Scott 227 Fake?

I may be a newbie but I think I have spotted a fake being sold as a proof. Can someone confirm my suspicions?

OK...why?

Ok my research indicates that there were no triangles in the upper corners. Is that correct?

#259 or #274 with triangles....
#259 w/o watermark...#274 with.

#227 .....no triangles

stamp probably is #274P4....
imperf on stamp paper with gum.

I am not a US Stamp expert, but in Canada a proof is from a pane of stamps that has been cut-up into singles, pairs and blocks and now available on the market.

This proof has rounded corners!

Is this normal and why?

- stamporator -

Not normal....
All suggestions are best available with known info.
In US the proofs were the same issued.

It is possible that someone rounded the corners.....but unlikely.

I wish he would state where the item was spotted??

It certainly appears to be a genuine proof.
In the US, 19th century proofs were issued for various reasons; to show local postmasters what a new issue looks like, to show overseas postmasters what new US stamps look like, and also occasionally as favors from various politicians.
It got slightly rounded corners the same way a lot of other philatelic items get rounded corners. Carelessness in trimming or handling.

Do you think the N in UNITED looks funny?

I checked and there are no proofs for no 274.

I believe there was most likely a proof made before every new issue. Unless it was a grilled stamp re-issue then probably not because they would use the same dies and just add the grill afterwards. Example would be the Scott #71 or any of the stamps from that era right into the large banknotes.

There are essays of grills; they are usually (but not always) on blank stamp paper. Here are some that were sold recently.

http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynam...sale_no=1053

Thanks revcollector I was always curious how they dealt with that. Now I know. :)

COINWATCHER.....YES, there are PROOFs for this issue.
As I stated in a previous post....it is #274P4
PROOF....IMPERF on stamp paper, with gum.
GUARANTEED!

@coinwatcher A few years ago the US Specialized changed the classification of the imperforates on stamp paper for the issues from 1894-98 (and others). Prior to the change the imperfs were listed as subvarieties of the stamps, e.g. 274a. But it was common knowledge that these imperfs were not errors but sheets from the government archives that were part of a favor deal involving work for various international exhibitions in which the US participated. They are therefore technically proofs and are now listed in Scott as such.

If you are using an older copy of the Scott US Specialized then it might not yet have shown this.

But there is a 274P4 listed, and priced for an imperf pair as well as a block. If memory serves, originally there was a pane of 100 that got cut up.