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waterfowlstampsandmore.com Page of 131The First Fish and Game Stamp – Part OneOn March 16, 1934 President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act into law. The primary purpose of this Act was to generate badly needed funding for waterfowl restoration and conservation purposes. The main feature of the Act produced colorful historical artifacts directly tied to waterfowl conservation (the stamps themselves) and provided the origin for the hobby that we enjoy today – the collecting of waterfowl stamps and fish and game stamps in general.Earlier in the year, Roosevelt had selected Jay Norwood Darling to head up the U.S. Biological Survey, forerunner of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Now Darling was picked to design the first federal waterfowl stamp, to be issued for the 1934-35 seasons. The stamp, featuring a pair of mallards in flight, is commonly known to collectors as RW1. This is due to the stamp having been assigned that catalog number in the 1935 Scott Specialized Catalog of United States Stamps, for Revenue Waterfowl #1.It seems appropriate to use Darling’s stamp to illustrate an overview for the collecting possibilities for federal waterfowl stamps, so here we go. First the artist, in this case Darling, executes a series of pencil sketches until he is satisfied with his design. At this point, a more “finished product” is developed. In the case of Darling, he chose brush and ink for his medium. The next step is for a designer to take the original artwork and incorporate it into the actual stamp design, including borders, lettering and denominations (commonly known as face values).Through 1958-59, all federal stamps were engraved. Therefore, the next step would require one to three engravers to take the completed design and etch it into a metal plate. Often the artwork was done by one engraver and the lettering and denominations were done by different engravers. During the engraving process, die proofs were made periodically for approval by officials at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. In the early days of the federal waterfowl stamp program, it was common practice to allow each engraver to each take home one proof as a sample of his work and a memento.This is how virtually all of the federal waterfowl stamp die proofs have entered the collector market. Eventually, the engraver himself or a family member subsequently sold them to a collector or dealer to generate some extra income. This was perfectly legal. There are two kinds of die proofs, large and small. Both types feature a single impression made from the engraved metal plate.The difference is basically the size of the white paper margins surrounding the stamp design. Large die proofs have large margins and small die proofs have small margins, rarely exceeding 5-6 mm. One can generalize and say that in addition, most large die proofs were mounted on a larger piece of card stock and small die proofs were not mounted. However, some large die proofs were not mounted and some small die proofs were.Knowing that the proofs may eventually be sold, most (but not all) of the large die proofs in collector’s hands today have been defaced by a small punch mark intended to prevent their use for reproduction. Small die proofs exist in smaller numbers than large die proofs (with each having only one or two examples recorded) so it is more difficult to generalize. However, I am unaware of any federal small die proof with a punch. Small die proofs are known for their intense, vibrant color (see Figures 1 and 2). waterfowlstampsandmore.com Page of 231 FIGURE 1. LARGE DIE PROOF FOR THE 1934-35 FEDERAL WATERFOWL STAMP. NOTE THIS PROOF IS SIGNED BY THE LETTER ENGRAVER AND DOES NOT BEAR A PUNCH MARK. FORMERLY IN THE JEANNETTE RUDY COLLECTION, THE BLUE BORDER INDICATES IT IS ONE OF THE FEATURED ITEMS IN THE STAMP EXHIBIT BELONGING TO WILL AND ABBY CSAPLAR. FIGURE 2. SMALL DIE PROOF FOR THE 1934-35 FEDERAL WATERFOWL STAMP. NOTE THIS PROOF HAS BEEN MOUNTED ON CARD STOCK. FORMERLY IN THE RUDY COLLECTION.waterfowlstampsandmore.com Page of 331Once the the final die proofs were approved, the die was multiplied to create large plates of 112 subjects. There would have then been an imperforate plate proof made, consisting of 112 subjects with even smaller margins than the small die proofs (similar to the spacing on a perforated pane).Once the sheet of plate proofs was approved, regular sheets of 112 