Just A Little 'Grill - Challenge' ! (Anonymeous)

Up for a fun challenge? I was thinking why not let the forum members have a go as 'examiners' - and thus demonstrate our 'average knowledge' in analyzing grills?

I am waiting for a conclusion on an ongoing discussion about a black jack with an unidentified grill, refer to this thread. https://goscf.com/t/44954&whichpage=2#382148

Until it is properly examined by an expert - let's see what the majority in the forum thinks. Then it will be quite interesting to see whether or not the majority agrees with the expert.
Hope you win!

-Jon-


ps - you can participate and still keep your opinion anonymous

I'll respond to it openly, outside of the poll...

Until you provide some nice LARGE/CLEAR scans of your stamp,
anything would be only speculation... so far there has been
alot of conjecture, trying to guess at what you have... the
human eye can only see so much with insufficient images to
go by..

disi123 - your contribution is appreciated. Unfortunately there is not much else I can do to improve the clarity of the pictures at this point. Thinking about it, I guess I could have included another poll-alternative as per your statement in the first place.

If not else, the pictures provided should be sufficient for making a qualified best guess. At some level I believe many of us face that kind of specualtion/dilemma every now and then when trying to determine if a stamp is of that or that variety, shade, paper-type etc. Many varieties are 'delusive', too my eyes anyway , and I'll end up going with a 'best guess'. I had this experience - lack of 100% confidence - when sorting out the different printings of the Greek Hermes heads... Probably some better varieties ended up being ditched/passed on due to lack of confidence. Guess many of us have been in that situation? (Naturally this would be different if trying to sell, then all doubt must be set aside).

Naturally this poll can 'measure' no more than a bunch of 'best guesses', but I find that intersting too. How good are we at this?

Some of us are very good at this, the rest of us need more experience. It can be a tough decision to send a stamp off the to have it expertized.

Indeed a tough decision, like a threshold that must be crossed - for better or for worse
In my case the decision was done mostly for the 'common good' and satisfy the curiosity that's been raised. So hopefully whoever that takes interest in this thread may learn something from it. And hopefully the lessons learnt will not be to avoid examination, in dread for disappointment...

Here's the reverse of a certed 85b from an ebay listing...

Please let us all know if you feel it resembles your stamp...

disi,
Thank you for challenging the seemingly collective perception (as per poll)! I do appreciate that.
Well, your scan from the internet is obviously much more clear, the 3D effect is more prominent. They have used a better scanner or scanning technique. The difference could also be that the sample from the internet has had some more pressure applied when making the grill in the first place, making the ridges more protruding.
This variable clarity off the grills can also be seen on several certified grill samples elsewhere on the net, some stamps seems to have the grill pattern more clearly defined on both the front and reverse. Which is what I have also learned as being normal in this forum.
Differences aside, I do think the pattern is very identical on your scan to mine. Points down. Both indicating horizontal orientation of ridges, similar no of rows. Both have a weak (almost missing) pattern in the upper left corner. Both seems to have some halfpoints on left or right vertical rows.

But that might only be my 'willing' eyes! As said before, I am by no means any experienced in grills at all. Which is why I am asking you guys for help. I have a feeling you think my stamps is not Z, which is absolutely fine, I do appreciate different views and I have no kind of pride in proving it to be anything particular. I just find it interesting to find out more, to feed the curiosity. A certified 'Z' would certainly be a bonus in my collection, but my main motivation has from the very beginning been to learn.
If you disi can share your views on the differences from your scan versus mine, that would be welcome

Hi... not true at all... I'm hoping for your sake it *is* a Z grill...
the only thing lacking are your optics, which we all experience...

This past year, I personally had an 85b certed by Bill Weiss, therefore
I suggest ~ without haste, you consider packing yours up and sending it
off to him...

Good luck !

Randall

Randall - Ok, I must have misinterpreted the wording in your previous post, blame it on my limited familiarization with Yankee jargon. Thank you for the recommendation and wishes.

I am still curious what you think of the resemblance with my stamp...

Your 600dpi scan is the best of the lot, which, at least (appears
to be) 'points down'... and, albeit the ridges are not crystal clear
there's a good chance they're horizontal in the >-< pattern, as
opposed to the X pattern...

Yeah, and the strange thing is that the 600dpi scan was done with an 'old-fashioned' machine more than 10 years old, whilst the brand new piece of in my office does not seem to be able to capture much. The oldest stuff often ends up with a better quality...
Anyway, thanks for your assessment, Randall

Alright - 10 votes! I believe it means only 10 of us (so far) can see the 'score'?
(Edit - Or have I misunderstood the poll-concept... Moderators?)

I'll let the poll run until I get it back from examination.

Another question on grills: I know the H and I grills might be quite difficult to detect. Still I wonder why I have not found any single one, even in a pile of at least 200 pcs of the 2c and 3c. Those (sc 135 and 136) would not have been worth much anyway.... Is this just coincidental for my selection of stamps, or are the H and I grill actually more rare than catalogue value suggests?