U.S. #441 Used Joint Line Pair

Item Specifics

Country

United States

Catalog Number

441

Stamp Type

General Issue

Condition

Used

Stamp Format

Pair

Year of Issue

1914

Item Description

Condition: Used VF guaranteed sound and genuine* in all respects.

Grade: VF (Very Fine)
U.S. #441 used vertical coil line pair, VF centering, and guaranteed genuine*. There are several 1-cent vertical coils out there, so how do we know this is #441 other than me saying it is? As it turns out, of all the 1-cent vertical coils, #441 is the only perf 10 variety that was printed using the flat plate method--the others (#448 & #486) are rotary press printings. So if we can confirm that this is a flat plate printing, that will eliminate the other two from consideration. Using my proprietary precision measurement method, I have determined the printed height of the stamps as 22.1488 mm, far short of the 22.5 mm minimum height for a rotary press printing. #441 should also have a single line watermark, clearly visible in photo 3 and it should be perf 10, which it is. Admitedly, #441 is frequently faked by cutting perforations off of #424 left and/or right and by adding fake perforations to #408 (see photos 5, 6 & 7 for three of many examples from PSE's archives). Ideally, genuine flat plate vertical coils should measure approximately 21.5 (+ .3) mm wide. Again, using my proprietary method, these stamps measure exactly 21.2598 mm from edge to edge, well within the .3 mm tolerance. Another factor that eliminates #424 from contention is the guideline, which doesn't occur on #424 sheets. But could it be #408 with fake perforations? Fake perforations are pretty easy to spot under sufficient magnification. If you look at image 4, you will see how rough the inside of the perforation holes are--this is a telltale sign of genuine perforations.

About shipping: I combine shipping. Any other item purchased with this will ship at no additional charge. I’m pretty sure you’ve figured out by now that there’s no such thing as free shipping. Every seller who offers “free shipping” has already baked the shipping fees into the listing price. Which means you get to pay sales tax on everything including the “free shipping.” I price my items very competitively and charge a nominal shipping fee on the first item you purchase. Every additional item really does ship free as my price doesn’t include any kind of shipping or handling charges. In most cases, the catalog value of the stamps I use to ship your item(s) will exceed whatever you have paid for shipping, so in that respect, the shipping is just about a wash.

A Little About Me and My Commitment to You

I’ve been a regular member of the APS for over 40 years (member ID# 130461) and I’m still a collector more than anything. If you check my feedback history, you will find that not only is it pristine, but that I buy far more than I sell. One thing that really troubles me are sellers who just throw a stamp up for sale and don’t even take the time to offer a good description or a compelling reason why I should want to buy their item. As an experienced collector and seller, my commitment to you is that I will always provide a thoughtful and truthful commentary on all the relevant aspects of every stamp that I offer for sale/auction. And I will give you the bad as well as the good, though I try not to sell stamps that have problems. Where applicable, I will also do my best to impart any useful information on the stamp and any pitfalls buyers should be aware of. In the unlikely event that I have misidentified a stamp, I will gladly cover your costs of expertization* provided both the stamp and certificate are returned to me. As far as I know, I am the only seller that makes this guarantee. So bid/buy with confidence that what you will receive is exactly what I have described and if you feel it is not, that I will make the return process as pleasant as possible. You can also expect an interesting assortment of stamps adorning your shipment--no run-of-the-mill forever stamps or postage meter strips! See photo #12 for a sample of what you can expect.

*I recognize the expert opinions of APEX, William Crowe, the PF, PSAG and PSE.

Seller Information

Seller

stephenwgill (243)

Registered Since

03/06/2005

Feedback

100%

Store

Ye Olde Post Office

• Offers
• Sales

Item Location

California, United States

Ships To

United States

Returns Accepted

Yes

Returns Policy

Returns accepted within 14 days on items not as described. Buyer to pay return shipping.