stamps were printed, gummed and perforated. The large sheets were then cut into four panes of 28 for easy distribution to post offices. The first federal waterfowl stamps were to be put on sale to the general public on August 24, 1934.Two days prior, on August 22nd, Darling was allowed to purchase stamps from a pane that was released early. The occasion served to publicize the new stamps and photographs were made of Darling purchasing the first stamp from the pane. I have heard from several different sources that he purchased 25 of the 28 stamps on August 22, 1934 and that most were affixed to federal Form 3333 and signed by him on the reverse.Federal officials were worried that hunters would share stamps and Form 3333 was devised to help prevent this from happening. For 1934-35, the law stated that no federal waterfowl stamp could be sold unless immediately affixed to the hunter’s license or (in cases when no hunting license was present) the blue card. This law was in effect until two weeks prior to the stamps being taken off sale and destroyed in 1935. Less than half of the Form 3333s from Aug 22, 1934 can be accounted for today (see Figures 3 and 4). FIGURE 3. OBVERSE OF ONE OF THE FORM 3333S BEARING ONE OF THE FIRST FEDERAL STAMPS SOLD TO JAY N. DARLING. FIGURE 4. REVERSE OF THE FORM 3333 ISSUED TO DARLING ON AUGUST 22ND. NOTE HIS SIGNATURE, J. N. DARLING AT THE BOTTOMwaterfowlstampsandmore.com Page of 431In the early 1930s, A. C. Roessler was one of the biggest promoters of first day covers in the U.S. A first day cover is an envelope, often bearing a related design at the left known as a cache, with a stamp affixed and bearing a cancelation from the first day it is available to the general public. For decades first day covers, thanks in large part to Roessler’s efforts, were avidly collected. Upon learning of the new federal waterfowl stamp, Roessler sent in an unknown quantity of covers and asked that they be cancelled on August 24th. Unfortunately, this did not happen.The covers were cancelled on August 27th – three days late (see Figure 5). FIGURE 5. ATTEMPTED FIRST DAY COVER FOR THE 1934-35 FEDERAL WATERFOWL STAMP BY A.C. ROESSLER. NOTE THE STAMPS WERE CANCELLED AUGUST 27T However, at least one 1934-35 federal waterfowl stamp exists on a Form 3333 with a August 24th cancellation. This is considered one of the most historic and important items in the waterfowl stamp hobby (see Figure 6). FIGURE 6. FEDERAL WATERFOWL STAMP AFFIXED TO FORM 3333CANCELLED AUG 24, 1934.waterfowlstampsandmore.com Page of 531The First Fish and Game Stamp – Part TwoWhile archival material and stamps affixed to documents from August can be difficult to acquire, there are many other options for collecting the 1934-35 federal waterfowl stamp. This is due to the law prohibiting the sale of unused stamps being changed. For a two week period prior to the stamps being withdrawn from sale and destroyed, June 30, 1935, anyone was allowed to buy unused 1934-35 federal waterfowl stamps in singles, blocks, plate blocks or sheets.The main reason for this shift in policy is that it had already been decided that starting with the 1935-36 issue (RW2), all hunters would be required to sign their federal waterfowl stamp across the face after affixing it to their license. This alleviated concerns that hunters would share stamps. It also made the use of Form 3333 obsolete, although the practice of affixing federal waterfowl stamps to the blue card would continue for years in remote areas of the country and in places where the Postmaster simply did not understand the new regulations. This will be the subject of a future blog post. Collecting Single StampsFor every other year except 1934-35, collectors have the option to search for either signed or unsigned stamps. Since hunters were not required to sign their stamp the first year, very few signed examples have been recorded. Collecting signed stamps is a very affordable, popular option. Many collectors like the fact the stamp was actually used for it’s intended purpose. It also allows for hunters to put together a collection of their own stamps and allows others a chance to include stamps that were used by friends or relatives. This often provides more meaning to the collection. In general, when collecting signed stamps, the smaller, neater and more unobtrusive signatures are considered more desirable.In a strict philatelic sense, an unsigned stamp implies that the stamp has been removed from a license and has no gum on the