US Stamp #39 Used For Evaluation. Please Advise

I had started an introduction earlier in which I included this picture....my late father has left his stamp collection to my mom, so I am looking into the material for her.

It was recommended that I start a separate topic for each area. From my understanding, this is the type of stamp that requires certification. What certifying company would you recommend? From the scans, how would you grade it? What kind of cancel is used, and does it add or detract? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Johnny,

I see a couple thins on the back that will hurt a bit. The centering is probably in the fine range. Take a look at the link below. It will help a lot plus you can down load the guide for reference.

http://psestamp.com/intro.chtml

I would send this out for verification and possible have it graded as well. You can stipulate to any company not to list the grade on the verification if it doesn't achieve a specified grade. It's not going to be cheap, but you'll make it back after you sell it off, if that's your plan.

One thing I noticed that will probably help determine this was an actual postal canceled stamp. Part of the cancellation is coming through the back of the stamp. The grid cancel on the front can easily be faked, but the bleed through looks like it may be authentic and postally used.

A red-letter day - two images of 1860 US Scott#39 posted in one day.

Johnny,

It has been eluded to on this thread, but not clearly stated. This particular stamp, due to it's short life in circulation, is worth considerably more USED than unused. As such, fake cancellations run amok. I can't say whether the cancellation is authentic or not, but the stamp, itself, looks authentic.

2 pieces of advice ...

1) Send it to Bill Weiss for certification http://www.stampexpertizing.com He is the least expensive option, but recognized as an authority on classic US stamps.
2) Do NOT have this stamp graded. The perforations at the bottom of the stamp cut into the design, and as such this can grade no higher than Very Good (VG). A stamp with average margins is not worth the fee of a grade ... a certificate of authenticity is more than sufficient.

Brian

Very nice!

I agree with Brian, send it to Bill first. Relatively inexpensive, and he is reputable. I see no reason to get it graded.

Be prepared, however. Can't say for sure without physically examining the stamp, but...

1) looks like a repair on the right side, 3rd to 5th teeth from the bottom

2) looks like bottom may have been partially reperfed

Bill can tell you for sure.

Still a very nice stamp to have!

k

Wow, I never even spotted that the perforations could have been from a re-perf job. I see it now that you pointed it out khj.


Brian, Do you have another link to Bill's? the one posted doesn't seem to work.

http://www.stampexpertizing.com/

Not saying it is reperfed, just saying it might have been..., but that lower right side does look like a repair.

Hope I'm wrong... best wishes!

k

Edited. My close parenthesis ) was causing the issue. thanks KHJ for the new link!

Brian

I wish I knew of Bill Weiss before now. They really do have a incredible affordable service. I think will send a few of mine to finally get an expert opinion. That's always been my hold up with doing so. It can get expensive after a while. I need to see if the stamp I use as my avatar is unused & what color variation it may be. I always thought it could be a #1a now I can find out with out paying close to $100 to do so.

If all you need is an ID, and don't need expertization or a certificate, then you can simply use his $5 ID service -- all you need to do is email him a good pic.

How can they tell if it's had the cancel washed away from a picture? OR verify color variations?

Then you want expertization, not just a catalog ID. There's only so much you can do without physically examining the stamp. But that's the difference between $5 and $20+.

I will likewise highly recommend Bill Weiss and his service. This approach is both reliable and economical.

My guess: that cancel did not originate on the SC39, stamp real, cancel fake.

Thanks for the inputs! It looks like there is a decent chance this is the real deal, and I think Weiss is the way to go. My dad was a serious and knowlegable collector, so I doubt he would have knowingly purchased this as a fake to fill a hole....but who knows. I have sent coins into third party grading systems, so I understand the importance in a case like this. Do you think Weiss could determine the validity of the cancel if I sent him 600 DPI scans? It would be worth the $5 to me to make sure it is not a waste to ship it out.... But it may be something he needs to see in hand. I will shoot him an email. thanks again all! I have lots more scans that I will he showing over the next few months.

I don't think you can verify a genuine cancel via a picture. You can try to ask him as part of the ID service, so maybe at least he can tell you if the cancel might be iffy. But my understanding is that it is an ID service, not an expertization.

I would agree that the stamp itself is real, although I suspect it has been repaired (my non-expert opinion). I have no idea whether the cancel is genuine or not?

Actually, if you are not planning on selling the stamp any time soon, I don't think there is a compelling reason to get it certified now unless you simply want the peace of mind or you want to satisfy your curiosity. Just my opinion.