Philosateleia
Kevin Blackston
PO Box 217
Floresville TX 78114-0217
United States of America

Blog archives (May 2018)

Used and tied to postcard, genuine in all respects

A couple of months ago, I wrote about finding an apparent Scott 443 Washington coil stamp in the $0.50 postcard box at the local stamp store, ABC Stamps. As I mentioned at the time, Washington-Franklin coils are often faked because of their relatively high catalogue value compared to their fully perforated siblings from sheets and booklets, and although the stamp I found looked okay to me, I wanted to be sure, so I shipped the postcard off to APEX for an expert opinion.

When I checked my post office box yesterday afternoon, I had a notice that a piece of certified mail was being held for me, and it turned out to be the postcard back from APEX. When I got home, I opened it up, and the certificate says…

“United States Scott No. 443, used and tied to postcard, genuine in all respects, postcard has a few creases.”

APEX certificate #224872 for 1-cent George Washington stamp on postcard
APEX Certificate #224872

As you can see, my improbable find turned out to be the real deal! For a total outlay of around $27, I have an authenticated Washington-Franklin coil with an on-cover value of $60.

Southworth perforator for sale in Portland, Oregon

Southworth perforator for sale in Portland, Oregon

A Southworth treadle perforator has turned up for sale in Portland, Oregon, and the seller, Niko, shared a photo for me to share with you.

Southworth perforator
Southworth Perforator
Southworth perforator closeup
Southworth Perforator Closeup

The perforator “has a new wood table top and shelf, and I added heavy duty casters,” writes Niko. “It’s a beauty, but I only have room for so many of them.” (These old perforators are heavy, so I have no doubt the addition of the casters makes this example a lot easier to move.)

Niko is asking $900 for his perforator. If you’re interested, please let me know and I’ll put you in touch with him.