Scotts #596 US stamps

#596 - 1923 Perf 11 19¼ x 22½mm 1¢

1¢ - Green

Printing Method: ROTARY PRESS
Subject: Benjamin Franklin
Number issued: 1,000 (?)
(15 used copies exist)
Perforations: 11 (sheet waste)
Measurement: 19¼ x 22½mm
Watermark: Unwatermarked
Scott #: 596
Issued: May, 1923

Value

Values are only for stamps accompanied by a certificate of authenticity

Used
$190,000
No postmark with gum (MH)
None recorded
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
None recorded

#594 vs. #596

Scott 596 is a slightly taller design than both the flat plate printing and the rotary coil waste printing, or #594, due to the direction it was rolled around the rotary press printing cylinder. 594 is 22¼mm tall whilst this stamp is 22½mm tall.

Eight of #596 have Kansas City pre-cancels. There are no mint copies. #594 has mint copies and the only pre-cancels and postmarks are from NY, NY.

How to Identify #596

It is best not to identify the width of #596 by measurement. A better method is to take an inexpensive #581, cut the corners off and place it on top of #596. As you can see from the illustration above the edge of the frames are exactly the same width and height.

If you cannot locate a #581, #632 will serve the same purpose.

What is sheet waste?

In the period after World War One money was tight, and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving was looking for ways to save money. One avenue pursued was to make use of all the rotary press sheet waste that had piled up. Some sheets of stamps were discarded due to poor centering or some other small fault. These were fed through a perforating machine again eliminate the previous errors.

These practice of converting sheet waste into stamps was not announced to the philatelic community, and these varieties were discovered only months or even years after they had since ceased production. It is said that the philatelic community pressured the bureau to stop this practice.