#389 1911 3¢ Coil

Basic Information

"The Orangeburg Coil"
Color: Deep violet
Subject: George Washington
Watermark: SINGLE-lined USPS
Printing method: Flat plate
Perforations: 12 vertically
Scott #: 389
Quantity issued: 10,000
Issued: March 8th, 1911

Value for singles

An unused stamp with perfect gum: -
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $42,500
A used stamp: $4,000-$6,500

Value for pairs

An unused pair with perfect gum: -
An unused pair with gum and a hinge mark: $160,000-$180,000
A used pair: -

About #389

A product of the Bell Pharmaceutical Company

This is the rarest of all the Government coils. It is known as the "Bell" or "Orangeburg" Coil.

This particular coil was issued by the Post Office Department for the Bell Pharmaceutical Company, of Orangeburg, N. Y. This firm manufactured a patent medicine and the coil stamps were used on samples of their product mailed to physicians.

This stamp was almost entirely overlooked and only a few mint copies were saved for philately. Those which were saved were due almost entirely to a few collectors who having noticed this coil on mail from BeIl and Co. wrote to that firm endeavouring to obtain copies. A few copies are known used on cover with the Bell & Co. corner card and the wavy line Orangeburg cancellation as well as a few pieces on part cover.

Usage

The earliest recorded cover, March 8th, 1911

#389 was made by the Post Office Department in 1911 specifically for use by the Bell Pharmaceutical Company to send product samples to physicians. Due to the quantity of mail, they were put through the first-class cancelling machine at Orangeburg, New York

The Plates

#389 was issued with the following plate #'s

5126

Identifying the Watermark on #389

The SINGLE lined USPS watermark of #389

A DOUBLE lined USPS watermark

Between 1895 and 1916 the U.S. government used two different watermarks, double line and single line with the letters "USPS".

By placing the watermark face down on a dark surface or holding it up to bright light you might be able to see the watermark. If you cannot see the watermark it might be a good idea to invest in watermark fluid and a watermark tray. Ronsons lighter fluid works just as well as watermark fluid. Both fluids evaporate quickly.

Pour a little fluid in the tray, lay the stamp face down. In a few seconds the stamp will absorb the fluid and reveal the watermark to you.

As you will see from the illustrations the letters can span several stamps, so on the watermark, for instance, you can see only part of the letter S in one corner and only part the letter P in the other corner.

The purpose of the change in the watermark was to strengthen the paper and to give it a more uniform thickness. The old double line watermark covered too much space and made the lettered area quite a bit thinner than the rest of the paper, which caused variation in the shrinkage of the paper. The new watermark was also smaller, occurring 400 letters to a full sheet instead of 360.

The Inspiration for the Design

George Washington bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon

The vignette was based on a bust of George Washington by french sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon.

Created in 1785 the bust is considered the most accurate likeness of the first U.S. president. Based on a life mask and clay model made at Mount Vernon, it captures Washington at age 53 with precise facial details, blending a Roman, toga-style aesthetic with realistic aging. It is considered one of the most accurate representations of Washington.