FRESH AND FINE-VERY FINE. A DESIRABLE SET OF PLATE BLOCKS OF THE 1917-19 WASHINGTON-FRANKLIN ISSUE.
An excellent opportunity to acquire this set, which is lacking only the rare Scott 500 to be complete.
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT A.E.F. BOOKLET PANE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT NO MORE THAN 20 EXIST IN ANY CONDITION.
The A.E.F. booklet panes were issued in September 1917, primarily for use by the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War I. Only 3,000 panes were prepared of both the 1c and 2c denominations. By October they were no longer needed, as Congress voted to allow mail to be sent free of charge by active members of the Armed Forces. Many of the panes were destroyed.
With 1997 P.F. certificate
VERY FINE AND SCARCE MINT NEVER-HINGED BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE 1917 2-CENT DOUBLE-LINE WATERMARK PERF 11, SCOTT 519.
With 1980 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as singles
FINE-VERY FINE PLATE BLOCK OF THE 1917 2-CENT DOUBLE-LINE WATERMARK PERF 11, SCOTT 519.
Scott Retail $4,200.00 as singles, value as a hinged plate block
FRESH AND FINE. A SCARCE PLATE BLOCK OF THE 1918 $2.00 ORANGE RED & BLACK.
The $2.00 and $5.00 1918 Issue are the first bi-colored dollar-denominated postage stamps issued by the United States. Both were released just three months after the famous 1918 24c Inverted Jenny, but the early printings were issued in small quantities, since stocks of the earlier $2.00 and $5.00 issues were still on hand.
According to Johl, the $2.00 Orange Red & Black was a color error on the part of the Bureau of Engraving & Printing. The official description and order for the bi-color stamps specified "Red and Black" for the $2.00. When subsequent printings appeared in 1920 and philatelists brought the matter to the attention of the Bureau, they were told "this stamp has always been this color" (Johl, p. 306). From studies of Bureau and Post Office records, it is clear that the originally-intended color was not issued until November 1920 (Scott 547), and that the earlier Orange Red stamps were mistakes. The quantity issued has been variously estimated at between 47,000 and 68,000.