| Washington Head: 3¢: Perforated 12 Coil: Flat Plate |
Scott 389
From: Outstanding United States Stamps
Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. - February 28, 2002
Three cent coil stamps were not issued until 1911, and then only to the Bell Pharmaceutical Company, perforated 12 vertically on single-line watermarked paper. Later that year the first regularly issued 3¢ U.S. coil was offered to the public, perforated 8½ and also on single-line watermarked paper, Scott 394. There is no 3¢ Washington Franklin coil perf 12 horizontally.
Watermark Type I Scott Number single-line Flat Plate
Perf 12 Vertically389
(see caution below)
CAUTION!Scott 389 is an exceptionally rare stamp, highly unlikely to show up in an unchecked mixture. This stamp was issued only to the Bell Pharmaceutical Company in Orangeburg, NY, hence the nickname the "Orangeburg coil". If it is used, it is always found with one of two wavy-line cancels. Since this stamp is one of the great rarities in U.S. philately, it should NEVER be bought or sold without certification.