Time to begin measuring rarity for the Departmentals

Which ones are the scarcest used/mint/on cover?

I only base rarity on what I have and that can lead to a poor assessment of rarity. In my case I rank rarity this way (1 is rarest):

1. 10c MG type I
2. 15c MH
3. 1p MM, all 1p with boundaries, all 50c, a few austrian 30c, 3c MM
4. the remaining 10c Type Is and the remaining 1p top and bottom overprint without boundaries
5. all remaining large format (25c, 30c)
6. 2c, 3c, 20c JMG and 20c MG
7. 10c type II
8. 5c offset and 1c
9. 5c typo

Mi bias is for used and on cover only are useful to measure rarity since the mint ones are remainders. I have a notable example: my almost complete sheet (89 of 100) of the 30c MH 1E2 is for a stamp for which I only have a handful used, yet I have dozens of the 30c MH 1E1 used. I will post here once I get some responses from the Argentinean forum.

The above ranking is slightly different to the table below because I have additional stamps in a stock that I have not counted, and because I am 'not there yet' in measuring relative rarity correctly. Here are the stamps I have as singles and small multiples (four or less), used and mint. I have not counted the large number of remaindered blocks because these create a lop-sided count...I will think a bit more about this issue.

2009 1E1 1E2 Book 2nd Edition

Here is a link to the PDF for the second edition of the 1E1/1E2 book

This newer version includes a complete description of the Departmental Officials and images of all of the 1E2 regular stamps known to exist (PDF, 24.5 MB)

The 1p1E2-MM and the 1pL-MRC

With these stamps I have attained type completion of the departmental officials, and perhaps even issue completion....I need to check the 1E2 30c stamps, I may be missing one.

Here are mint and used examples of the 1pL-MRC





Here is the 1p1E2-MM

The 10c-I-MG DEPOF and a handful of Type I MMs

I have finally acquired a copy of the extremely rare 10c MG Type I. This stamp is not in the best condition, but it is an acceptable copy of what seems to me is the rarest departmental, and perhaps one of the rarest of the entire series.



I also just received a few MMs





...an M..M single



...and an M..M in a pair

A 1pL/2p1E1 cover

These cover combinations are a sure source of the rare 2p1E1.

The 2p1E2

This stamp is the rarest of the 1E2 range. The 5p1E2 is unknown, and if it is ever found, it will be even rarer. The dark colors make separating this stamp from the 1E1/1E3 somewhat difficult.

The 401E2

This stamp is not as rare as the 2p1E2, but it is rare enough. Here are the ones I have found so far. The dark colors make separating this stamp from the 1E1/1E3 somewhat difficult.