4c Washington Franklin - Perforated 10 Coil Stamps

Watermark Check - The rotary press, perf 10 coil stamp must be checked for watermark. The flat plate stamp must be single-line watermark. If it is not it is a fake.

Printing Method	Coil Type	Watermark	Scott Number
Flat Plate	perf 10 vertically	single-line	446 (see caution)
Rotary Press	perf 10 vertically	single-line	457
Rotary Press	perf 10 vertically	none	495

Caution:

Scott 446 is an unlikely candidate for unused fakes, although fakes do exist. Pay particular attention to stamps with a guide-line at top or bottom. These are often trimmed copies of the normal sheet stamp, Sc427, with the guideline along a natural straight-edge and the opposing side trimmed. The incentive for fakery is much greater here, since straight-edge stamps are not as desirable as their fully perforated counterparts and are often fooled with.

The main fakes on the unused stamp are the addition of a guide-line to a pair, since guide-line pairs are so valuable. On the other hand, if the (vertical) guide-line passes the "engraved" test, the coil pair is almost certainly authentic, since there is no imperforate stamp from which to create these fakes.

It is also quite possible and unfortunately quite likely that the used stamp might be a trimmed fake of the 427. We would advise purchasing a used single of this stamp with certification or from a reputable seller only and to view any used copy of this stamp with a large dose of suspicion until proven otherwise. This stamp is often collected in pairs.

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