reverse. Collecting unsigned stamps is also popular, especially with people who want to put the set in a frame and don’t see the need to pay extra for the gum that will never be seen. With unsigned stamps, small faults (especially those not visible from the front – like small thin spots) are usually not so important. One should be on the lookout, however, for stamps where a signature has been chemically removed as this process may alter the original color of the stamp.This leaves us with by far and away the most popular form of collecting unused federal stamps, unused with full original gum. In other words, in the same condition as the stamps were originally issued. Over the years, the hobby has developed standards for grading unused stamps and for the last few years, some philatelists are literally having their stamps graded in the same way coins have been for decades. For the purposes of this blog post, I need to simplify this portion of the discussion. Therefore, I want to make a generalized statement that the better centered the stamp and the more pristine the gum – the more desirable and more highly valued the stamp.waterfowlstampsandmore.com Page of 631Centering is the most important criteria and I would like to offer this analogy; think of the centering of the stamp design within the perforations as you would a photograph or piece of art in a picture frame. You probably would not enjoy seeing the object on your wall with five inches of mat board on two or three sides and only two inches on the other(s) as this would look unbalanced to your eye, perhaps to the point of some distraction. In much the same way, collectors strive to have the stamp design centered within the perforations in such a way that all four margins (analogous to the mat board) are as close to equal as possible (see Figure 1). FIGURE 1. UNUSED 1934-35 FEDERAL WATERFOWL STAMP WITH LARGE, BALANCED MARGINS. WHEN THE MARGINS GET REALLY BIG, AS ON THIS STAMP, COLLECTORS REFER TO THEM AS “JUMBO”. THIS ADDS MORE DESIRABILITY AND VALUE TO THE STAMP.The other main factor when collecting unused stamps concerns the gum on the reverse. Purists attempt to obtain stamps with untouched, virtually perfect gum and such stamps are referred to as “mint, never hinged”. A hinge is a small piece of gummed, folded paper that traditionally has been used to affix stamps in a collectors album. One moistens the smaller folded flap and pushes it directly onto the stamp; then moistens the larger flap and presses the stamp into the album.When a stamp is removed from the album, the hinge can usually be removed in its entirety, however, not without removing some portion of the stamp’s original gum. Such stamps are referred to as “hinged”. As with grading centering, there are several grades of hinging; ranging from lightly hinged to still bearing a remnant of the hinge itself. Again, I want to be brief and say that if the reverse of the stamp is not so important to you, it is possible to save a tremendous amount of money by accepting a stamp with a hinge mark. On the other hand, you should realize that when the time comes to sell, there are not as many buyers for hinged stamps.One thing to look out for is that the stamp was not thinned when the hinge was removed. A thin is caused when a shallow layer of the stamp paper is pulled away with the gum when a persistent hinged is forcibly removed. On scarce to rare fish and game stamps (where the numbers available are relatively small), a small fault such a thin may not effect the stamp’s value to a great degree. This is not the case on unused federal waterfowl stamps, where the number of stamps available is relatively large. A thin seriously affects the stamp’s value.waterfowlstampsandmore.com Page of 731Collecting Plate Number SinglesWhen the large sheets of 112 subjects are printed, a number designating the actual metal plate used to print the sheet is printed in the selvage in four different places; the upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right. The selvage is the excess blank white paper that runs around the outside of the entire sheet and the numbers are referred to as plate numbers. In the case of the 1934-35 stamp, four different metal plates were used: numbers 129199, 129200, 129201 and 129202. Once the sheets were cut into panes, each pane included one plate number.Many collectors enjoy plate number singles as they feel the number adds a bit of glamour, if you will, to the otherwise single stamp. Is is possible to collect signed (used) plate number singles and this can be a fun and challenging pursuit. By far and away the most popular avenue for collecting plate number singles is unused. Since plate numbers were printed on the upper and lower portions of each sheet, it is possible to have a plate number single with the number above the stamp (top) or below (bottom). Some collectors prefer bottoms, however, it seems most prefer tops (see Figure 2). FIGURE 2. TOP PLATE NUMBER SINGLE OF THE 1934-35 FEDERAL WATERFOWL STAMP.waterfowlstampsandmore.com Page of 831Collecting Plate Number BlocksSince the earliest days of stamp collecting, plate number blocks have been very popular. This is basically a “leveling up” of the glamour associated with plate number singles. Plate number blocks of the 1934-35 federal waterfowl stamp have a higher level of difficulty of acquisition than one might expect. This is due to the fact that all of the 1934-35 plate blocks in collectors hands today could only have been obtained during that two week period at the end of June, 1935.Starting in 1934-35 and continuing through 1958-59, the plate numbers were printed in the selvage of a stamp one position removed from the corner. Therefore, by long standing philatelic convention, all of the single color federal waterfowl stamps were collected in plate blocks of six (see Figure 3). FIGURE 3. 1934-35 FEDERAL WATERFOWL STAMP PLATE NUMBER BLOCK OF SIX FROM THE LOWER RIGHT POSITION. Some advanced collectors try to acquire a plate block from each position (UL,UR, LL and LR). More challenging is to attempt to put together a matched set of plate blocks form all four positions bearing the same number. A few people, most recently Jeanette Rudy, have attempted to put together matched sets of all four numbers for the 1934-35 stamp. This may be considered the ultimate challenge, and I am unaware that anyone has yet to accomplished the feat.As with plate number singles, most collectors prefer tops and therefore there is often a premium attached to early federal plate blocks from the upper left or right positions. When purchasing early federal plate blocks one should be careful the selvage has not been trimmed. Obtaining a certificate of authenticity from a professional philatelic expertization service is advised. waterfowlstampsandmore.com Page of 931Collecting ErrorsOver the years there have been many federal waterfowl stamp errors. When it comes to the 1934-35 issue, there are only two. The two are really one and in fact, they are not errors at all but printers waste. Let me explain. Since at least as far back as the 1950s when my father acquired a vertical strip of three that was completely imperforate of the 1934-35 federal waterfowl stamp, there has existed in the collector market two “major errors”. On what I shall refer to as Type I, vertical pairs, strips and blocks exist that are perforated vertically but imperforate horizontally. On Type II, there exists vertical pairs and strips, only, that are completely imperforate (see Figure 4). FIGURE 4. 1934-35 PRINTER’S WASTE IMPERFORATE PAIRS. TYPE I (LEFT) AND TYPE II (RIGHT).For decades I had heard rumors that all of the “errors” were from the same pane of 28 stamps that was fished out of the trash by an employee at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and later sold to a stamp dealer “way back when”. As I started to analyze the errors I noticed that virtually every piece was faulty, with creases or thins or both – consistent with the trash can rumors. Then I began to notice that all of the pieces that retained vertical perforations had relatively small margins between the perforations and the designs. Further, there were no blocks that were completely imperforate – or even any horizontal pairs. To top it all off, some pieces had gum on the front.This led me to conclude that not only were the errors indeed printers waste, but that at one time all were Type I. Someone a long time ago had taken the pairs and strips that were perforated vertically with the widest margins and trimmed them to create a second variety (Type II) to sell their customers. It was at this point I had the following statement printed in the Scott Specialized Catalogue:It is almost certain that No. RW1a (Type II) is No. RW1b (Type I) with vertical perfs trimmed off. No horizontal pairs of No. RW1a are known. All recorded pairs are vertical, with narrow side margins. Both varieties probably are printer’s waste since examples exist with gum on front or without gumNext >