Mint?

Can a stamp be in mint condition if it has been hinged and has only partial gum? I bought this stamp on ebay (yeah I know). It was advertised as mint. What do ya'll think?

It can be considered to be mint, because it isn't used. However, unused might be better.

... unused, hinged with partial gum is how I would have listed it. If you aren't happy with it you might think about returning it.


Butch

Mint is a state of being not a condition or grade.

Mint = has not been postally used
Grade= Fine, Fine-very fine, Very fine, etc.
Condition = Hinged, missing gum, regimmed, thins, tears, etc.

Unused would probably be a more accurate term since coins are printed, not minted, but the term has been used forever and isn't likely to change in the near future.

Richard

It should have been listed as mint - hinge remnant, disturbed gum.

I agree with sfgoda about talking to the seller.

Welcome to stamp collecting Carol. Years ago it was straight forward but it is getting cloudy with some sellers. Used to be mint was straight from the post office as it came. Some it still is others it could be hinged, no gum, partial gum. Just as some say hinged could mean lh, hh, or remnant.

Each dealer may be different but many do try to fully list their wares.

Thanks for the info guys. I'll keep it because of the, what I'm assuming, is the precancel and the OB on the front. I'll just have to be more careful.

By the way, That stamp is not supposed to exist!
Those "Philippines" issues were used from 1898-99. The "OB" official overprint was not supposed to be used until 1926!

Interesting!

Mike

Fisrt of all....nice stamp.

Second, I fell for the same thing on a collection of WWII German stamps. They all looked good from the front but they were hinged. From that day forward I read the listing better. This was a couple of years ago, now I know.

CarolOwens, It is not a precancel, FYI, Philippines never used them.
This is an example of US occupation issue after the Spanish-American War and before the Treaty that gave the US that territory.
"OB" is an official stamp marking by the Philippines government to be used for government mail.
And then there lies the rub "OB" should not be there.

Mike

Well you learn something everyday.
In Scott's the notes preceding the offical issues, shows official overprinted "OB" goes back to that the US1899-1901 issues, also the 1903-06 in red or blue, later 1906 issues in red, blue, yellow, black & green.
"OB"s at this point would have been local in nature each using it own style or design.

CarolOwens, the laugh is on the person who sold it to you, these overprints "OB"
are less common then a regularly issue overprint.

Very nice!
Mike

Look now what I've learned:

Your stamp has a name the "1907 Bandholtz Experimental Issues"


In early May 1907, the Director of the Philippine Constabulary Brig. Gen. Harry Bandholtz requested permission from the Bureau of Posts for the experimental use of printed "OB" on 1899 - 1904 overprinted "PHILIPPINES" issues with the intent of controlling and reducing postal expenses by supplying his subordinates directly from his office.
The Director of Posts, C.M. Cotterman, in granting the permission wrote a letter to the Director of the Bureau of Printing, dated May 25, 1907, requesting the "...overprint with the letters "O.B." such unused Philippine postage stamps as may be delivered to you by any government bureau or bureaus for such purpose; the cost of this printing to be charged to the Bureau of Posts...In the first lot it may be advisable to make trials of several colors of ink to determine the most suitable, but it is requested that the letters "O.B." be uniform throughout, and the selection of type is left to your superior judgment."

Only the Philippine Constabulary availed of the request made by Mr. Cotterman when the stamp clerk at Constabulary headquarters delivered to the Bureau of Printing all stamps on hand, regardless of the issue or quantity, by making them up into sheets for printing by mounting loose stamps in small quantities as to hold them together. The resulting overprinted stamps are now popularly known as the BANDHOLTZ OVERPRINTS.

Hope this helps!
The info was from the Philippine Philatelist website.

How scarce is this overprint? From the discussion, it doesn't sound too common.

Great research, Mike, thanks. Very interesting. That's the sort of history behind stamps that I love.

As to the term "mint", when used alone it usually implies that the stamp is hinged with full gum (apart from the hinged area of course). If the stamp is not hinged that will be specified, as mint unhinged or never hinged etc.

A stamp that has partial gum should be described as such, the same as any other fault or condition. A stamp that has no gum is usually described as "unused".

So when I see a stamp listed as "mint", that to me says it's hinged, and has original gum. No gum or partial gum would be cause to complain. I think Butch is spot on with how the stamp should have been listed.

Balf

rohumpy, I've found no numbers on how many may have been used or printed, but if it was considered experimental and Scott found it only worth noting instead of listing, the numbers are probably small.

Mike

I found more details on the numbers.
The red "OB" on the shown stamp, per the Philippines Philatelist website, 87 know pieces, 6 blocks of four.

It's looking better!

Mike