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

I can not make out examiner #1 signature???

Also....BOTH examiners state "tear @ right middle"
Why is this not on the cert???

1. Why is that important (name of #1)?

2. Good point - ask Mercer, not me. Clerical error maybe? I can't begin to tell you how many stamps I examine with "good" certs that I detect a small fault (or more) so in the overall scheme of things, especially with a MAJOR fault like reperfing, not noting a tiny tear is not IMO a big deal. Mistakes happen. Not noting a rare coil is fake, for example, is a far greater "mistake".........

You are making it public record....
If you did not want anyone to see it you
should have "blocked out" the name.

Am I correct in stating that the person who started this thread said that the Certificate was incorrect, but in reality it was right?

You are incorrect.....
Certificate is in ERROR as the OP stated.

Glenn,

No the certificate was (in my opinion) incorrect. The main contention was whether or not the left side/edge had been added. The original poll showed that quite a few readers thought it was added. Even more voted for reperfed at left - which I believe is correct.

While I still do not believe it is necessarily important who the first examiner is, since as we've discussed here many times that even "experts" disagree, it was Stanley Piller. Of course he is one of the top experts in United States stamps. So we disagree on this one. It happens. But you can see, because of his stature, why Mercer decided to issue the orig. cert. as he did. I don't have a big problem with that. These are "opinions" and are subject to human errors and differences of opinon. That's the reality. But I bet that expert sevices in this county "get it right" 98% of the time, maybe more.

I hope people will not start dumping on Stanley Piller because of this. He can be cantankerous at times, but beneath the bravado he is a nice person - and he REALLY loves stamps. He knows his subject. I have gone round and round with him on more than one occasion, and he is not perfect and, contrary to some people's opinion of him, he knows it. I have caught him off several times, and when he is shown his mistake he is not only gracious to admit it, but he is moved to try to put it right.

Let's give him some slack on this, shall we?

Stanley is *WAY* too tough to be rattled by anyone "dumping" on him. If they try, he''ll end up dumping on them! I love the guy. Thanks Essayk for the kind sentiment. Well stated.

Oh wow, Stanley? I know Stanley, in fact I think the first time I met him must have been 35 years ago as a kindergarten or 1st grader as my father did business with him. He's a great guy whom I have the utmost respect for.

Glad to see this got looked at again though!

I would trim off the fake left perfs and restore this lovely stamp to its original imperforate left margin status. I also soak the hinges off any mint stamps, it usually takes the gum with it but I do not like hinges as they cause stamps to buckle and the gum causes decay.

anthony666.....good for you.
Keep up the good work!