1¢ Franklin
Perf 12
Vertical Coil
Watermark Check: You will need to check the watermark on this stamp.
| Number | Watermark | May be faked by trimming this stamp |
Often faked by adding perforations to this stamp |
| 348 | Double-line | 331 | 343 |
| 385 | Single-line | 374 | 383 |
Caution
The 1¢ vertical coils, Number 348 and Number 385 are often faked. Both of these stamps are prime candidates for fakery, since they are in that gray area in which the cost of certification can often be more than the cost of the stamp. Particularly suspect are well-centered stamps. Although many fakes are made by trimming a fully perforated or a large margined straight edge copy of the sheet stamps, these fakes are easily recognized since they often measure less than the proper width of at least 21.5 mm.
The more dangerous fakes are made from the imperforate stamps, in this case Number 343 and Number 383, respectively. The perforations must be examined closely to guarantee authenticity.
see also Number 352 and 387
