Black And White Stamps

I'm not sure of the reason, but there is something I just love about Black and White stamps. Maybe it's a throwback thing to the Penny Black. I'll show you mine, if you show me yours. LOL



Steve

Steve,

I know exactly what you mean. I was actually thinking of starting a thread on this very topic.

Here is my 10c Columbian Expo stamp, although really it is more of a dark grey than black. Shame about the corners. I'm not sure; is the overrun at the bottom typical of this issue or would it be considered an error?

Hi Stamphop,

By overrun, do you mean how the design at the bottom runs into the perfs? If so, that is a "grading" criteria. If you have a scott's catalog, in the front pages they usually have illustrations of grades from fine to extra fine. Generally most price lists give the value for vf, with deductions for lower grades and higher prices for extra fine or higher. Older issues are given looser criteria, but the better centered the better. Notice Triggersmob stamp above, it is probably a very fine (VF) centered stamp. Hard to do on monitor screens :) so just estimating. If this wasn't what you meant ...I am sorry :) please try again.

If it is what you were referring to, let me know and I will post some 10 cent columbians for you with different centering. The Columbians are nortorious for centering, and the 10 cent issue is one of the poorer in my opinion. A gem columbian can bring 10X scott price in an auction.

Jim

This is one of my very favorite stamps! US 292. So it is also my favorite B/W stamp. There are some others that I like just about as much, but this is my favorite.



Jim

Wow desertgem! Nice $1 Trans-Miss Western Cattle in Storm!
I have wanted that one for a very long time!

Hi t360, yes It was an exciting acquisition a long time ago! They are so hard to get without horrible cancels. Like this one, most seem to have the parcel post type of cancel that almost obliterates the design. Of course the reason they did that so much on hi value stamps was to prevent soaking and lightening the cancel. There are many early "portrait" stamps of similar value missing in my collection because basically they are boring. I would much rather have these. Thanks for the comment.

Jim

Here is an 1868 cover from New Orleans to Paris via New York, with three black Scott #77 15c Lincoln stamps cancelled
by New Orleans crossroads fancy cancels, orange-brown New York transit markings, and a blue Calais, France foreign mail receiving mark.

Beautiful! I love the old fashion Italics penmanship. Was that the correct rate or was it overpaid?

Jim

Here is an old classic, I like almost as much as the $1 Trans-Miss above. Quite a bit off-centered.

Jim

You Guys certainly have some great looking stamps, keep them coming.

Steve

Yes desertgem, that is exactly what I meant by overrun. So now I have learned that off-centered is the proper term to use.

I originally posted a copy of this stamp on the Air-Mail thread, but since it was grayscale, I thought it might like to join this collection, too. This one is from Hungary. According to freestampcatalogue, it was released in 1966 as part of an 11 stamp set featuring various cities (this one would be Frankfurt, obviously). Scott # wasn't listed, but Michel # is 2283, Yvert # is A282.



I simply LOVE all these old covers. I am going to have to get to an antique store for a hunting expedition soon.

Stamphop..
Actually, Scott's lists its color, [ colour ] for our Aussie friends, as black.

Thanks Bob,

Being the computer-geek that I am (I am a software engineer after all), I was actually using the term grayscale (or greyscale to our Queen's English speakers) in a rather technical manner.

Basically modern printing processes often use a technique called halftoning, where the ink is applied in dots of varying size and density. If only black ink is used, the image appears to our eyes as having a range of greys from white (no ink at all) to light grey (small dots with lots of space) to black (large dots very closely spaced - perhaps even overlapping).

Here's a graphical demonstration from Wikimedia Commons:

The left image shows a close-up view, and the right image shows what it might look like from a distance.

This process produces quite a different look from the earlier stamps, which I think were inked engravings producing true lines and areas of solid black.

Forgive me if you aleady knew all this, but I thought this might be of some interest to forum readers who didn't.

I think both processes can be used to produce quite pretty designs, but overall I really do particularly like the older engraving-style look.

Thanks for the lesson, Stamphop - I had no clue.

Charles

I like your $5 Columbian, Desertgem. It may be off center but it sure beats my empty space. And it has a nice clear Pittsburgh, PA cancel.

Here is my Scott #69 12c Washington.



Please excuse the little thread or dog hair (probably from Penny, my boxer) inside the mount that is not part of the stamp.

Jim.....

Love the cattle and $5.00 Columbian.....both blanks in my collection. But I do have a certified #90 w/double transfer at top.........


Personally I'm partial to the blue Benjamins......