Scott #277 Unused NH Strange!

I saw this stamp listed on EBay. I didn't buy it, but I'm curious about it. Seems too new! I thought it seemed like a scam. EzGrader says that the stamp is SUPERB [98 horizontal, 99 vertically]. Any opinions about the stamp in general would be welcome! Thanks.

British Cartel stamp
http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Bureau-2...AOSwJH1ZItwy
Don

This looks like one of the modern examples from the souvenir sheet.

Run away. The paper is far too white, the seller far too suspect. As revcollector says, there is a very high probability that this is not a #277 but rather a #2875a. Look at a number of #277 images and then compare them to the #2875a images, you can see the differences in the paper color and quality of printing.
Don

Here is the US Scott #2875 souvenir sheet from 1994. The sheet has a 2017 Scott catalog value of $16.00, while a MNH single (#2875a) is valued at $4.00. The nearly perfect centering would not be uncommon for a modern issue such as this.

The high bidder has a %100 feedback rather than the %0 seen with shill bidders.


Bidder Information
Bidder: a***n ( 294Feedback score is 100 to 499)
Feedback: 100% Positive
Item description:
Item Title:
US Bureau $2 Scott 277 NH CV $2900
Bids on this item: 1

Apparently someone just paid 100 times an item's worth.

And it wasn't even an example with the double transfer.

well, there is a saying about a sucker being born.........


Peter

Lol, even the color of the ink is not 277

The perforations on all 4 corners appear too equally perfect which is not typical of the old line perforations which were irregular at the corners. Also, the perforations look too round rather than oval. It looks more like the box perforations in the modern souvenir sheet.

I sure hope the buyer had the good sense to notify the seller that he was sending it for certification when he paid for it. If not, he just got a very expensive lesson.

When the certificate comes back as 2875a, he can try to get his money back, either from the seller or eBay.

There is another possibility though; Philip Ryle (aka the British Cartel) has long been suspected of shill buying his own items, allegedly as part of a money laundering scheme.

Who knows?

Maybe the buyer will check his purchase with a UV lamp. But probably not.

But if the buyer checks it with a UV lamp, we'll have a new variety - 277 with tagging!

I can see the thread already...

It goes to show - there's nothing new under the sun. Even tagging was possible in the 1800's!


Peter