US Classics For Submission

I've got some US precancels and some old foreign stamps I have questions about. I will post in those departments.

I think I've found my best resource. Your combined expertise is my best bet. My mother-in-laws collection is incredibly complex. She is THE collector extraordinaire. Most likely due to a childhood set in a Depression and Wartimes she values things differently than most. Family kept and passed down cherished collections which have gained value over time, and she continued to avidly collect. (I have thousands of comics to sort through as well).
Now that I have a gauge I can properly measure perfs and designs. There are some stamps which I've seen on the net that resemble ones I have. If there are obvious differences I apologize for my lack of knowledge. I truly appreciate your input.

Do you have specific questions about the stamps above?

I was looking at images of stamps with prices realized in the thousands from auction sites. These stamps look identical to those. Without other reference material I can't tell if there are various subtle differences that make mine less valuable or as much. The stamp with Cuba 2 peso is supposed to be valuable because they were issued in this manner for only a short while. The one from the Philippines is also possibly valuable for the same reason. I hope someone can tell me why they are or are not the valuable version. Thanks.

The overprinted ones are only valuable if they have inverted (upside down) overprints. Your's are quite common.

EDIT: 100th post!

You might want to post links to those. That way folks here can see what you might be seeing.

I will use links next time. The overprints weren't inverted.

With the 5cent Philippines overprint, my Scott U.S. specialized notes, a special printing. These were specially overprinted for displays at expositions. Looks like they would have, either 'Specimen' printed on the front, or 'Special Printing' printed on the back. Those certainly would not have been used as postage.

I recommend you join the American Philatelic Society, the United States Stamp Society and the United States Philatelic Classic Society. The dues are nominal for each. You will receive a subscription to each societies printed magazine/journal as well as internet access to the APS library, and past/present issues of journals and other good resources and links for the societies on their web sites. Membership is renewable annually and you can drop the subscription(s) should you no longer need or want access to the data.

Following are some web sites you should familiarize yourself with:

http://www.stampsmarter.com/1847usa/index.htm
http://www.collectorsclubchicago.org/drews-1.php
http://www.rfrajola.com/
http://www.jamesdire.net/W-F.html
http://pfsearch.org/pfsearch/
http://www.siegelauctions.com/
http://www.theswedishtiger.com/
http://www.neddog.com/stamps/
http://www.jamesdire.net/grill.html

Until you become much more familiar with the nuances, the subtleties of color shades, paper, perforations, and other characteristics of U.S. stamps and their production, I suggest you refrain from considering getting a stamp(s) expertized for now.

Posting good scans at a minimum of 600-1200 with properly oriented (squared top to bottom) and preferably on a black background (backside too where appropriate) we will assist you in determine what you have.

If you have material that is a candidate for expertization, we will guide you in that process at that time.

Good luck in your search.

Bingo! That is quite correct. But getting the knowledge to support all that is not done all at once. An important starting point is matching/having the right references for a particular task.

The Scott Specialized Classic catalog is a good choice for you since you are dealing with a worldwide collection. However, for identifying the special varieties of US stamps specifically it is not the best resource. For that you will need the Scott US Specialized catalog. Any edition within the last 3 years is current enough to help you with most identification matters, so you don't have to pay top dollar for the latest, which just came out about a month ago. The specialized study of other countries will also require specialized catalogs for them and their territorial possessions.







Slight correction: "2 c de PESO" does not mean "2 Pesos." It literally means "2 hundredths of a Peso" (that is, 2 centavos).

I'm not sure where you got your information about what makes stamps valuable, but longevity of an issue is less a factor than the quantity produced and made available to the public. Collector awareness and demand at the time is another important factor, since collectors were, and are, the main preservers of all that material.

Stamp collectors are bugs on details. For some folks that is the attraction. For others it is the main turnoff.

The 2c de peso overprint is priced at £4.50 in my 2010 Gibbons, which means a street value of around 45p if undamaged, I'm afraid.

Over the past couple of years I've developed a love and appreciation for stamps - Classics in particular. I love the fact that beneath each used stamp was an important message and that within each stamp there is a story.
I can imagine The Pony Express with its mail carriers hell-bent on delivering secret political documents. The distance, the time! I think of long-dead historical figures whose portraits adorn important stamps - what they might think of todays world...and so much more. There is a certain romance to philately.
To learn the science and history behind philately is a seemingly impossible task. The complexities,from perf sizes and colour variations to press, paper types, and watermarks etc..is a great deal to understand. By reading the Classics Catalogue, and internet articles I've gained a better awareness of things to look for in regards to potentially valuable Classic stamps.
The stamps I post pics of for your opinions and advice are not randomly chosen. My reasons (even if ill-informed) should be obvious to philatelists (like -'Oh she thinks this might be a Special Printing)as should the reasons for why or why not the stamps are as I assume.
That is why I am here. I assure you I'm not ignorant, my knowledge base is underestimated and is growing...but without adequate reference material its been hard. I'm thankful and hopeful that you will continue to lend me your expertise without demanding I become as adept as you. In the time that would take the active collector of this collection would be deceased.
I hope to find the treasure I seek. Thanks for your direction, guidance and time.

Here are a couple more US Classic stamps before I move on to foreign ones.

if the columbian 236 is not used it might be worth a little depending on gum condition 10-15 bux, if used only a couple bux
Earlier I saw you were talking about special printings and those you never find used so if your stamp is used its easy to assume its not a special printing. I doubt anyone in this group has ever just found a special printing in an album. I'm happy if I find a stamp woth more than 5.00