Today, we’re going to be looking at a stamp album that I just acquired. We’ll take a look at it together and see what’s inside. I’ll also go over some of the history of some of the stamps and discuss how to identify the different issues we’ll find in this album.

Like with most of the stamps I show in my videos, these stamps will become available in my Facebook group.

Taking a Look at the Stamp Album

Okay, let’s take a look and see what’s in the stamp album.

This stamp album starts in 1917 and looks to be hingeless. It has clear mounts, which I prefer over black mounts because the pages look much cleaner. The stamps are displayed without the dramatic contrast that black mounts create, which can make the page feel heavier and less natural.

However, black mounts are great for showing how centered a stamp is. So, if you have well-centered stamps, black mounts might be a better option—even for a stock book. But overall, I prefer the clear, hingeless albums.

1917 Washington Franklin Issue

The first issue in the album is the 1917 Washington Franklin issue, with perf 11 stamps, Scott numbers 498 to 518. It looks fairly complete, including a Scott 500 (Type 1a), which has heavier lines compared to Type 1. This one appears never hinged, though the centering isn’t great.

Many of the stamps in this album are never hinged. When evaluating stamps in this set, I start with the 20-cent and higher denominations, as these tend to be more valuable when they’re never hinged and well-centered.

Disturbed Gum and Plate Number Singles

Some stamps have disturbed gum, also known as tropicalized gum, which results from moisture in the air. This gives the gum a patchy appearance. One of the stamps, a 30-cent, looks better centered than the 20-cent and is likely worth grading.

For collectors, plate number singles—stamps with a plate number on the salvage—are also of interest. One example in the album, a 50-cent stamp, is never hinged but has fine centering. The dollar value stamp here also appears never hinged, with a faint gum bend that shouldn’t significantly affect its value.

The 505 Error Strip

At the bottom of this page, we have the 505 error in a strip of three. This stamp error involved the five-cent denomination being mistakenly printed in rose color instead of blue on a sheet of two-cent stamps. The center stamp, a Scott 505, is hinged, with disturbed gum that will affect its value. It’s nicely centered, though.

Collectors often prefer to see the 505 error attached to a two-cent stamp to better illustrate the error. This error, Scott 505, is the most affordable of the Washington Franklin errors.

Scott 498 to 518 Issues and Perforate 11 Stamps

For collectors overwhelmed by the complexity of the Washington Franklin era, it helps to know that Scott numbers 498 to 518 are the only issues that are perforate 11. So, if you find a Washington Franklin stamp that’s perforate 11, or a Franklin design with an 8-cent denomination or higher, you definitely have one of these stamps.

Booklet Panes

Next, we have used versions of the Washington Franklin set, followed by some booklet panes of the one-cent through three-cent denominations. These panes of six stamps are popular among collectors, especially when they include a plate number. One of the panes even has blind perforations—perforations that didn’t punch all the way through, creating an interesting EFO (Error, Freak, and Oddity).

Plate Blocks

The next page features plate blocks of six, including 5-cent, 12-cent, and 4-cent stamps. To qualify as a true plate block, the plate number must be centered on the stamps. If the plate number is positioned on the top or bottom, it’s considered a block of six with a plate number, not a true plate block.

Color Varieties and Grading Considerations

The album also contains different color varieties, such as the brown carmine (Scott 512a) and claret brown (Scott 512). Collectors often look for these varieties, though the catalog value for these shades is the same. Well-centered stamps are often broken out from blocks for grading, as they can be more valuable on their own.

Scott 509 Plate Block

One particularly interesting item in the album is a Scott 509 plate block of six with a catalog value of $150 (hinged). If one of the never-hinged stamps from this block were graded at 95, its value could reach $275.

Rare Scott 519 and Fakes

Another highlight of this album is a Scott 519, the two-cent stamp spelled out as “TWO” with a perforate 11 around it. This is an often faked stamp, so it’s worth sending in for certification. The Scott 519 should have a double-line watermark, and many fakes are made by perforating a Scott 344 imperforate.

Scott 523 and Color Comparison

A Scott 523 (red, orange, and black) two-cent Franklin is also in the album, decently centered with disturbed gum. Comparing this stamp with the carmine 547 helps highlight the color differences, with the 523 being much more scarce and valuable.

Offset Issues

The album includes offset-printed stamps, which have sharper, more high-contrast designs. A standout is Scott 528A (Type 6), where the heavy line on the number “2” is a distinguishing feature. Type 6 designs are the most valuable among the offset perforate issues, with a catalog value of $115 for a never-hinged example.

Coil Waste Issues

This album also features coil waste issues, which were intended for coil production but ended up being perforated on all sides in sheets. One such issue, Scott 538A, is an imperforate pair, though it has a small tear. A perf 11 coil waste (Scott 545) is also included.

That’s it for this stamp album! I’ll be breaking it apart into individual lots for sale in my Facebook group, so make sure to join if you haven’t already. Thanks for watching, and as always, best of luck and happy collecting!