Please Identify 1923 Harding Scott No And Other Rare Stamps

Impossible to tell from a photo. The print area has to be measured. The difference between a 610 and 613 is .25mm in height - 22.25mm vs 22.5mm. Your stamp is almost certainly a 610 and has no value.

BRian

please scan the back... we can tell from that

I can tell the difference between rotary and flat plate printing in mint, og stamps by looking at the back, but how can you tell difference in used stamps?

Brian

Brian, flat plate stamps almost always have ink off-set from laying a completed sheet on top of a previous sheet where the ink had not completely dried. That off-set ink will also be in the pattern of the design of the stamp and will vary in degree depending upon the amount of the ink that is still wet on the sheet that the second sheet is layed upon. Rotary stamps almost never have any ink of-set. When/if they do, it would be very few minor, small ink spots that are random and do not imulate the design of the stamp. Ink off-set--flat plate almost always, rotary almost never. On the 2-cent Harding #613, its a rotary print so you check the back for off-set ink.

Thanks for the response!

This sounds like a possible way to rule-out a 613, but 100% accurate? That is - it seems plausible to have no ink transfer between sheets on flat plate stamps - esp on dry printings?

I have envelopes full of used 4th bureau issues that I haven't done anything with. It will be interesting to put this to the test!

Brian

Rileysan, I would be curious to hear the results of your experiments. Once in a while a flat plate will avoid ink spots, but rotary WITH ink spots would be VERY unusual. I think the test is better than 99%. The gum is applied AFTER the ink spotting.

Brian, Ink off-set is one of the factors to determine a #613. There is also the perf. measurement and the stamp design measurement and there may be other factors considered by the expertizers(?). There is a nice article by John Hotchner in the April 7th. issue of Linn's Stamp News about this stamp thats helpful too.

All anyone has to do is buy a used 610 and a used 612, both inexpensive stamps and keep them around to compare any other stamp to them. The 613 is the same size as the 612, but I guarantee that 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of all the stamps checked will be 610. There were 1,459,487,085 issued of the 610. There are less than 50 of the 613 known.

Thank you. My question was clarified with the comments on ink off-set. I am fully aware of the means by which these stamps are authenticated :)

Here's an excerpt from the article previously mentioned:




http://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps...he-1923-2and

It's worth reading!

Brian

Hi to all

one of my Harding Memorial stamps measures 20.3mm wide and 24.5mm long and has a perforation of 11.
The measurements were done with an Electronic Digital Calliper, or guage, so are very accurate.
The stamp is also what I would call poorly centred, with the perforations on side very similar to the stamp depicted in the Linns article.
So what would be the next step. Do I send it to the USA to be certified?
If so, who would I send it to, bearing in mind that I live in Australia?
Regards
Horamakhet

It appears you are measuring the entire stamp. You should measure only the stamp design, border to border, and not the stamp from perf. tips to perf. tips.

A little side bar: In my travels I have enjoyed 'coffee &' at numerous little shops in MA, NH & ME. The décor of these shops goes from plain jane to outlandish. In one of my travels I came upon a wall of historical pictures & old postcards. The postcards are what struck me. Some of them were 'classic' vintage cards with period postage. What would be the odds of a Harding being displayed unknowingly?? My memory does not serve me exactly but I thought I did see a Harding. I think a road trip when weather improves for a cup of joe and great blueberry muffin may be in order.

Hi Al E. Gator

Thanks for the info, that clears up a lot of problems. I will remeasure

Horamakhet