Unrestoring A Beaver

I've been sorting through a collection of early Canadian stamps. One beaver (Scott 15: perforated 5c) seemed to have too many hinge remnants so I dipped it in hot water.

It was not just the hinge that fell off. When I rescued the stamp, I saw a huge hole in it. One of the small bits of paper floating in the water seemed to be part of the stamp. I inspected it closely. The color was the same, but it had the word "correos"on it. Clearly, it was not part of a Canadian stamp.

It appears that somebody restored the Canadian stamp with a piece of a Mexican stamp, and applied so many hinges that it was not immediately obvious.

I do not know whether to be appalled or amused.

If it cost 1c be amused....if it cost $40 be appalled.

I've had a few of those 'suprise' hinge repairs, but none with 'correos' patch

You get my nomination for "Best Thread Title of 2013"

Kirk

It seems that (multiple) hinges are frequently used to disguise pinholes, minor thins and some major repairs. The lesson is "Apply care and caution before buying material with hinges still attached".

GJP