Very Confused About Hawaii!

I have a used version of what I think is this stamp:



This is described by the seller as Scott# 52C.

This makes me wonder - what are Scott# 52, 52A and 52B?

What year was this stamp issued?

And what is the Stanley Gibbons number?

The reason I ask is because, if I read Gibbons correctly, this stamp was issued in 1865 and is worth more used than mint - a lot more.

The idea that the stamp was issued in 1865 is supported by the following website:

http://www.linns.com/howto/refreshe...rcourse.aspx

This site has a picture, with the caption: 'Figure 4. A 5¢ blue King Kamehameha V stamp, Scott 32, from the Royal Portrait series of Banknote stamps.'

However, this stamp shown above is 52C and it's described by a number of sellers as having been issued in 1890.

So were there two (apparently) identical issues, one is 1865 and another in 1890, Scott# 32 and 52?

So in a nutshell: I'M CONFUSED.


Is there a perf or watermark difference? Because they look exactly the same to me!

The difference is the color.

The one described does not fit IMHO and it appears to be the 1866 #32 5¢ Blue Perf.12, This was also released in 1882 Scott #39, in Ultramarine also a perf. 12. The 52C 1890-91 is listed as Perf 12 deep indigo. There also was a release of this in 1893, Scott# 58, Dull Violet. The #32 Blue catalogs at $175.00 hinged and $30.00 used while the Deep indigo 52C catalogs at $120.00 hinged and $150.00 used, hope that helps.

It does help, stalizer.

But to identify my stamp, I need to ask some more question: were all issues perf 12?

The blue colours to choose from are: 1) Prussian blue (the term used by Gibbons for the 1865 stamp) and 2) ultramarine.

Is this correct?

I should also mention that Gibbons gives a very high CV for the 1865 stamp - £120 mint and £300 used. That's well above the Scott prices!

Scott lists the colors differently (Big surprise) and they are all Perf 12. The only difference in the paper is the 1866 Blue listed as Wove paper.
This is from Scott's Specialized 2009 and the 4 colors listed as follows

1866 - #32 Blue
1882 - # 39 Ultramarine
1890-91 -# 52C Deep Indigo
1893 - #59 Ultramarine and #58 Deep indigo (I missed the 5th one)

There is a note that states "Stamps of 1864 -91 Overprinted in Red" which is listed prior to the 1893 issues.The way I read it is the #58 & # 59 are overprints which sets them aside so the other 3 - 32, 39, & 52C are all Perf 12 with 3 different colors. Wow, you weren't kidding when you said these are confusing, my brain is now scrambled at 7:30 am... :)

Thanks for the info.

I thought I had the ultramarine, but after looking at examples of this stamp online, I'm not so sure. It could be the 1865 Prussian blue.

Problem is, it's attached to paper and I'm not sure if I want to risk soaking it to check if it's wove paper or not.

It would be so much easier if the different issues had been perforated differently!!

JimJam:

This is from the 2007 Scott Specialized.

52 is the 2-cent. 52C is the 5-cent.

Thanks for the info, KirkS!

It's interesting that the above seller's price for the stamp is more than double the Scott CV. I always assumed that most US dealers would go by Scott prices.

jimjam.. NEVER trust a seller's price. Especially on ebay

Nota bene, my catalog is 2007.

The seller is citing the "never hinged" price from the 2011 catalog.