Help With Scott #46A...?

Hi guys...I am not too good with American stamps.. have a few I am struggling with..This stamp, I think is a Scott # 46a..But those things like grill, no grill are giving me trouble..Can any one help to nail down a Scott number for me..Thanks.
Robert

It's Scott number 207, the reworked design of 1881. One giveaway is the little line below the "TS" of "CENTS". Another is the narrowed shading on the underside of the vignette frame.

Thanks essayk...I will classify it as Scott # 207.
Robert

Absolutely a #207. These aren't that tricky once you do a little bit of reading and ID a few then you start to see the differences straight off. Paper types and the intermediate issues can get a little bit tricky. These can be fun.

Most grills are easy to see with the naked eye. If it's off cover and hard to see, hold it up to a light so the back is facing up and you're looking at a side. If on cover, then have the front facing up. Then slowly rotate it. By doing this, a grill can be seen because of the shadows of the uneven impression.

http://1847usa.com/SecretMarks.htm is a good starting point for identifying secret marks.

Basic grill information: http://1847usa.com/Grills.htm

Identifying the paper type can be tricky. Reading both of these will get you off to a good start:
http://1847usa.com/BanknotePaperTypes.htm
http://www.stampexpertizing.com/pdf...s_ver1.0.pdf

http://1847usa.com/ is overall a great resource for early regular issue American stamps and some Back Of Book issues.

Good links...Thank you.
Robert

You're welcome. There are many details that take a long time to learn, so don't be afraid to ask for clarification.

-Edit: Removed stupid idea involving graphite. Point taken.

I would never do it to the front of a stamp. It wouldn't be nearly as effective anyway...

Yes, it would not be as effective. However, would it be an irreversible method with a soft gum eraser? Why would you never do so?

By the way, Sinclair, I feel that my previous posts diminished your authority of knowledge of such topics. I did not intend for such to occur. I apologize if any misunderstanding has occurred.

I wouldn't do it because you wouldn't get that nice white and black contrast that you get on the back of the stamp. I'm not really a fan of doing it to the back of the stamp either. I like my stamps to be as clean and as pristine as possible. I don't think it is possible to erase the graphite entirely and you also have the risk of damage while trying to do so.

My copy...Scott 184? The white artifactf o nose and in front of nose are on my scanner. The brown spot on the eye is, I am afraid, a part of the stamp.

Historical DNA:

You are not thinking about what it is you are doing when you generate a "puddle" of fine graphite particles and drag a stamp through it.

At the micro level, where your particles are, stamp paper is comparatively porous. On top of this, lines of engraving form ridges and basins. Some of those graphite beasties will fall down into a myriad of tiny crevices and stay there until something drags them out. Dragging a soft rubber, art-gum eraser across will tease some of them out, but others it will drive further into those crevices in the ink and paper. Meanwhile, no matter how gentle you are, at the micro level the eraser will chip and crack the ink ridges and take away some of those pieces. At the macro level the surface will not shine as brightly due to those micro irregularities (let alone due to the addition of graphite). Once embedded in the paper fibers and ink ridges the only way you will get the stubborn graphite beasties out is by scraping them out. And when you have fought the fight, the stamp will be injured.

The purpose of embossing a stamp with a grill was to intentionally break the paper fibers for better penetration of cancellation ink. Those graphite particles are very similar to particles of ink, and even on the reverse will collect around the irregularities of the broken fibers. You won't be getting them out with an eraser once they are in. To get them all out, you must take some paper with them. And where the fibers are broken by the grill, the paper is more fragile and subject to greater destruction than normal when you drag an eraser or other scraping object over them.

Do you really want to recommend doing that to your stamps?
Might not there be a better way to see?


@Ikkoller - yep, it looks like a 184. Your question is...?

essayk, after thinking about it more, it is a stupid idea. After reading your reply, it is a very stupid idea.

I'm working on another method. The offset vs. intaglio printing "aluminum foil test" actually produced a visible pattern from the front of my very weakly grilled stamp. I've got some clear fingernail polish drying on it as we speak. Later I'll experiment with how to make the impression easier to see/scan/photograph.

Gold/silver/copper leaf is pretty cheap and would pick up the impression even better. This could then be turned into a display alongside the stamp.

How do people choose to display their grilled stamps?

Now you're thinking! To increase the efficiency of the leaf, there are two things I can suggest, depending on the tensile strength of the leaf material.

1. Use a fresh unused pencil eraser as a tamp to gently tap the leaf onto the surface of the stamp for an even impression.
or
2. Use a brush with a moderately stiff bristle (but lighter than a toothbrush) against a somewhat stronger leaf to "swirl and sweep" the foil onto the surface or even tap it into the grill. But VERY gently so nothing is left behind when you remove it. If done with a light touch, the malleability of the metal, even as a foil, may let it conform to the shape without breaking.

As for display, I tend to mount mine face side up, but with one example face down so people can see the grill class associated with the stamps I am showing. I try to get face down exemplars for each class, including end rollers, splits, doubles, and states as well as overall grill type (H, I and J for my stuff). Failing that, a nice scan of the reverse cut to stamp size and adjusted for contrast is nice too. This can be mounted next to the stamps, or printed right on the page where you want it.