This article by Floyd L Likeins, Jr, has been extracted, revised, and/or copied from Journal of Bureau Issues Association, Inc.

The United States Specialist
August 1972, pp 341-4

An Overlooked Rarity

by
Floyd L Likins, Jr BIA 57501
606 Gibson Drive, Fort Benning, Georgia 31905

For many years a major rarity has existed with little or no recognition. This item is the only booklet pane error recorded by Scott and may well be rarer than the well-known 24c air mail invert. The item is, of course, the 10c Lindbergh booklet pane with the tab at the bottom of the pane.

A detailed report of the information available on this pane is presented here in hope of shedding more light on this rare item and of getting the members of the BIA to check their holdings of Lindbergh panes to determine if any more can be located.

The first report of this inverted pane is recorded on page 96, August 1938 issue of The Bureau Specialist, by Oliver J Williams, chairman of the Booklets and Booklet Pane Committee of the BIA at that time, who stated:

"Mr Oliver J Williams submits an interesting oddity in a 10c Lindbergh booklet of 2 panes, the first pane of which has the J guide line at the bottom and the second pane has no guide line and no tab at the top of the pane but the tab is at the bottom of the pane and the pane was inverted in the assembling. As Mr Southgate has explained when inspecting this book the Lindys were cut from the center guide line to the right and left and were trimmed before assembly, it is quite possible there were at one time at least 5 more books with the inverted pane and the tab at the bottom instead of the top or possibly an entire sheet was so inverted making 60 books with the inverted pane in No. 2 position in the book. If desired this can be photographed and illustrated in the near future in the Specialist."

This pane was illustrated on page 65, May 1940 issue of The Bureau Specialist, with the accompanying article by Mr Williams:

"In recent correspondence with an eminent philatelic writer, a BIA man, mention was made to him of the inverted Lindbergh booklet pane in the writer's collection. He recalled an item that appeared in our column some time ago concerning this and suggested illustrating it as in his opinion this error was of major philatelic interest. So far as we are able to determine this is the only pane ever reported. It was found in a book with a J pane on top, the inverted beneath. This invert must have repeated but whether saved for philately or used for postage is unknown."

Replies from inquires made Mr Southgate and Mr Edward J Mechan, BIA 205, indicated no record of duplicates to their knowledge. In exhibiting it personally to Mr H L Lindquist, BIA 569, and Mr A H Wilhelm, BIA 129, they were of the same opinion. It is not recorded in the Johl volume of United States Stamps and its authenticity is absolutely guaranteed. It was purchased with other Lindbergh books some time ago at the Boston, Massachusetts Post Office. If other examples of this error exist please report."

The pane as illustrated with the above article is the same pane pictured in the American Air Mail Catalogue, Fourth Edition, Volume One, page 31. The remarks about this pane state that it is "an error of major importance" and that it was discovered in Boston, Mass. It is obvious when comparing the picture of Mr Williams' pane in The Specialst with that in the American Air Mail Catalogue that they are the same. This pane was removed from its book by Mr Williams and was later purchasedd by DR W R Kern, BIA 949, (personal letter 22 April 1964).

On page 288, December 1949, issue of The Bureau Specialist, a second inverted pane was reported. This report, again written by Mr Williams, reviewed he previous articles from The Specialist and then stated:

"It has taken eleven years and two months for a duplicate to show up, for in the auction of Herman Herst, Jr., BIA 929, held in Boston, Friday, October 21, 1949 there appeared a 10c Lindbergh booklet of two panes where the top pane was in the position J with the guide line at the bottom, and the second pane inverted but position H which had the guide line at the right. This book was stapled at the bottom the same as the one submitted by your chairman some years ago."

