Washington #375B

I'm pretty sure that this is a #375b lake perf. 12 wmk. 190 and I'm wondering about the value. I know Scotts value a mint stamp at $900.00 according to 2008 values but nothing for a used. Is a used one going to be a fairly good value?

Per the 2013 Catalogue, The 2c LAKE is $800 MH and $1,750 MNH, there is no value given for a cancelled copy. I guess you can assume a percentage off the Mint price, odd that its not listed.

Siegel Auction data base power search has no used examples sold. Philetelic Foundation data base has no used examples certified. You might want to get a Weiss cert. on this. The PF did have a used 375b (looks similiar to your scan in color) submitted but they certified it as an oxidized 375. Maybe someone else knows if there are any certified used 375b's by other experts?? If used examples are rarer than unused examples, value could be greater than unused as with some other W/F issues.

There is nothing used
http://www.siegelauctions.com/lot_g...lledfrom=lkp

Go with an APS Certificate or The Philatelic Foundation they are the real experts in this area.

99.999999% probability that the one shown above is exactly that. You could burn the money and send it in for certification but I'm sure it will come back as a 375. When it comes to rare / scarce colors the only way to be sure is to compare it side by side to know examples.

When NOTHING is written in the price spot, it means that it is not known to exist to the editors. I don't know the details of this particular stamp, but it is possible that all the 375b mint stamps were from the same sheet. I'm sure somebody has the background on this stamp and can fill in the actual facts.

Regarding the color. It commonly exists in carmine, bright carmine, and dark carmine -- all minimum catalog value stamps. Given that it is a minimum catalog value stamp, the quick test is to dip it diluted hydrogen peroxide and then see if the color changes. If the color changes, then it's a color changeling. If the color doesn't change and you feel confident that it compares favorably to lake, then send it to Weiss for a relatively inexpensive professional opinion.

[EDIT: Note this is one of the very very few times I've ever suggested to someone to potentially alter a stamp.]

I guess I'll have to ponder all the info from you gentlemen and decide what to do. Thank you all for your expertise.

That was mine. I've still got it as a reference. There is a thread about it here:

https://goscf.com/t/23429

Matt

Oxidation is a tricky thing and generally with my experiences on 3c small queens of canada ( very bad for oxidizing ) there is usually a buld up of sorts . Yours looks pretty clean as far as lines and often with oxidizing its not consistant. Don't want to get your hopes up especially since getting a cert on something like this is like pulling teeth from a walrus. Even the experts would prefer to lean to the likely side of the coin rather than potentially being proven wrong later.
In my experiments with peroxide (3% as bought in typical store for about $1 a bottle) It will only take away what shouldn't be there . Then again I've forgot 1 soaking in it before and it did get really pale but that was an hour or more. Could do 30 seconds and allow to dry completely and take another scan to compare side by side. If no change send it in or for the sake of $25 send it to Bill Weiss as is and if it comes back as oxidized soak it.

I haven't tried soaking my "oxidized" 375 in hydrogen peroxide yet, but I think I'll have to try it and see if it changes shade at all.

Matt

Matt you really have nothing to loose sice you have cert other than it will render your cert as garbage. I don't know what you would do if it doesn't change at all. I know the scopes that APS and others use is like viewing blood through an electric telescope so they must have seen some evidence.
NOTE- I am not an advocate of altering or even experimenting with stamps so please attempt any of these things as a personal test and if any apparent changes are made it should be well noted .