Scott #1445 Weird Color - EFO Or Color Changeling?

Hi all,

I displayed this weirdo on my blog the other day, but would like to hear as many opinions as possible from US based collectors.



So far I've checked all the catalogues I have (Michel,Scott US specialized,SG,Yvert), and of course none of them mention anything about freak like this.

Naturally I'm a bit skeptical about the authenticity of this item. This could well be caused by improper storage, bleach etc. chemical. So far I've checked the stamp under regular and UV-light, and the paper seems identical to real thing.

On the other the little devil on my shoulder is whispering "this could be a real EFO". But how could it have been born? So far I can only think of some sort of mishap during the printing process that has caused the green+red to mix when wet (causing the yellow color). Or possibly the printer has run low on red (causing once again the yellow-looking color)...But these are just speculation, as I don't know what kind of colors US stamp printers have used and in what order/how they've been printed.

Here are few high-resolution close-ups:




And this one shows some traces of red/orange on face value...so it's not all missing:



So what do You think? Real EFO, or phoney?

PS. And for those wondering what I paid for this... I pulled this from a dealers 15 cent approval book.

Red ink missing. Real error.

Whether it is a real error or faked, I like it. The only thought leaning towards fake would be the red remains on the lower scan. Smauggie have you seen this error before/

Drew

I have seen this error before, though not as close-up and personal as this one. The remnants of red ink suggest to me that the red plate was not properly inked.

Smauggie - Do You recall where you saw the similar item?

Total red missing-- The magenta ink overtop of the yellow would produce the bright orangy red of the first stamp. I would say a true error. About 20 yrs ago I worked at a print shop and you would be surprised what ended up in the garbage some how made into employees hands. The offset of the green into the yellow makes me think the press was just getting set and colors just turned on but not yet st to register.

I have not seen this stamp sent for certification but on similar stamps the U.S. Philatelic Foundation would not issue certification for color omitted if there was any trace of color. The stamp clearly shows traces or red on the "US" and the "8c". Sorry but it is not an error but a severely under inked variety.

Edit: Here is a good example of PF cert result for omitted color
http://pfsearch.org/pfsearch/pf_grd...lledfrom=lkp

Light or chemical damage.
Have a look at the dullness of the foliage.
With light, red turns to orange.

Same (IMHO good) practice applies on this side of the globe too.



Caused by the scanning process...In real life these two stamps are very identical despite the color of inscription.



But this is clearly yellow. The remainders of red (on "US" and "8c") look orange-like though.





AFAIK, exposure to light can be most easily noted by abnormal paper color. The longer the exposure to light, the more creamy the paper turns into. Also the fibers will start to break (due to UV) turning paper brittler than normal...As far as I can tell, neither of these apply in this case.

Re, chemicals... AFAIK bleech should show up when reviewing stamp under UV. But this one looks normal. Can't say anything about other chemicals...

Any other tips/methods for testing light / chemical damage would be highly appreciated by me.

OK, I missed this thread during my absence...

It would appear to be an EFO (more specifically, a printing freak) -- severely underinked red. It is definitely not a color missing error. If you are concerned about possible chemical interaction/removal, hit it with filtered long-wavelength UV (~365nm) and compare to normal MINT stamp.

Nice stamp to have.

I found the same stamp only used in a bag I got from a lady that had been tearing them off envelopes for 40 years. I can't find anyone who knows anything about it. It has the same tiny specs of red in the yellow. As near as I can tell mine is just like yours except used. I believe it is an error. How do we prove it?

Again, if it has tiny specks of red in the lettering, then it is NOT a color missing error. Depending on the actual stamp you have, it may either be an underinking EFO (Keijo's stamp is likely this case) or a color changeling.

As a used stamp, if a genuine underinking EFO, worth at most a few bucks.