Help With Quality 1916 Lt. Violet Franklin Stamp

What is your question?

Is this a good conditioned stamp being it looks used. Is it valuable? I'm new to SCF and would like to learn.

Oliver, your stamp would probably be graded as "fine". The stamp is used, quite off center and has a straight edge on the bottom. It catalogs around $1 and is perfectly OK to go in any collection.

However, since you would like to learn, you should look at stamps with a fine eye. To give you an idea, here is the same stamp, graded 98 which is on offer for $1,250 (way overpriced in my opinion, but there it is). Study the differences between this and your stamp and you soon will be able to see what makes a stamp high quality. Look at the centering, the perforations, etc.

Unfortunately, the imperf edge at the bottom means the stamp is no longer high quality.
And yes, the number written on the back [517] appears to be the accurate Scott#, so it is the 1917 variety, not 1916.

That's called a natural straight edge from being on the marging of the 400 subject pane that was cut in ¼'s



Your stamp is one of the positions located in red but likely along the bottom and although there are less of them any collectors conider hem faulty but I do not. You have a nice stamp there!

Thank You "I Love Stamps" I have a bunch of stamps that I have no idea about. I just want to start fresh with my own collection. Maybe by using these and circulation them I will get to understand the beautiful history behind these wonderful mysterious cubes...etc

Agree with this comment. I actually prefer a nice, clean line to some of the faulty perfs that I have seen. Good luck collecting!

That was supposed to read "..Many collectors find Them..." but I think you knew that.. Sorry for the typo. Thank you Partime!