US Scott 26A ????

Can one of the better minds tell me which one this is ? I struggle mightily with this issue.

Sorry if the scan isn't good, it's the best I could get.

Scott 26A. Frame lines are broken at top (and bottom) and it is not a top row stamp.

It actually is a top row stamp that has been retouched but I am not sure if it is a #26a or not. The frame line at lower left appears to end but the scan is not good enough to say for sure. The frame lines are a little staighter than you would normally see on a 26a but are more crooked than your typical #26. I say you have a 50/50 chance of buying a defective #26.

Is that good or bad Sinclair ? The stamp in question is on cover, but it has a stain in the middle of the cover about the size of a dime. The seller was asking $50.00 for it originally but with no takers I could probably offer a bit less. but is it worth it ?

here are a couple of more pictures

Sinclair, are you sure that it is a top row stamp. Look closely at the perf tip between the "U" & "S" as it appears to have cut the edge of the stamp above.

I wouldn't touch it for any price even close to that. For $40-50 you should be able to get a real nice, sound, #26a on cover. The last one I bought was off cover and I paid about $4, yes $4.

Russ,
The so-called "damaged transfer" from the top row of all type III and type IV plates is easy to spot once you know what to look for. This particular stamp has had the largest area of the two retouched. There is a guide dot just above and to the right of the upper right diamond block and that location only occurs on the top row. Also the space above the stamp is much larger than any spacing between the stamps in the interior of the plate. I don't know what you see but I will guarantee it is not a stamp above.

Sinclair, I see the dot in upper right. Thanks for the explaination.

Is the area just above the "P" of "Postage" the retouch? It appears somewhat thicker than the other parts above the lettering.

The retouched area is immediately above the lower left rosette and is the extreme lower left corner of the tessellated work.

I have the same basic question - is this stamp a 26 or 26a, and if it is a 26 top or bottom row copy, how do you differentiate between a 26 top/bottom row copy and a 26a?

Matt

Here this may help

If you can't actually see the ends of the lines to identify a 26A you need to rely on the character of the lines. The framelines on the 26A plates were cut one by one individually and are usually crooked as a dogs hind leg, well not quite but are far from perfectly straight. The framelines on the #26 plates were basically cut from the top of the pane to the bottom in one operation with the aid of a straightedge. The end result was perfectly straight, monotone lines that are frequently either too close or too far away from the design. It is also common to see doubling of the framelines on the #26's. The pair that the Seal just posted are #26's.

Ron, is that pair something that is going into your ebay store? Can you post a better image.

Matt, the stamp you posted looks like a #26 to me, the framelines are very straight.

Thanks Sinclair. That's actually very helpful!

Matt

Don't discount too fast the value in the cover shown above. For Civil War buffs and the Battle of Gettysburg, the name of the addressee (E. McPherson, Esq.) figures prominently. Check this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_McPherson