Help Requested With Three Stamps

Hello and thanks for looking at my post. I apologize if it's in the wrong area but this seemed like the right place. If it's not, please let me know and I will move it.

The three stamps I have are a Ben Franklin, one cent stamp and two George Washington three cents stamps from the mid 1800s. One of which has a very prominent grill and the other had the cr*p cancelled out of it.

Honestly, I think I may have posted the Ben Franklin before (I found it in a strongbox with an article about a found "Z" grill) but I cannot seem to view my old posts.

Also, all the stamps are still attached as I do not wish to damage them and I honestly am scared to try to remove them. I am particularly frightened to try with the George Washington with the grill as it has the date written right on it and I don't know how water soluble the ink is.

So essentially I am hoping someone might be kind enough to let me know some approximate idea of value. Thanks again for looking.

Hi Lazyeight,
Stamp #1 is Type V, #24. Not in sound condition. Scott CV is $40, and yours is less than 1/10th catalogue value as faulty.

Stamp #2 is either a "E" Grill #88, or an "F" Gril #94. If you can look at the points as columns and rows, count the columns if you can. If there are 14 columns, it's an "E" grill, if there are fewer, it's an "F" grill. Nice color and shade. Most I can make out is 12 columns. "F" grills are the most common, and yours could sell on ebay for $3 - $10.

Stamp #3 is a common #65. CV is $3 or so, but the cover and cancel could be worth more than the stamp. Is it a California cancel, and do you have the entire cover intact? Show us the cover if you have the whole thing.

Hope this helps, Ray

Thanks Ray.

Sorry but not a Californian cancel, Detroit, Michigan.

I have attached a complete envelope scan.


Paul

All-over ad covers are nice even if they are from Detroit. That's also a nice strike of an early duplex cancel.

Would you care to show us the full cover for the 3c with manuscript cancel? Or is it on a document?

Edit - BTW my preliminary point count on the grill suggests something like 12x15. I'm thinking it may be an F-grill

Thanks for your info and I certainly do not mind posting extra images (after all, I am the one asking for help).

Here is the complete cover.

If it is the same place, Cork, Ohio today is a very small town in Ashtabula County. This appears to be a letter between two women friends, and it looks like the contents are still present. If the letter has a year date it may help nail down the grill.

1. Are the contents dated in a way that is consistent with March 18th as written on the stamp?

2. For a usage in March the year date must be later than 1868 for the grill to be an F grill.

3. If 1868, then this would be within nine days of the earliest documented usage of the 3c with E-grill. Since you said the grill is strong, that is a good possibility too.

The key, of course is knowing the dimensions of the grill as a point count.

Meh. I am counting approximately the same which would make it an "F" grill. Sadly there is no enclosure I can use to verify the date.

Would the value increase or decrease if I removed the stamp from the envelope (to make it easier to check the grill)? Also, would the ink used to cancel run if I attempted to remove it?

Thanks for your answers, I do appreciate the assist.

Best not to remove it.

The Detroit cover is very nice and don't remove stamp. Stamp worth $2 off cover. On cover maybe that is a $30 plus item.