#77 On Ebay - Opinions Please

I found this #77 Lincoln on ebay. Tiny tear, but beautifully centred and affordable.



But I'm thinking too good to be true. Does it look reperfed to any of you experts out there?
Thanks in advance.

The top margin looks questionable, but I'm not sure. It definitely appears to have been cut straight with a box knife or similar.

As for the overall look and feel, it displays beautifully. These are really tough to find in VF and prices usually reflect that fact. What's the price?

At this point .99c with no bids and a little under two days to go. So you see what I mean by too good to be true.

It has been loaded into my sniping software for 2 days already. It will be mine !

I should have known better than to come to you lot for advice!

Actually I completely missed the description of the 1mm tear. Now I must reconsider whether I want to spend money on a damaged item. I have been waiting a long time for a well centered 77 so if I have to wait longer, no big loss.

And here I was considering letting you have it. Those top perfs are putting me off.

{ so, do you all think I've got him convinced? }

I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. The top is reperfed and I think the bottom has had some perfs "enhanced".

Love the engraving on the stamp.
That iron burn on his face kind of detracts from the stamps appearance.
Then again it would be worse if his right eye were covered too.
Anyway go for it guys.

Although I do not care for the top perfs, they might just be scissors cut. They do match up with the bottom perfs well. What I do not like is the area around "cents" and the "S". That area looks repaired to me; at least something much more serious than a 1mm tear. A #77 cats about $200 but I would be very reluctant to go much more than $25-$30 for this stamp personally.

Is there a scan of the back by chance? It would be a super nice spot filler until you found the pristine beauty but if you stay in under 30.00+/- you might be OK but don't get the fever over it. Just a friendly suggestion. It definitely looks like there was some doctoring involved somewhere in old Abe's past.

EDIT:
The tops is at least partly re-perfed and the bottom just isn't right somehow?.. Also, something is going on between the "N"-"S" in cents..James I might advise you to just hold off and look around. Watch list material but that's only my unprofessional opinion.

I have a 77 for sale... very nice cork cancel, 3 margins are very nice, right side margin is into the design about. Some bent perfs, no tears or other damage or alterations.

If you are interested let me know and I will email you scans.