U.S. #577
Series of 1923-25 2¢ George Washington
Issue Date: March 20, 1923
First City: Washington, D.C.
Quantity Issued: 36,085,600
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Flat Plate
Perforation: None
Color: Carmine
Private Companies Purchased Imperforates for Vending Machines
Like the Washington-Franklin imperforates, the imperforate stamps of 1923-25 were issued for private companies to use in their vending machines. Since the machines required special perforations, the companies bought the imperforate stamps and applied their own perforations.
No known copies of U.S. #577 were proven to have been used in New York, one of the centers for private vending. This stamp was issued almost exclusively to Mail-o-Meter, whose machines were mostly in Chicago. Quantities were also reported in Milwaukee, as some sheets were likely sent to that city from nearby Chicago.