The next report of an inverted pane is found in Mr William's column on page 162, August 1952 issue of The Bureau Specialist. This report states:

"Through the kind cooperation of Mr Phillip Rochlin, BIA 3056, we report that a 10c Lindbergh Booklet Pane, Scott c10a inverted was sold on June 17, 1952 at auction buy Mr Sylvester Colby, BIA 1231, for $23.00. It was described as 10c Lindbergh booklet. Reverse tab. Excessively Rare. Tab at bottom instead of top. Mr Rochlin states this lot was accompanied by a clipping from some source believed to be the American Air Mail Society Catalogue illustrating an inverted pane and stating only three panes exist in his estimation."

The report by Mr Williams goes on to review the previous Specialist articles about the Lindbergh inverted pane.

The last mention of the Lindbergh inverted pane in The Specialist is found in Dr Kern's review of Morton Dean Joyce's booklet pane exhibit which was awarded the BIAÕs Hopkinson Trophy at SOJEX in 1957. The report found on poage 336, December 1957 issue of The Bureau Specialist states:

". . .There was a large die proof in blue of the 10c Lindbergh air mail stamp and a set of the guide lines, of the panes and finally a pane showing the bottom guide line, which would be position J with the tab at bottom. . . ."

This writer had his attention called to the inverted Lindbergh pane in 1963 when "Pat" Herst offered him an inverted pane and stated that this was the same pane he had sold. This pane was purchased and on December 6, 1963 submitted to the Philatelic Foundation Expert Committee for examination. On January 13, 1964 the Committee issued certificate No. 18, 299A stating "that the first pane is genuinely inverted in the booklet." This, then is the first report of a booklet with the first pane being inverted.

In the Philatelic Foundation's member bulletin this pane was reported with a picture of the complete booklet, exploded. Their report was as follows:

"The illustration shows the booklet that was submitted recently for examination, with the first pane inverted in an inverted position: that is, with the tab at the bottom of the lower stamp."

"The Bureau Specialist of August 1938 (page 96) reported the discovery of a Lindbergh booklet of two panes including the second pane inverted with the tab at the bottom. This article also explained that the first pane in this booklet had the J guide line at the bottom and the tab at the top, but the second pane (inverted) had no guide line and the tab was at the bottom."

The following is quoted from a letter from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in responce to an inquiry concerning our 'patient':

March 2, 1964
"'We have examined a specimen sheet of the 10 cent Lindbergh Air Mail series 1927, which was printed from a 180-subject plate. We found uniform gutters between each three horizontal rows of stamps on this specimen sheet. In view of these findings, it is possible that the pane of reverse stamps in the booklet in question may have originated from a sheet that became reversed during processing. Any time sheets become reversed during processing of both stamps, books may be assembled with panes in reverse, unless the reversal is discovered by the examiners before final assembly.'"

"The expert Committee expressed the opinion that the first pane was genuinely inverted in the booklet submitted. Therefore it would appear that there are so far two examples of this variety known,---one with the first sheet inverted, the other with the second sheet inverted."

A review of the reported inverted panes provides us with the following list of panes in existence:

1. Williams---Kern pane (1938)---2nd pane in booklet inverted, "A" position. 1st pane normal, "J" position.
2. Herman Herst Auction (1949)---2nd pane in booklet inverted, "H" position. 1st pane normal, "J" position.
3. Sylvester Colby Auction (1952)---single inverted pane, "A" position (?).
4. Morton Dean Joyce Pane (1957)---single inverted pane, "J" position.
5. Herman Herst---Likins pane (1963)---1st pane in booklet inverted, "A" position. 2nd pane normal, "A" position.

As can be seen above there are at least two inverted panes, position "A"; one inverted pane, position "A"; one inverted pane, position "H"; and one inverted pane, position "J." There is a possibility that the Colby pane, #3, may be the same pane listed as #2 or #4. There are no details of this pane available to the writer at this time. If this pane is not one of these panes, then there is known to be a total of five of the inverted Lindbergh booklet panes. (Compare this total with the known number of 24c air mail inverts).

If any member of the BIA can add any more information about these inverted panes or has a copy of this error in his collection, it would be appreciated if he would contact this writer so that a complete record of this rarity can be made. A photograph of any existing panes would be of great help and would be included in the final report on this item to be prepared once all additional information has been collected.