How To Tell If Its Been Regummed In A Picture

Is there a way one can know that a stamp has been regummed just by seeing a picture of the back of a stamp? With less places to get quality stamps locally, one has to look at internet sites to fill spots in their collection, and I personally don't want to end up shelling money for a MNH and end up getting something regummed. I'm not going to expertise every stamp, so I'm wondering if there's a guide somewhere or any tips you can offer regarding spotting a regum through a picture.

Here's one piece I have in question. I personally think it's regummed because when I compared it to my other Trans-Mississippi's the gum looks much lighter than what is on mine and I imagine like on the Columbians, the type of gum used on all the stamps in this set is the same regarding the face value.

Front:


Back:


Thanks,
CF

Usually you can see the Fiber "Hairs" (for lack of a better term)on the Perf tips and also the gum should go all the way to the Perf tips.

So besides that, the color of the gum pictured compared to a different stamp from the same set can vary?

CF

Absolutely. Depending on how it was stored, manufactured, handled etc. There are many things that can affect it. Even though it is from a set, others of the same set might have been printed 6 months earlier or later from many different batches of Gum.

I'm in no way saying that yours has not been regummed, I can't tell from the small scan.

If you look at the perf tips, you can see the little Hairs/fibers.

Thanks for the picture. So if I see fibers on the perf tips that means it could have been regummed? I always thought those fibers meant it was good, whereas any fibers in the actual perf (the half circle), not the tips, meant that it was regummed.

Have I been wrong all this time?
CF

No, if you can see the fibers, that usually means it's kosher.

you need to look for gum on the fibers...

Alright, I'll have to take my chances with how the picture looks and judge it when I have it in front of me.

CF

To avoid confusion, if you see gum in the fibers it usually means regummrd. Genuine stamps are usually gummed, printed and then perforated. Also, genuine stamps are separated from their sheets a the post office, long after the original gum as dried.

Thus, the tiny paper fibers are exposed in the perf holes and on the perf tips, but there will be no gum on them! If a stamp is later regummed, that new gum often gets hung up in the tiny fibers left from the perforating process and being separated from its sheet.

This tell-tale feature of regummed stamps is why regummed stamps are often reperfed: by reperfing, the faker hopes to eliminate the signs of the regumming job!

CF- Really nice stamp.
On your comment on not certing every stamp, maybe this is one that you should. IIRC, there is a huge spread between lightly hinged and never hinged on the Trans Mississippi issue as well as the Columbians. Since you'll certainly pay a premium for NH and for the centering on that stamp, you might consider the $25 additional investment and send it to Bill Weiss. And then when you get the good news it'll be a lot easier to recoup your value later down he road (if you ever go down that road).

I'd also suggest you dip it. #291 was notorious for thins. Some of the unscrupulous folks who regum, do that to hide small thins.

Either way I hope the seller will allow you to return it for any reason if you have any suspicion.

Again, congrats on a beautiful stamp!
Ray