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SET VIII - The Unwatermarked - Perf 10 of 1916
The Set VI stamps, perforated 10 on single-line USPS paper stock, proved to be just a little too difficult to separate, often resulting in a tear in the stamp itself when the perforations were separated. In 1916, the year the U.S. became involved in
World War I, every effort was made to economize in order to put all of our resources into the war. Unwatermarked paper was cheaper to produce than watermarked paper and as the single-line watermarks were difficult to detect anyway and not that effective a security measure, in late 1916 the Post Office Department agreed to print the stamps on unwatermarked paper stock, using the 10 gauge perforation of the previous two years. The perforated 10 stamps, printed on unwatermarked paper stock are listed in Scott as numbers 462 through 478.
In 1917, the supply of $2 and $5 stamps from the 1902 issue was finally drying up, coupled with a sudden surge in demand for high value denominations associated with the transfer of bonds at the start of the first World War and a lack of time to make new designs, it was decided to simply use the existing designs of the 1902 Series to create new plates and print the $2 and $5 stamps on the unwatermarked paper stock and perforate the stamps 10 gauge. Although the design is not Washington or Franklin, these stamps are considered by most to complete this Set, and are most commonly listed as Scott numbers 479 and 480.
Set VIII Imperforate: The one through five cent stamps were issued imperforate using the unwatermarked paper stock and the flat plate printing method, and are listed as Scott numbers 481 through 485. Many of these were privately perforated.
Next: Set IX
Rotary Press - Perf 10 Coils - Unwatermarked of 1916
A Guide to the Washington Franklins 1908 · 1909 · 1910 · 1910 Perf 8.5 · 1912 · 1914 · 1915 · 1916 Coils · 1917 · 1918 · 1919 · 1919 Shanghai