Grade-A-Stamp

Here is your opportunity to grade a stamp.
Would you grade this US 117 as
a:F-VF (Fine to Very Fine)
b:VF (Very Fine)
c:VF-XF (Very Fine to Extra Fine)
based upon centering alone.

I would say F-VF or possibly Fine (70) conservatively.

stampvirgin, I suggest that your stamp falls into the F-VF range.
This brings up a question that I need someone more knowledgeable to answer for me. With classic stamps, like stampvirgin's 1869 issue, should you be less strict when grading the centering of stamps?

Since the perforations do not touch the design I say VF

I'm not sure I would go all the way to fine-very fine. It is between F and F-VF, to my eyes.

Scott gives a pass to pre-1900 U.S. stamps for gum issues, but not centering. There is a note about small margins on 5 to 17, and some other countries will have a note about small margins or centering on certain early issues.

The popular phrase "VF for the issue" generally isn't supported by the catalogue, as I understand it.

My 2d.

[edit: When checking my post, I looked at the stamp again, and I think I would go F-VF.]

Based on centering alone, the stamp may get a grade of VF-XF if SV sends it to PSE -- here is their photographic grading guide for the 1869 pictorial issue: http://www.psestamp.com/photo_guide/page4.chtml

given the era and the fullness of design with regard to perfs - VF (plus the US old-stamp god says so)

I am grading this as Very Fine. based upon centering, it has 4 very full margins and for this issue it has great margins. The right side would have been part of a sheet end hence the jumbo margin. 3 sides have equal margins with the 4th being overly large. if you look at the link for PSE grading then look at the 30c stamp in the vf-xf range you will see what I mean.
Now this was centering only not perfs and such.

Definitely F/VF, for a 19th Century piece it has very excellent centering. Bummer about the right corners.

According to basic catalog rules F-F VF. But as already noted about pre 1900 issues there would be some leniancy. My personal thought would be since there are 3 very equal margins that this may very well fall into a Jumbo category. With many Canadian small queens the stamp itself may be perfectly centered but has a jumbo side that would basically mean the following row ( in this case the next right hand row) would be perfed almost into the image. Guess it would depend on the original planned dimensions of the issue. Assuming all 4 sides were to be equal, Stamp Virgins copy is perfectly centered XF with a bit borrowed from its right hand neighbor.

Is it possible that this stamp was a center line stamp or an end side stamp?

b. Very Fine