15c Ft. Mchenry Flag Coil Color Omitted 1518cf (?)

Is the example below a copy of the above gray color omitted error?

The scan may not be detailed enough to show, but it does have a faint outline of the denomination and partial text at upper left corner that seems engraved but does not seem to have come out in color on the stamp. I'm not sure if that qualifies it as the color omitted variety or if it could have been caused by soaking it off paper.

Is there a current value listing for this? (My 2002 Scott Specialized does not list a price for a used example.)

If there is NO color visible it would be a "Color Missing" error. I would send it for a cert.

Technicality: 1618Cf, not 1518Cf.

MNH catalog value is $35 in the 2007 Scott US Specialized, no price for used. Scott rarely gives used prices for errors (there is actually 1 known used copy of the inverted Jenny #C3a, but Scott doesn't price it either).

The appearance of your copy is consistent with the known mint copies, including the white specks in the blue field and red stripes.

While a certificate would be nice, keep in mind that the cost of the certificate might be a significant chunk of the market value of the stamp. When genuine used color missing errors appear on the market, they usually don't exceed the market value of a mint copy. That is only a general statement. There are exceptions; could this be one of them?

Genuine or not, you got a nice stamp in your hands!

k