Real Or Fake Benjamin Franklin + Scott #

Hi guys, I found such stamp in my friend collection, which collects just old Canadian stamps and gave this one to me, but I can't find it in Scott catalog, and the stamps looks really like new one. The paper is pretty thin. What you think about?

It is from he 1947 CIPEX Souvenir Sheet.

ooh, now I see, thanks for that information, now I should find the second stamps with G. Washngton of this sheet, so to have a full serial:-)

further to revman's reply.
US stamp identifier

Could you still use that for postage?

yes

Technically, mkfarm is right, the stamp is valid for postage. However, as a practical matter, you could take the risk that the post office may reject it as a counterfeit or label and then you're out the value of the stamp even though it would wind up being their mistake.

However, most stamp collectors would rather keep the stamp than use it as postage for a mere 5 cent face value.

Here's another example, remember these reprints from 2001? Many collectors attempted to use them to dress up their envelopes, but the post office was notorious for returning mail suggesting that they were not valid as postage. The post office was wrong, of course, but many were out the value of the stamps and for the diamond-shaped one especially, that represents a legal 80 cent stamp.

I have used these for postage. I have around 20 of them.

V_Paul, When you reach the required # of posts remind me and I'll send you one of the sheet's.

Worth the risk I think.
The Franklin would look lovely on a modern cover.
Chat up the postal clerk, and have it cancelled nicely.

For fun I use old postage stamps most of the time. I have never had one every rejected. I cut up these sheets often since I have some many. Its fun seeing older stamps used. Most people that I have bought from on this site use all old stamps to send me my packages too.

I use old stamps on my mail, too. It's just that some of these odd looking pieces that are removed from certain souvenir sheets may be viewed by a postal official as not being a legitimate stamp because of their limited use on first class mail. Maybe with the automated equipment now in place at most post offices, it's now less of a problem and, of course, if you take the mail to the postal clerk directly it will almost certianly go through, it's just that there have been reported incidents in the past of some mail being returned to sender labeled "insufficient postage" because of a stamp that looks out of the ordinary to a clerk.

revstampman, thanks for the sheet!

I didn't think, that in US it's possible to use old stamps, that's a great, and really some kind of funny. I just imagine the post mail with Lenin stamp on it within Ukraine:))

I don't know about Lenin. But, I wounder if one from the 1920's Independent Ukraine would go through?

Paul I see no one has put a Scott # to this stamp,It's a #948 A if this helps too.
regards Harry