Need Help Identifying 1c Franklin. Scott #8 Or #8A?

Flick, congrats on the find!

Thanks everyone for all the info and for the congrats! When I picked up the collection I knew there had to be something good in there. You all really know your stuff. So is the double transfer found on all 99r2 examples? (Sorry if that is a dumb question). Also, there is a hinge remnant on the back. Should I try to remove it or let it be?

Double transfer always present.
I would not remove hinge remnant!

There are no dumb questions, only occasional dumb answers.

Pos 99R2 is the way it is on the steel plate. It is a consistent variety. Traces of an original, but incorrectly placed entry remain - thus the prominent double transfer. It was entered again, but short transferred at both top and bottom, thus the large breaks at top and bottom.

The origin and nature of the breaks in 99R2 is largely what makes it unique in 1c stamps. Most Type IIIs are from plate 4, and are broken on one side due to modifications done directly to the transfer roll, with the other side often just slightly broken due to either plate finishing or a weak transfer. As such, you get some consistency in overall appearance with them. The breaks are usually very small on one side. Sometimes plate wear even causes the breaks and you get positions that are sometimes Ty III, and sometimes Ty IIIA.

With 99R2 it is the way it is every time, and has huge breaks at both top and bottom.

Flick, since this is a used stamp the hinge remnant could easily be removed by soaking the stamp in water and then pressing it dry between sheets of blotter paper. But the more you handle a stamp the greater the chance of doing damage, so unless you are experienced with soaking the prudent course might be to leave it alone, as rgstamp suggests.

Flick, if you had to choose 4 of the 1c 1851-7 Stamps to be on a new Mt. Rushmore, 99R2 is definitely one of them (along with #5, 7R1E, for sure)..

Please do yourself a favor and get it certified. It will definitely be 99R2, and most probably #8, but there are a couple of small indentations I can see on that right edge, and at the top. I can't for the life of me imagine taking a #21 99R2 and trimming perfs, since it's a rarity of its own, but I'm hoping you'll get the cert, regardless.

Really great find there....congrats. Ray

Certificates are a waste of money unless you plan on reselling the stamp immediately. Since it sounds like flick is new to the hobby, he/she should be diverting some of the funds in the stamp budget to book purchases. The books will pay for themselves over and over and over.

Sorry I'm late to the thread. Wanted to show a trimmed stamp. Couldn't remember where I'd put it.

Stamp crow

What Scott # trimmed is this?

Side ornaments are not complete and no 99r2 plating marks in hair.

Not 99r2 Scott 21 trimmed? Is it another position Scott 21 trimmed ?

Trimmed 24?

Yes, I assumed it's a trimmed #24.

Definitely trimmed 24, either "B" or "F" relief....Ray

Definitely a B relief (scratch in right margin opposite Franklin's nose), position 20L, not 20L9 (center line not thick enough). My guess would be 20L8 (I think I see the mark in the E of POSTAGE).

Looks like someone tried to remove the cancel also.