US 1870-S 6c Lincoln With Genuine Grill?

That's pretty amazing and thank you Bill. I too thought it was a fake but I also had my doubts like quig did, so I didn't respond immediately. It just seemed like I have seen someone make mention of that grill type before but was unsure. That's neat though.

I just found this thread today, and you finally got to the right answer. But I wish to call attention to something you need to keep in mind when confronted with a question like this. When I saw the first picture I said to myself, "I would like to see the whole stamp, not just the grill points." Why? Because then we could see for sure that this is a Continental BNCo 6c, and the J-grill would have become the focus of attention right off the bat. You've seen it before. I have shown you examples on this list, including one on the 6c along with one that is unlisted. The J-grill is very distinctive, but they are so seldom encountered that you wouldn't normally think of it unless you handle them enough to keep them in mind.

That said however, a look at the whole stamp is a tipoff, and probably should be your first requirement in a case like this. And a look at the reverse for grilled items you want to identify/expertize can be just as important, even if you can't see an impression on the reverse. Certain grill types always left an impression, while certain others are notoriously varied in that respect. So a look at the back can be useful.

Truth is essayk, I did not see your post and I did not know what a J grill looked like. I am pleased that you posted your comments since it is experts like you that I had hoped would answer my questions. I just now searched for your post, found it, and enjoyed it as well as learning more about the J grill.

But I must also say that by the comments to my post, it appears that I am not the only regular here who had not seen your post about the J grill. I assure you that if I had seen your post, I would not have posted my question.

I only showed the grill and not the entire stamp due to the speed of my internet and the size of the entire stamp. The back of the stamp was not available on the website. Though one could not see that it is a Continental issue, it is clear enough that it was a banknote which would have been enough to narrow the field considerably for one familiar with the J grill.

I was reading the section on grills in Brookman's book "The United States Postage Stamps of the 19th century" and stopped at the mention of the J-grill (volume II, page 90)

Available to download for free at: http://www.uspcs.org/resource-cente...nic-library/

I decided to reread Essayk's write-up on the J-grill and find it even more informative than Brookman's book. Well done!

Brian

Here's a link to the thread.

https://goscf.com/t/23007&whichpage=2

With sincere apologies to essayk. You were right, I was wrong. I did see your post on the J grill. I am deeply sorry for making it look as if you made a false statement. I honestly did not recall seeing it and even less that I had posted a comment on it. Not until I went back to it a few minutes ago did I notice my comment which is ample proof that I did in fact see your post on the J grill. I am not only sorry but properly embarrassed as well.

No problem quigngt, I did not take your comments that way. My note about seeing this grill before was directed to the whole list, not any individuals, and was simply a reminder that the earlier post was still accessible. I thnk you and Rileysan for pointing the way to it. I know this material and did not track it down myself. No biggie.

As for the comment on why more of the image was not originally presented, I get that. However, I have to disagree with you that what was originally given is enough to recognize the grill for what it is. Since the J-grill is of itself a rare type, it's legitimate presence on a stamp must be proven at several levels. It's not just about counting points and looking at their shapes. If this grill had appeared on a 148 the whole thing would have screamed "fake" irrespective of how good the execution might have been.

When I first looked at the original picture I noted that the color shade seemed to be that of a Continental. But I don't trust color appearance online any more than a broken umbrella. Nonetheless, the possibility of the stamp being a Continental printing, and the fact that the grill was not being recognized but was described as genuine, immediately made me suspect it was a J-grill. Nonetheless, I said nothing. Not without seeing the whole stamp, both sides if possible. That is how it is. But in this case it rather didn't matter, since I came upon the thread way too late in the game to point out the obvious. But there is a valuable lesson for the general philatelist to be learned about authenticating material. Rushing to judgment on the basis of hunches interferes with an orderly approach to establishing identity. In this case that was all I could add to the discussion, which I found interesting to read by the way. I like watching the wheels turn for the other guy/gal.

Thanks essayk, I appreciate the advice and will be much more careful in the future. Sometimes I think I know details about a particular stamp or issue, but I need to be reminded that there is always more to learn.

The "J" grill was also known as the "Continental Grill".