Russia Mystery Stamp 1

Actually, there is not a real mystery about this stamp, but more like how to categorize it ala Scott.

I would say the Scott catalogs are amazing in their attempt to find every stamp and every variation.

So in examining the 2008 version I found this stamp.

It seems to be A9, and the one with a 13 1/2 perf. shows $20 mint. Well this one is an imperf. An imperf. pair lists for $750. A pair it isn't and also the assumption is the stamp is on horizontally laid paper.

In the vertically laid paper section, the stamp appears again. Again, it lists a 13 1/2 perf. with a value of .25 for that and 22.50 for an imperf. pair.

Reading the Scott Catalog is like trying to read a bad subway map.

So my question is have I correctly identified the stamp, and what happens with the stamp doesn't match the listings?

gmims,

your stamp is in fact Scott type A9, but as you realized under this type there exist several different 1 ruble stamps printed after the first one of 1889 (Scott 45 - by the way, the Scott price you mention is for an imperf between pair, no real imperfs are known for Scott 45). After that we find Scott 68 and Scott 87.

Scott 87 (the 1R on wove paper) was printed many times after 1910. Starting in 1917 new plates were introduced with more stamps per sheet (50 instead of 40) and 6 control marks in the form of "crossed V's" in the upper and lower rows. This first detail automatically places your stamp in the 1917 and after period. - you can see part of the control marks on the margin of your stamp.

It was during this tumultuous revolutionary period that stamps, including the 1R, were released into circulation imperforate, due to strikes in the works or broken perforation machines. Thus arose your stamp: Scott 131..

For the sake of relative completeness, I should mention that later, in 1919, imperf 1R stamps were released with a new rearrangement of the sheet that once again eliminated the control marks - "crossed V's" (Scott 87h).

Thanks, I will look that one up in the catalog.

Found it along with the imperf. form.

So the lesson I learned is to move forward a page or two when you do a search.

Actually, maybe the lesson is the usual suspects from those "Approval" companies never ever sold anything of great value.

But, they could have always missed something couldn't they?

Has anyone ever made some kind of a profit from these buys?