue, a similar group realized $1,600 in last year's Rarities sale (Image)
2c Harding, Rotary Perf 11
(613). Incredibly well-centered, sharp impression, light wavy-line
machine cancel, insignificant faint corner crease at top left not mentioned
on accompanying certificateEXTREMELY FINE CENTERING AND VIRTUALLY PERFECT CONDITION. AMONG THE TOP FIVE OF THE 43 2-CENT HARDING ROTARY PERF 11 STAMPS RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.
The 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 stamp was discovered in 1938 by Leslie Lewis of the New York firm, Stanley Gibbons Inc. The Weills found three additional singles among unsorted 2c stamps soaked off envelopes.
Gary Griffith presents his hypothesis in United States Stamps 1922-26 that rotary-printed sheets of 400 were first reduced to panes of 100 and then fed through the 11-gauge perforating machine normally used for flat plate sheets. This method distinguishes sheet-waste stamps -- Scott 544, 596 and 613 -- from the coil-waste stamps and explains the existence of a straight-edge on Scott 613.
Our census of the 2c Harding Rotary Perf 11 stamp (as published in our Zoellner sale and available at our web site at: http://siegelauctions.com/enc/census/613/613.htm) records 39 used singles (one faintly cancelled, if at all) and two used pairs. Of the singles, 22 are sound, but of these only five rate a grading of Very Fine or Extremely Fine. The stamp offered here certainly ranks in the top five in centering and, in our opinion, in the top ten in desirability.
Census No. 613-CAN-16. With 1978 P.F. certificate (Image)