Everybody's Philatelist
A Monthly Periodical Devoted to the Interests of Stamp Collecting and Its Literature, a Profitable Recreation for Discriminating Persons. Official Organ of The Pacific Philatelic Society (San Francisco), The Washington State Philatelic Society, Spokane Branch, American Philatelic Society, and International Precancel Club
Vol
IV, No 3 May, 1913 Single Copies 5c
BOOKLET ISSUES of the U.S.A.
George H. Beans
FOREWORD
There is a line of specialism open to the most limited pocketbook, but which
has never been as popular as it should be. It is the collecting of leaflets
from the U.S. stamp books. They are not yet recognized by the standard catalog,
but it seems that they are worthy of notice as the government part perfs (sic)
at least. At first sight it seems to be simply an accumulation of so many one
and two-cent stamps, but the booklet issues contain several varieties besides
a wide range of shades. The collector can buy any number of current booklets
at the post office and after examining them for shades, plate numbers and line
varieties, can use those not wanted in his mail, thus being sure of a total
cost above face of one cent per booklet. An understanding of the plates and
various issues of the booklets will make plain the several novelties to be found
in studying the subject.
THE
PLATES
In order to print the leaflets special plates were prepared, the stamps thereon
being in horizontal rows of twenty with a blank margin above each group of three
rows. At first there were nine horizontal rows of stamps, but on May 1, 1909,
the size of the plate was doubled. Sixty leaflets (20 x 18 stamps) are now printed
at a time. The plate contains two plate numbers, one over the seventh stamp
in from the right on the tab margin and the other under the seventh stamp in
from the left on the bottom margin. It follows that the fourth leaflet in from
the right at the top of the sheet contains a plate number at the right of its
binding margin. The lower plate number is cut off when the sheet is cut up,
so it never finds its way into the books. By the way, the inscription, "Bureau,
Engraving and Printing" is omitted from the plate of the book issues. There
are two guide lines, as in the regular issues; one vertical and the other horizontal.
The vertical line falls between columns which are afterward cut, so it is impossible
to obtain a leaflet with a vertical guide line through its center. They will
be found however, with the guide line at the right or left. It shows best when
the leaf is a little off center, but it will not show at all if the offset is
in the wrong direction. The horizontal line originally fell in row two with
stamps 1 and 2 over the guide line and stamps 3 and 4 under it resulting in
positions E, F, and G on every 180 sheet but when the size of the plates was
doubled the guide line was placed at the center of the 360 sheet. The plate
also contained four arrow marks; but since the top margin of the sheet is the
only one of the four which finds its way into the books, it follows that there
was only one arrow obtainable. Of course, since the vertical guide line falls
between two leaflets, the same must apply to its arrow. For that reason the
arrow is split in half, one half showing at the right of the top margin of one
leaflet and the other half at the left of the margin of its neighbor.
SEPARATION
The sheet is perforated between every other column and the remaining columns
are entirely separated. It is also perforated horizontally between all the rows
except those just over the binding margins, which are entirely separated. The
bottom and side margins are cut away, taking with them a plate number and three
arrow marks. There are left 60 leaflets (30 before May 1909) entirely perforated
except for the outer edges.
BINDING
In binding, the piles of leaflets, consisting of 2, 4,
or 8 leaflets, as the case may be, are taken from the same part of that many
different sheets, rather than from different parts of the same sheet. The result
is, if one of the leaflets contains a plate No., every other leaf in the booklet
will contain one, and this also applies to the guide lines and arrow mark. The
external appearance of the completed book is too well known to need description
here. However, it adds to the interest of the collection if the type of cover,
plain and illustrated, are shown.
SHADES
It happens that the two colors found in the book issues green and carmine
are both very variable. The collector will find the same shades are usually
found in the book as in the regular issues. An exception or two will be noted
later.
VARIETIES
Summing up the above, we have the following varieties: (Chart to
be inserted later.)
USED
COPIES
Entire used leaflets are uncommon, except when "philatelically" used. Vertical
pairs or single copies of the first issue are valueless, being indistinguishable
from straight-edged copies of the regular issue. The later issues, however,
are noteworthy in having their watermark sideways.(sic) Having mentioned the
varieties which are found in each and every issue, it only remains to describe
those issues.
THE
FIRST BOOKLET
On April 16, 1900, the two cent stamp was first issued in booklets. It was
of what is officially designated as the "Series of 1894," but known to collectors
as the issue of 1898. Not quite 50,000,000 leaflets were issued, but this stamp
is scarcer than the first one cent, of which only about a half as many were
delivered. When the stamp was issued, 240 were hand-stamped, together with their
cover, "Specimen." These are scarce. The discovery of forged overprints has
recently been announced by a philatelist, who says they may be detected by the
cover, which is of a later date than that of the original. Other booklets were
overprinted 'Philippines' for use in those islands. The writer does not know
how many were issued. This stamp was printed from twenty plates and bound in
all three priced books 25, 49, and 97 cents as were all the following 2 cents.
THE
SECOND ISSUE
The first issue was in use only about three years (until Feb 11,
1903) when the "Series of 1902" took its place. As before, only the two cents
denomination was bound. It had even a shorter life than its predecessor, only
16 plates were used and about a hundred million were issued. This booklet was
also overprinted "Philippines."
THE
NEW 2 CENTS
The stamp was in use but nine months when it was replaced by a stamp of
less complex design, now well known as the "shield type." This new stamp remained
is use until the latter part of 1903 and over a billion were bound into books.
It also was surcharged for use in the Philippines.
THE
FIRST 1 CENT
The two cents denomination was issued in books for five years before
the lower denomination was put up in similar form. It was of the series of 1902,
issued 6 March 1907 and continued in use less than two years. During this time
a little less than 17 million leaflets were delivered from 28 plates. It is
only found in the darker shades; the later ones. This and the following one
cent issues were bound in the 25 cent size only.
THE
UNIFORM TYPE ISSUE
During the latter part of 1908 the uniform type came into use. While this
issue was current the size of the plates was doubled on 1 May 1909. This increases
the rarity of the plate numbers in subsequent issues, because a plate number
is now found in every sixth leaflet, while formerly the same number was found
in every thirty. (Rarity results differ for 180 plate numbers.) In the last
week of October 1910, the watermark in the paper used for printing stamps was
changed from large double-lined U S P S letters to smaller solid single-lined
U S P S letters. No record was kept of the day on which the new paper went into
use. Over five million of the one cent and nearly twice as many of the higher
denomination were bound. These figures include those printed on both old and
new watermarks.
WITH
NUMERALS
Immediately after the appearance of the uniform type series of 1908 it was
noticed that the numerals of the value were omitted from the two lower values.
It was rumored that the one and two cents denomination would be corrected immediately,
but it was not until 1912 that the new stamps appeared. Up until June 30, 1912,
about 77 million each of both values had been bound. This issue is still in
use (Jan., '13) and is printed on the new watermarks.
CONCLUSION
This brings the chronicle up to date, but anyone who looks into the subject
will see that there is more of interest than would appear at first. Minor varieties,
such as colored lines, blotches of color and so on, have been announced from
time to time and they occur regularly enough to be collected. Taking all in
all, the writer finds it a very enjoyable and even profitable line, this collecting
of stamp book leaflets.
George
H. Beans
May 1913