Opinion On A US #2 1847.

Is it just me or does the stamp pictured not match the certificate? It looks close but the bottom is all wrong. I would like some opinions on this.

Link
http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-stamp-2-...em416d9835ac

Not just you. It is a rather obvious difference. He doesn't have another of these for sale either.

Very odd. The Red cancel seems to match up as does the upper right corner. The Picture on the APS Certificate seems to show a slightly curved bottom as the Stamp itself does not.

Excactly, plus the stamp has a small nick on the lower left which the other does not. Had a interest in it but something just does not seem right. Maybe a email to the owner.

I think it is the same item. The likelyhood of two stamps having the same top and cancel are small.
The bottom is likely a cropped scan or where it is placed in a hagner sheet.

My opinion differs. [EDIT: OK, I see AnthonyUK posted at the same time I did. My opinion is essentially the same as his.]

To me, the stamp shown is the same as the stamp in the certificate. The certificates are 5+ years old. It appears to me that someone either trimmed the bottom edge of the stamp (make it more "balanced", or maybe to try to hide the new cut in the margin at left bottom), or photo-shopped it. Who knows? It would not be the first time such things have happened to previously expertized stamps.

Either way, it looks to me to be the same stamp -- only altered at left corner after the last certificate. That, of course, invalidates the certificate as there is no longer a guarantee that other alterations were not made.

I agree, it's the same stamp but has been trimmed at the bottom to "improve" the appearance.

It also appears to be trimmed (a nick) on the lower left corner. And I'm not sure it's photoshop cropping either. Looks like it may actually be physically cut.
Ten bidders aren't put off by it.

I should clarify, that I mentioned the photoshopping as something that may have been done in addition. What everyone is referring to as a "nick" (I called it a new cut) at the left bottom, is a real physical alteration, as well as the trimming of the bottom. I say it is real because if you look at the backside scan, they are consistent with the front side.

Ray,

It doesn't match the cert. It has been trimmed which invalidates the cert, as someone already indicated. If you are still interested in it I would ask the seller to pay for a new cert as a condition of sale.

Art

Anyone here have contacts within those certification companies?
The company(s) might be asked to weigh in on the question if they can be contacted.

If I had a way, I'd share the link with them.

It looks like there are some bits of dust along the bottom edge when you look at the scan of the back of the stamp. Not a photo cropping issue.

Both versions are nice looking stamps. Knowing that someone trimmed it sort of kills it for me.