Need Some Help Is This A 508 Or A 508c?

I am new to stamps and need some help identifying this one. Is It a 508c?


Thanks for any help.

First of all Welcome to Stamp Collecting Forum!

My guess is you either have a 431 (Watermark 190) or a 470 (Unwatermarked).

As to your scan, the 508 would have been perf. 11 all around; the 508c would have had perf. 11 all around EXCEPT for either the top or bottom at perf. 10, which is what makes that variety extremely scarce and therefore valuable. In the case of the above scan, it looks as if the top and bottom perforations are both perf. 10 which would eliminate 508 altogether as an option, and would therefore bring us back to one of the earlier perf. 10 varieties of either 431 or 470.

That's my novice opinion anyway...maybe others on SCF can provide you with more information.

Thanks for the info. I guess I need an intro class in this stuff. I just came into thousands and thousands of stamps and have been trying to work my way thru them.

When identifying do I want to count the black or the red area in the pic below?





Is there a good online resource for the beginner that is in over his head?

Blue_oxen,
to the group. Measure the black area, the actual holes. To be honest, I don't recognize the perf gauge you are using, not that means a whole lot. Line up the holes with the gauge and you should be able to determine what the number is. I have used just 2 perf gauges in the past 25+ years of collecting. Whatever gauge you do use, insure that you use it often as there are many stamps that are face same but have different perforations and that means a different Scott number. The 2 I use are shown below.

Art

Hi and Welcome.

Look in the post: https://goscf.com/t/7984 on the site. I have (older versions) both the perforation guides shown on that post. For quick examination I prefer the second of the two, where you just line up the stamp against the various choices. For more exact determination of the perf size, I use the first of the two guides. And I line up the lines on the gauge against the center of the "hole" which is the black circled part you have in your picture above.

You definitely should get one of the the two perforation gauges.

Dave.

Beaten to the draw by Art! That's another option (I never think of that one).

Why is that link broken already? Please don't delete images after you get your answer.

Welcome Blue Oxen, or should we say Babe, glad to have you join in the discussions and wonderful first scan. You have been getting some great advice so I don't want to confuse you. At this point I will just be sure to say WELCOME! - Jeff

Thanks for all the info everybody. I just bought a new perf gauge off of ebay so that should help a lot.

The images should still be working I can see them on my comp.