Initials On Back Of Schermack I Block

I have reservations about the authunticity of the Schermack I perfs (partly because other private perf blocks being sold by same seller have obviously added perfs). My question though:

Does anyone have insight on the initials on the back? One set is RWB. The other looks like CM[R?].
http://www.ebay.com/itm/39166710394...RK:MEBIDX:IT






In case you were curious, here is a photo of the other two alleged private perf blocks being sold by the seller (the Mailometer IV perfs are crooked and the Farwell perfs have spacing that is all over the place):

The other set may be HWO. I agree with you - if I was interested I would make darn sure that I couls get them expertised first. I do like them though!


Peter

One other item crossed my mind. Do you have a copy of the "Guide to United States Vending and Affixing Machine Perforations 1907-1927" by Steven R Belasco?


Peter

Peter, I do. I'm fascinated by the private perfs corner of the stamp world, but have not tried to buy anything not Schermack III or USAV I due to the number of fakes out there.

I don't have the book on hand today. I think Belasco mentions some early dealers marking stamps like this to verify authenticity...but I could be remembering wrong. And you might be right about that second set of initials

Do you have the precision multi-gauge? It has most of the private perfs on it, so you can at least tell if they are spaced correctly.

Joe

Per the Belasco book, the cMh marking was done by Charles H. Mekeel - his guarantee as genuine. Suggestion: buy the book before spending big money on vending stamps.

I do have the Belasco book--great resource--but I hadn't thought the markings would be identified in there (apparently I skimmed over some sections).

Alub, I have the multi-gauge (which is awesome). I don't own the above stamps (their still in auction on ebay), but from reading the Belasco book, the Mailometer block and Farwell blocks are altered imperf blocks. The Schermack block is the only one that on initial exam could be legit--which, coincidentally, is also the only one with the initials markings on the reverse.

The seller is a pretty square shooter and is not representing these as anything more than imperf blocks - allowing nothing for private perfing - and he certainly started them low enough. If you buy one as a private perf vending coil, and it proves to be a fake, I don't think it is fair to the seller to send it back since he did not offer it that way. Think of it as a damaged 320 block.

I agree that it is at least a slippery slope returning items that are not technically, "not as described", but I wonder how many people actually believe that such an item shouldn't be returned because it is a fake. I am sure the seller wants the bids to come in according what it looks like it is, he just may not have the knowledge to describe the item or even believe they are genuine.

The auctions have closed, they all brought a little under $200 each.

The best of the group was the Schermack type I. The Mekeel handstamp on the back were his guarantee that they were purchased directly from the Schermack company. That handstamp is almost as good as an expert certificate. Catalog Value $500 and a pretty good buy at $200.

The other two are pretty shakey. The Farwell looks real bad. Scott's doesn't even list a block of 4 as known. Genuine pairs are very scarce and CV of over a $1000. If legitimate this block would be worth thousands and never offered on ebay.

The 320 Mailometer block isn't much better. The center holes are way out of alignment, plus Mailometer type IV wasn't even in production until several years after the 320 issue. This block is also not listed in Scott's. I suppose it could have been made as a request item on the sly, but it looks like the guy that perforated was drunk when he did it. Maybe that's how they talked him into doing it. I sure wouldn't want the block.

Oh, and that picture to the left is of Charles H. Mekeel.