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Victor Bove, serving collectors since 1960

3259 22¢ Uncle Sam Varieties

	3259 22c Uncle Sam Pane Perf. 10.8 x 10.8
	3259a 22c Uncle Sam Varieties Perf. 10.8 x 10.5 vert.

Late in 2000, as the current rate change neared, Linn's Stamps News published a most unusual article. A collector in California was reassembling some used 22c Uncle Sam singles to recreate a sheet when he discovered that the vertical perforations on one single would not mesh with any of the others. Upon measuring the aberrant stamp, he found that it measured 10.5 vertically ( Scott # 3259a), whereas all the others measured 10.8 (see illustration) ( Scott # 3259). Additionally, the 10.5 gauge stamp was found to be a full millimeter taller than the 10.8 die cut stamps. So began one of the more odd stamp discoveries that now can to be much more fully documented.

What was discovered initially was that on the original printing, all five stamps in the third row of every pane were die cut 10.5 vertically, while the remaining 15 stamps in the other three rows were all die cut 10.8 vertically. The original printing is identified by the size of the peel tabs on the backside of the liner paper. The back of each stamp has a 5mm half circle cut in the liner paper (see illustration). Following the original printing, however, there were multiple reprints. On each of the reprints the peel tab on the back of the liner paper is a shallow 2mm crescent. It is these reprints that offer 5 other variations to the Uncle Sam issue.


5mm peel tab (original printing)	2mm peel tab (reprint)

One variation of the reprint is known with all 4 rows having the 10.8 vertical die cut. Additionally, there are four other reprints that are known with the 10.5 variety, each one with the 10.5 in one of the 4 rows. Including the original printing, this makes a total of 6 different sheets.

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