The Rare 2d Coil

Infobox_RareStamps
common_name = The Rare 2d Coil
"Twopence coil stamp"


country_of_production = Ireland
location_of_production= Dublin
date_of_production= 1935
nature_of_rarity = Few printed
number_in_existence= 20 mint,
several used,
a few on cover
face_value = 2d
estimated_value = GB £9,000 (mint)Stanley Gibbons (2004), p. 1]
GB £1,500 (used)

The Rare 2d Coil was an experimental vertical coil stamp, denominated 2d, issued by the Irish Post Office in 1935 [Foley (1995), p.31] [While Stanley Gibbons refers to this stamp as being issued in 1934 in their catalogue, Foley illustrates archived official correspondence dated 1956 between Stanley Gibbons and the Department of Posts and Telegraphs that confirms 1935 as the year of issuance.] and is one of the scarcest, and most valuable, Irish stamps. It is often referred to by stamp collectors simply as "Scott 68b" or "SG 74b", being the Scott and Stanley Gibbons stamp catalogue numbers repectively.

Design

Philatelists refer to the configuration as '"perf 15 x imperf"Bugg (1996), p. 15: Bugg improperly identifies the stamp as perf 14 x imperf] , or in the USA as "perf 15 horizontal", because the stamp is perforated 15 on the horizontal and imperforate on the vertical edges. Because of the shared design it appears identical to the first 2d value definitive stamp issued on 6 December, 1922 with the "Map of Ireland" except for the imperforate vertical edges. It uses the first Irish watermark that was a stylised design of the two overlapping letters 's' and 'e' making an 'se' watermark representing the name of the country "Saorstat Éireann" (Irish Free State).cite web |url=http://www.cartref.demon.co.uk/eng/stamps/eire03.htm |title=The First Definitive Series of the Irish Free State and Irish Republic, 1922–1968 |publisher=Arwel Parry |accessdate=2008-05-10]

History

It was first recognised in 1937 but not acknowledged by the philatelic catalogues until Scott listed it in 1952. Over the years 20 copies have been identified in mint condition, [Foley (1995), pp. 65–69] but the quantity used is not known however, even though several have been recorded, they are scarce. [Feldman (1968), p. 76.] A few copies are known on cover but Dulin suggests that all Irish coil stamps are scarce on cover. [cite journal | last = Dulin | first = Cyril | title = Coils on Cover | journal = The Revealer | volume = Vol. 43 | issue = Issue No. 3 | pages = pps. 52–53 | publisher = Éire Philatelic Association | location = USA | date = Winter 1993 | issn = 0484-6125 | accessdate = 2008-05-10 ] Some debate as to the genuineness of this stamp took place in the Irish philatelic literature during the mid-1990s with a suggestion the stamp had been fabricated from a normal fully perforated stamp with a press. This hypothesis was debunked by Foley and Ian Whyte, a Dublin stamp dealer, who both claimed such a process would damage the stamp and be scientifically impossible. Archived documents were also found that confirm the stamp were ordered and issued by the Irish postal administration. [cite journal | last = Foley | first = Joe | title = The 2d Coil Stamp (SG74a, Scott 68b), A Friendly Rebuttal | journal = The Revealer | volume = Vol. 44 | issue = Issue No. 3 | pages = pps. 47 & 57 | publisher = Éire Philatelic Association | location = USA | date = Winter 1994 | issn = 0484-6125 | accessdate = 2008-05-10 ] [cite journal | last = Whyte | first = Ian | title = The 1935 2d Coil Stamp (SG74a, Scott 68b), | journal = The Revealer | volume = Vol. 44 | issue = Issue No. 3 | pages = pps. 47–48 | publisher = Éire Philatelic Association | location = USA | date = Winter 1994 | issn = 0484-6125 | accessdate = 2008-05-10 ]

Forgery

In 2004 a forgery of this stamp was reported in "The Revealer", the journal of the "Éire Philatelic Association", that had been found in the "Maryland forgeries" and offered for sale by a noted collector Roger West of Phoenix International. The forgery is paler than the genuine stamp and the print is coarser, on a white ungummed paper and perforated 10.75 x imperf. The printed stamp area is 18.0mm x 22.5mm compared to 18.5mm x 22.0mm on the original. [cite journal | last = Foley | first = Joe | title = The Rare 1934 2d Coil Stamp—Forgery | journal = The Revealer | volume = Vol. 54 | issue = Issue No. 2 | pages = p. 20 | publisher = Éire Philatelic Association | location = USA | date = Fall 2004 | issn = 0484-6125 | accessdate = 2008-05-10 ]

References and sources

;Notes

;Sources
* [http://www.eirephilatelicassoc.org]
*
*(Past-President American Philatelic Society [http://www.stamps.org] )
*

ee also

* Postage stamps of Ireland