What Is Wrong With The Cert On This #70 1861 24c?

Repaired and fake cancel put on it.

I agree with thin line and margin at left. I know you can't tell from a scan, but the color looks off, too. Is that sulfurization, just the scan, or actual color?

A couple of years ago Bill used to have little quizzes like this all the time on VSC, and I suggested to him at that time that he would get a lot of responses if he put the same quizzes on SCF.

Bill, this type of exercise is really nice for all of us who are trying to learn and I for one really hope you continue to do this. And THANKS for all you do for philately, philatelists and stamp collectors......Ray

Definitely agree with Ray...

Now, Mr Bill... kindly inform all of us
with the answer...

And... PSE got *this one* very wrong, too... any surprise?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/38109692967...rms=gh1g%3DI381096929676.N18.S2.M-1372.R5.TR8

I'm not fond of the righthand perfs, but other than that I have no idea.

Is it even unused? The top perfs, fourth thru sixth from the top right corner, appear to show a faint trace of a cancel. Possible traces on single perfs on the right and bottom also.

Answer...

cipalermo... indeed... it appears to be a washed cancel, as well...

Ray,

Once again I think you got me mixed up with "billw2" who is not me, but if you intended those nice compliments to me, I deeply appreciate them, but this is Bill Weissman's thread on "what's wrong" with this 24c stamp with APEX cert.

As you will recall, I did do these a lot on the old VSC but quit because I didn't feel like I was getting enough responses, then I ended up simply not having the time any more. But I think they are great, and this thread is very interesting, particularly to me, because I can't believe that the APS experts could have missed that left side being replaced and the cancel drawn in over the margin. And what really has me confused is that *I* normally do a lot of the 19th C. U.S. submitted to APEX, so this would really be embarrasing for me! So I am going to contact Mercer and get access to the worksheet to see if I examined this stamp (I sure hope not.......!). But I promise to report back here either way.

PS Or, at minimum, it's reperfed at left........

Either it has an added margin at left, or has been reperforated at left. With the vertical line in the left margin and odd/blurred cancel, it appears to be an added margin to me - would be good to see a back scan.

Bill - can you add the back scan, or let us know the synopsis now that a number of folks have chimed in?

Must have Weiss on the brain after the 65b disappointment!

Thanks to the both of you.....
Ray

The shade of the scan doesn't match that of the photo of the cert.

The photo on the cert looks "gray lilac" to me, rather than "red lilac". Could it be US No. 99?

That would be quite some mistake if it was!


-IBFS

How can one tell from a scan whether the line at the left is where a left margin has been added or if it is a printed line (and thus a natural straight edge that has had perfs added).

And forget about looking at a scan to try to argue what the color is.

Now that I look at it again, the line and the perfs are not parallel, so I'll go with added margin.