Help Identifying These Early US Stamps

Hello Last week I got my hands on a nice lot of early usa stamps . I'm trying to figure out which ones I have and need some help identifying them I can't see the forrest because of all he trees so to say ..
are these the number 206 scott version or an earlier edition ??





your help is much appreciated !

Good morning, TF1

The second photo is the common 206.

I can't make up my mind on the first stamp.

At first glance, it appears to be a Type A44 (Scott 145) without the secret mark. However, there appears to be the slightest appearance of the secret mark that is either cleaned, or a weak impression, making it a Type A44a (156 or 182). I am unable to tell from the photos the paper type of your stamp - which would help identify it

That is an interesting fancy cancel on the second stamp . . a bordered cross formée.

Thanks for the feedback guys

The Stamp in the first picture was on very thin paper and the second picture was a stamp on thicker paper.

I have been looking on the net for a bordered cross formée cancel like Smauggie said but could not find anything about this particular cancel ? Was this cancel widely available ?

I have seen a number of Cross Formee cancels from the mid 19th century to the early 20th Century. Hard to say what resource there might be for them, though.

Don't you just love all those early stamps that look alike? Like these and the 1 cent Green and 2 cent Red Washington. It was our beloved P.O. system in their infant stage. I HATE THEM! The challenge to identify them. Yet there are collectors that love them too.

Any ideas on the following 2 stamps ?






thanks again !

I'm not great at checking paper types from pictures - does the paper look/feel soft & porous? These are most likely 189 and 190, respectively.

Brian

Tinman, count me as one who loves the different types. The Washington/Franklins as challenging as they are, are my favorite series of stamps. I find them endlessly fascinating.

They are both printed on soft porous paper Rileysan .

Can someone tell me what the special marks are for the higher value stamps ? in my Scott catalogue I see only detailpictures of the special marks upto 10c ?

Then it appears that my "safe" guess was the correct one. 189 and 190, respectively.





Unfortunately, the special marks were only used on the 1-15c stamps. The dies for the 24, 30, and 90c stamps were modified to include a "secret mark", but plates were never made of them. These stamps are identified by paper type.

The 15c stamp is the most frustrating to me. The Scott catalogue states:




In short, Scott #s 163 and 189 may or may not have the secret mark. I find it easier to identify them by paper type than trying to decide whether or not there's a secret mark present.

Brian

Although the early washington/franklins are confusing I would rather go blind any day staring at them to figure out variants than try and collect ALL the new self adhesives that countries dump out in mass quantities and such particularly the little tiffany lamp or flag series. Just my preference though.

I just wish I could get better at deciphering color variations of early stamps like the brown/red-brown/orange-brown/etc... of say the #11's, 25's,etc... of those washington issues

rohumpy, Chewie, I'm with you I love the Wash/Frank series 331-546. I can't get enough of them. I'm not going to waste my time on self adhesive stamps/labels. costs more to catalog them than there worth. I stops collecting new issues in 1976. I know there are some new issues worth collecting but can't bring myself to spending big bucks on stickers.

*LOL* True. I keep the albums reletively current though in pages as I find the odd used or mint ones now and again. basically the new issues I collect only used. one will go broke buying all new mintys of the new varieties every year..and they just reissue the same old ones with itty bitty dates re-done. sigh. Once they started with SE's I sort of gave up and kept at the older more artistic ones.

I too love the Washington/Franklin issues and echo wash500's comment on the S/A stamps of modern times.

I've often wondered if you "Lovers" of these early stamps are not the "True stamp collectors" and I'm just a passive collector. Call it a guilty conscious I guess? I don't like or collect the self adhesives or Labels either. I tried to cut off at the year 2000 but because my album went to 2,008 I just seemed to keep stamps that came in on mail past the year 2,000. I kept buying the supplements every year to keep my album up to date. Thinking maybe my Son or one of my Grand-kids might take an interest. So my album is current thru 2012. Well here it is 2014 and I'm still getting 2014 stamps in the mail and saving the stamps on paper. I just can't bare to throw any of them away. I finally decided this year not to buy the 2013 supplement or I'll just keep saving any stamps that come in the same way.