Is This C18 Regummed?

The gum shows brush like marks. Any thoughts on if it's the original gum?

The gum looks original to me!

Brian

Looks ok to me but cant really see the perf tips very well. Try holding the stamp in the palm of your hand for a minute or two and see if it curls. If heat from your hand causes it to curl then it may indeed be regummed.
don

I was looking for a reference copy to post pictures of from ebay listings and came across this stamp. It was listed as MNH. I nearly choked on my coffee!

I sent an email to the seller and less than 30 mins later, he removed the listing and stated it would be re-evaluated. If nothing else, your posting has resulted in the removal of a bad stamp!

Brian

The effect in the gum that you see is sometimes referred to as crazed gum.

Rileysan..

What did you see in the picture from ebay that tipped you off? Just trying to learn. Thanks.

Look at the tips of the perfs. When someone re-gums, the perf tips pick up the gum, sometimes even becoming transparent. You can see this in the images Rileysan is showing. Gum also can migrate to the front sides of the perf tips.
don

Thanks, I saw the darker color around the edges but wasn't sure if that was the tell. The other thing I noticed was the gum color looking dull and dark. I have never seen a re-gummed stamp in person. I have heard you can check the edges of the perf holes for gum as the stamp is perforated after gumming, is this correct?

I did the curl test and it failed! It came to life in my hand lol. Thanks. That was an easy test.
I have another mint C18. That one sat quietly in my hand. Unfortunately it's not as well centered as the one I posted here.

Please explain the "Curl test" to me. In my 35 years of collecting, I have never heard of using that as means of testing.

I own tens of thousands of mint stamps and depending on heat & humidity, can get pretty much every one of them to curl.

I'd be interested in the opinions of other advanced collectors or even experts - is this BS or an authentic test?

Personally, I don't believe it for a second ...

Stampcrow, the gum on your stamp shows every sign of being original. If this were mine, I would treat it as such.

Brian

As Don stated, the tips of the perfs (front and back) are discolored from gum soaking through the broken paper fibers at the end of the perf tips. This cannot happen during the normal gumming process because sheets of stamps are gummed prior to being perforated. Additionally, the color and texture of the gum on this stamp are all wrong. When something looks as "off" as this stamp, it's always best to investigate further. Looking at the perf tips gave it away.

Brian

I've never heard of it before, either. But when you search for it on the internet, several sources suggest it is a legitimate test. Here are a couple of sources:

1. It's mentioned here (5th point under the section "regumming"):

http://www.theswedishtiger.com/thins.htm

2. And under Section C ("re-gumming") at this link:

http://blog.arpinphilately.com/fake...o-spot-them/

I learned of this test from Bill Weiss. I will see if he has the time to add his experience to this thread.
don

This is a direct quote from thesweidshtiger.com

I am not an expert, but I'm not an idiot either. Well, maybe I am. Anyways, I can make any mint stamp curl. Period. Either every stamp I own is regummed (meaning the experts who certified my more expensive items are wrong) or this test is bunk.

For this "test" to be accurate, one would have to have ambient air and relative humidity constant. That is, this "test" could only be done accurately in a humidor. Further, the human factor would have to be taken into account. Try this "test" after strenuous work or excercise, or having an argument with your children or spouse, getting an unexpected bill - all of these things can and will cause a rise in blood pressure and perspiration - which will affect the "test". Also take into account the weight and health of the individual doing the "test". Results will vary based solely on the individual.

Finally, professional scam artists can fool even the most experienced of collectors. Who's to say they can't make a gum that looks and behaves like the original? (I know, this shoots down my argument that I think Stampcrow's stamp is OG. C'est la vie).

Simply put, there is nothing scientific about the "curl test". It is not, nor will it ever be, a reliable means of testing gum and therefore I think it a mistake to encourage it.

Brian

Perhaps I should not have mentioned this, I am not an expert in any stretch of the imagination. And I certainly understand the point the Rileysan is making; there are certainly many variables that could effect this test.
I have emailed Bill Weiss to see if he can weigh in on this discussion. I have been assisting him with the assembly of some documents for the summer APS classes on alterations of stamps and this is where I learned of this test. I trust Bill and his many decades of experience in uncovering fakes/forgeries/alterations so I felt comfortable in suggesting this test.

But please understand my intention was simply to help; do not make any conclusions on this stamp until/unless Bill is able to reply to this thread and offer his opinion.
don

From the "How to spot fakes and forgeries" guide on http://blog.arpinphilately.com/fake...o-spot-them/




Another statement that is false. One only needs to collect German stamps from the Weimar era through the end of the 3rd Reich to know this isn't true.

I know I'm taking this to an extreme, but it's important. Collectors need to know the difference between absolute truth, exceptions to rules, and myths. These websites are doing a dis-service to the hobby by presenting these points as "facts".

Sorry for the rant ...

Brian