Great Britain, 1874, 5/- Pale Rose, Pl. 2

Before and after its restoration; there were one or two foreign things stuck to it, along with crud...

Other than a thin, expectedly within the hinging area at top, and a pulled perf or two, the stamp is sound. The thin may also be seen from the front, with a black background that is, and round the "T" of "POSTAGE". If I placed a white background behind the stamp, the thin could not be seen from the front, but I always use a black background when scanning my stamps. I feel that a stamp looks better with a black background, also more "honest".

SG listed a catalogue-value of £1200 for that one, in 2009(Scott, $1100, also in 2009), but in the real world...???

What do you think it's worth, in its aforementioned condition, and in real-world pricing today, here in 2022? What would you pay for it, for that matter.

I bought a sound example of this stamp in 2014, with a heavier cancel (but not too heavy!) for £190

Sounds like you got a good deal there.

That may be so, but it was a real world price from a well respected dealer.

I wouldn't mind betting that with patience, you'd find one cheaper than that on eBay, but it all depends on what you're after.

Your circular datestamp example is facially more attractive than most others out there I'd say.

Getting fabulous examples of these high face value stamps is difficult, but I'd expect to pay good prices for quality items.

Here is one that sold recently without any faults


Yours is better centered but toned and with a thin, I'd say about $30 - $40 (US).
Don

The example Don posts appears to be a cleaned-up fiscal use (blue line at bottom with faded appearance along the line) and may have a fake cancellation.

From SG's website:




There are two further examples that are off centre but have very nice cancels and better appearance at ca. £ 800.

The example you show appears faded, has a few missing perforations, has a somewhat smudgy cancel and in general not a very clean appearance. I think Bobby De La Rue may be nearer what it can bring than the eBay example posted by Don (that price reflects its terrible condition). I would be surprised to see it make much more than the ca, £ 200 Bobby paid.

The catalogued price is for a very fine example. Yours, certainly, is not near very fine.

Personally, I would wait for a better example to come by.

@Bobby De La Rue,

Could it be a spoon cancel, rather than a CDS?

I purchased this one a few years ago from the APS Stamp Store. A few pulled perfs, and a blurred cancellation, but I thought it was a good price at US$75 and filled a spot in my collection.

PARTIME nice purchase and even a good purchase price for a plate 2 .

I got this one as it was priced right, and due to the fact that there are not exactly a lot of them out there( eBay and HipStamp). I thought it too attractive to pass up. I like the London East-Central postmark, as it matches those of others that I have(of 1888), and you can still see the portraiture.

Currently, here's one being offered for $300...

I got my own for only $20, and from a seller within my own state. It's quite presentable, despite the thin. All it needed was rescuing, and a bit of care.

Then, thins and torn-out portions are the worst of detriments, followed by tears, pin-holes and scuffs.

Incidentally, regarding perforation teeth, as long as one might just see a bit of the tooth still, not flush to the stamp's margin, that's perfectly fine; for example...

Of course, prior to purchasing, that one was advertised against a white background, an overly bright image, but I could still see it.

A shortish perforation or two on an otherwise nice used stamp - not if it is unused - is acceptable. The 5s you posted in the original post has quite a few shortish perforations.

The perforation of that German stamp, however, is not shortish but torn. It is far from fine. The stamp itself does have its qualities.

I chose that one for its relatively face-free cancellation. Again, as long as a tear-out does not intrude into the body, with a bit of the tooth showing, that's a very minor consideration. Of course, it bothers some, but others not so much.

In addition, the issues of these from 1867(plate 1) and 1874(plate 2) are more attractive, to me, than that later...

...although that one is with merit.

It is a completely different stamp from the 1869-type. Everyone is entitled to prefer one stamp over another.
Personally, I find the engraving of the 1884-type much better.

The Liverpool Exchange cancellation on that 1884-type makes it a lot more affordable than a postally-used one.

It's actually a duplex cancel but the stamp has caught far more of the CD than the obliterator.

NSK, it is not completely, that is, utterly, different. The two, side by side...

Note that the older design has two rows of "pearls" encircling the portraiture, yet with the greek-key borders being practically identical. The basic layout is there on both.