Scott #10 Or #11? Original To Folded Envelope?

I picked this up on ebay advertised as a 10, but the only scan made it look more like an 11. The letter has a note on the bottom indicating the date was Sept 24, 1851. It was obviously written at a later date, but I thought I would take a chance. Now that I have it, the letter is dated Sept. 24, 1851. (unless that is a 5 and 7 joined together, but looks like 1851 to me)



If this is Sept 24, 1851, and IF the stamp is original to the folded letter, then from my admittedly limited plating ability it would be a 10. The stamp is tied to the letter, but in a different color ink.



Here is a better image of the stamp. I changed some settings on my scanner to try to get the color as close as possible to the original.



It does have a few issues, but they would be easier to live with if this is a 10.

My first thought is that the stamp is likely a #10, but needs to be plated to be sure. I think it's been added to the FL and the cancel forged. Too bad...

I am writing this from my somewhat fuzzy memory. I had a similar cover a few years ago. The letter it was on was dated
August 1851. A reply to my question was that the number 11's were not used before Oct 1851 and therefore it had to be a number 10. It is hard to tell from the color of your stamp, but the stamp on my cover is distinctly orange brown.
If as one of the posters says the stamp has been added to the cover, then the date on the letter could not be used to date the stamp.

raymodj,

I'm a #10/11 specialist. This stamp looks to me like it is a #10, but as billsey stated, plating it would help to confirm it. I could confirm it without plating, by matching it to my master color set if I had time (unfortunately I will be on travel soon). The double hand stamp may indicate that someone who added the stamp to a stampless cover failed in his first attempt to tie it with the blue cancel.

Looks like a #10A to me. I can't tell from the closely cropped scans very well but I think the stamp probably originated.

I agree the stamp likely originated. Its not unusual to have simplex grid killers applied during this era to be in a different coloured ink from that of the cds.