Can Stamps Not Known To Exist Be Authenticated?

Lets say you found a stamp not listed in the U.S.Scott catalog.For example only, say a person found a perf 11 #557 5c Roosevelt but it is rotary press, not flat plate. It would be the same type of variety/situation as the 552/594/596 1c Franklin stamp is. My local stamp club members have conversed about this. They say it would never be certified as authentic since it is not known to exist. Some say it would have to be certified if authentic, any thoughts?

It depends on exactly what it is, whether there is reason to believe it possible, and whether it can be explained away logically as altered somehow. It has certainly happened in the past.

Indeed, or there would not be such things known as "discovery copies" of certain stamps. Modern errors such as missing perfs or missing colors, etc, are certified as genuine all the time, even though before their discovery they were not technically known to exist for that issue.

ABN, can you show the stamp with scans of both the front and the back?


Peter

The oldest postage meter impression we know of was discovered by a meter collector in a cover bin in 1996. The meter was from the late 19th century. These things do happen, if rarely.

Scott #164 (Continental Bank Note) is a relevant case. It was long assumed to exist but to be indistinguishable from Scott 153 (National Bank Note) and therefore unidentifiable until an example on ribbed paper (used only by Continental) was discovered. This is the criterion now used to certify Scott #164.

PeterT, I don't have one to scan. The 1922 bureau series has several rarities like the flat plates that are perf 11 but are perf 10 on one side (like Scott #562C) plus the 594/595/596/613 rotaries. My club members have discussed whether or not it is worth checking if any of those types of rarities exist in the other denominations. One member even stated that he thought the expertization services are the 'powers that be' and that they have the final say concerning whether or not a new rarity is found, which means they have a great amount of command and control. It is true when more of a certain rarity are found that decreases the value of the others.