1861-1867 8 Cent Rate??

Thanks for the info chipg. Can you send the link (or picture) for the other cover with the pen cancellation? Also, would any old black light work (e.g., one bought at home depot)?

Here's one - with the datestamp over the stamp. Have to try to retrace my steps and find the other.

http://www.rumseyauctions.com/lotph...3/096178.jpg

Re-finding stuff is harder than finding it in the first place -
http://www.westerncoversociety.com/...aposa_02.jpg

I'll defer the black light question to those who would know whether short or long band would be better.

Chip

thanks for the link Chip

I'm liking the cover better and better.

Paul

Greed. Plain an simple.

You can solve your mystery by sending a picture of this to William Weiss for an opinion. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind he will state what so many others have stated ... the 5c stamp was added to create a forged cover. It will end all speculation and be $5 well spent ...

Brian

I have used Weiss before - he is good. I don't think even an expert like Weiss could tell, based on just a picture. Unless he has seem one exactly like it before.

By logical, I was getting at the steps used to create the forgery (if it is one). I think the only plausible explanation is having a five cent stamp with a very similar pen cancellation, and putting it on a real cover (upside down to better match) that had the three cent stamp. This would be more valuable than the five cent stamp and the three cent cover - getting to the "greed".

Posts above questioned the entire cover based on the non-tied pen cancellations, clearness of the postmark, etc. which Chip has shown are correct for this post office/era. This is either an overpaid double rate or a fake as described in the paragraph above. Without something like a black light, I don't think we will ever know.