This Is Probably Not 141A/ So What Is It?

After my posting of my mistake about 131, let me try again. I have been going through my album, trying to get straight just what I do have in my collection, I came across this one, mounted as 141A. When I work through album and catalog looking for a home for a new stamp, I don't look at values. I'm not in this hobby for the money. But maybe I should. Okay, beside odd color, I am not rich, so not likely 141A. A better bet seems 189, but only slightly better. So where? I can neither see nor feel any grill. Is it really mint? There is little if any gum, but there are many possible reasons for that.

I am not an expert by any means, but I believe your stamp is heavily oxidized ?


Peter

I agree with Peter.
And lightly canceled along the lower right side.

And clearly used/cancelled, thus not mint. Probably 163, but says 152 on back (obvious?)

Pictures are not clear enough to tell if the secret mark is there or any other identifying feature.

Yes, I thought of some kind of change to the color. Thanks. I'm not alone in so thinking.

Some US orange stamps will 'oxide' (actually sulphurization ). You can learn more here https://stampsmarter.org/learning/H...idation.html
Don

My album says the 15¢ had no secret mark. I should check Scott. Stamp is on thin, hard paper.

I have one eye that doesn't work and one that's not so good, a lousy condition for stamp collecting. I don't see any cancellation. Odd, especially from a period when cancellation was so obvious. What do you see?

The original color of your stamp can be restored when you learn how to apply hydrogen peroxide to it and also remove it completely. The stamp is not badly centered and appears to be sound, so it might be worth learning how to do the restoration work (or have it done by someone who knows how). The cancellation traces on the right side assure that you are not dealing with an unused stamp. The number written on the reverse references this as the 15c National without grill. That seems consistent with everything we can see in the image, including hard paper. Apart from the sulphuretting it is a very nice stamp.

The cancel:

Many thanks to all of the clear-eyed people who helped me on this. Now I fear that I should go
over all my stamps from this period to see what else I have misfiled. Stamp collecting is so much
fun.