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The Kiusalas perf gauge was made specifically to identify differing issues of the Washington/Franklin series of U.S. stamps. These stamps were issued from 1908 to 1923 but offer over 200 different types/varieties. Each of these is given ‘major’ status in the Scott U.S. catalog.
Many of them look quite similar and one issue alone offers 7 different varieties. The perfs used on these stamps are not the 11.5, 12, 12.5,
13 etc. The perfs can be 12.87 or 11.38. The perfs can also be as close as 12.56, 12.83. Quite often the perf is the factor telling you if you have a stamps worth 20 cents or 200 dollars.
The Kiusalas gauge hasn’t been produced in some 25-30 years.
I’m lucky to have found one a couple of years ago. Certainly thee are other ways of identifying the perfs on this series, but the gauge makes it much easier.
That is why I was asking if anyone had compared the two gauges. The multi-gauge costs about $25.00. I’m not about to throw out my
Kiusalas, but it is getting kind of old and worn. If it ever gets lost, I’d like to know that there is a valid alternative.
The Washington/Franklin series are probably one of the most studied series of stamps ever issued by the U.S. (Ok, ok, maybe #11) but...
There are people who expertise in just this group. The process of printing these stamps is very well known.
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