Nixon invert
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| Nixon invert | |
|---|---|
 A block of four plus selvage shows how the inverted portrait falls in between the stamps. | |
| Country of production | United States |
| Nature of rarity | Printer's waste |
| Face value | 32 cents |
| Estimated value | US $$8,000-$10,000 |
The "Nixon invert" is a reputed invert error of the Richard Nixon memorial postage stamp issued by the United States Postal Service in 1995.
Originally reported in January 1996, the invert drew considerable attention; however, in December of that year, Clarence Robert Robie, a printing plant employee, was arrested on charges of having stolen the misprinted stamps from the plant where he worked.[1][2] This meant that, rather than being a legitimate error mistakenly sold by the Postal Service, the inverts were printer’s waste—material taken from a printing plant or wastepaper destruction facility and sold illegally.[3] While errors sold by the Postal Service are highly prized, printer’s waste is not and, as was the case with the Nixon invert, may be confiscated by authorities.[4]
The 32¢ Nixon commemorative stamp was issued on April 26, 1995, following Richard Nixon's death the previous year. The stamps were designed by Daniel Schwarz and printed in combination offset-intaglio process by the Banknote Corporation of America. It was issued in panes of fifty.[5]
Because of the Watergate scandal and Nixon's subsequent resignation, the stamps did not sell well, and some members of Congress even asked Postmaster General Marvin T. Runyon to not issue the stamps, but Runyon maintained that presidential memorial stamps were tradition and approved the stamp.[6]
Appearance
The "Nixon invert" shows the portrait of Richard Nixon, "USA," and the 32¢ denomination inverted relative to the printed name "Richard Nixon." The portrait was additionally shifted so that it was split across the stamp's perforations. The stamps were in mint condition, never hinged.[7]
This inversion was made possible because the stamp was printed in two steps. First, the portrait and denomination combination was printed by Barton Press on a Heidelberg six-color sheet-fed offset press, then the stamps were sent to the American Bank Note Company's plant in Suffern, New York, where the intaglio inscription was applied using a Giori press. The Bank Note Company also perforated and finished the stamps.[citation needed]