Scotts #485 US stamps

#485 - 1918 5¢ ERROR no watermark, imperforate

5¢ carmine
2¢ ERROR
Subject: George Washington
Printing Method: Flat Plate
Perforations: Imperforate
Watermark: unwatermarked
Scott #: 485
Issued: March, 1918

Blocks of nine

With a 5¢ error stamp in the center.

Value of blocks of 9

Used
No sales recorded
No postmark with gum (MH)
$7,000 - $9,000
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$11,000 - $14,000

Blocks of twelve

With two adjacent 5¢ error stamps in the center.

Value of blocks of 12

Used
No sales recorded
No postmark with gum (MH)
$9,000 - $11,000
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$19,000 - $21,000

An Overlooked Error

A 2¢ stamp printed in error with a 5¢ value.

Due to the pressure of work at the Bureau caused by the World War this error was overlooked and plate 7942 passed to the printing press where it was used between March 9 and April 1, 1917, The packages were shipped during April, containing 150,000 of the five cent red errors among the 19,850,000 two cent red stamps printed from plate 7942.

After the error was discovered a note went out to Post Masters advising them of the error and the plate number to look out for. 17,283 of the errors were returned for redemption and destroyed.

Being mistaken for two cent stamps, many five cent errors were used for postage though few such covers reached philatelic hands. Postally used copies on cover are much scarcer than mint copies.

Plate Number

#485 was issued with the following plate #'s

Number only
7942

Plate 7942 was the plate that contained the 5¢ error, however, due to the positions of the error on the sheet, it is not possible to obtain a plate bloke of six.