What Country Do You Find The Most Difficult To I.d. Stamps?

Hi!
I'm currently loading up a Scott's Part 1 Big Blue album, which goes thru to 1940. I find sorting and identifying stamps for most countries relatively easy, but some can be pretty difficult. Thankfully I have a set of the 1955 Scott's cataloge, which is a major help.

I've found - in general - the eastern European countries to be the most challenging. But I am curious as to what country you all find difficult to work with............

ENJOY,
Mobilman44

Goodness, it just hit me.............
By far the most difficult country for me to I.D. stamps is the good ol USA! In my original post I was thinking globally, and unintentionally ignored the difficulties I've had with early USA issues. My apologies to eastern European fans!

Albanian Double Eagles- and forgeries

Generally, the stamps of Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East require careful attention to the (foreign- for most of us) script.

But any nation where there is a subtle change in design from a previous issue, a change in watermark or perforation, even paper, merits extra scrutiny.

Consider the U.S. banknote issues.

(Edit: Mobilman44- you beat me to it. )

The 19th century U.S.

The 2 cent Washingtons with triangles, dots, lines! What a pain...
Old China...unattractive and boring...and then there is the break up and which "country" is this! I'm about ready to check my old China stamps and I am dragging my feet...
Almost any country that has issued definitives in a variety of types and perfs...I don't care!

Of course a good set of catalogs helps somewhat. But even then I have had some trouble with the Scott version only showing one in a set.

Brazil watermarks, hands down. On the upside the stamps are all pretty cheap. Lots of confusion for a small investment.

My problem lies in some of the early Middle East countries, and some modern ones as well.

Eventually though, I do figure them out. In second place, I would have to say that the Chinese overprints can pose a problem every now and then.

Chimo

Bujutsu

have to agree with Peterc4,I spend hundreds of hours to get complete series of the Brazil watermarks and the two Brazil collections which I purchased was all wrong.The identify of those cheaper watermarks had to be a labor of love because it can't be done for money or value.

Japan, and especially the modern prefecture / Furusato stamps: there are hundreds of them, and most of them have no indication of the year on them, and the nominal value has been 50 or 80 yens for almost 20 years, so that does not make sorting them any easier either. Most of them have pictures of scenery, folkloristic events, flowers or animals so you end up going back and forth through the catalogue with every new stamp you receive.
The regular World Heritage and Manga / animation series are a pain in the you know what as well. Bottomline is probably that Japan issues far too many stamps.

My first reaction was to say any country where there is a subtle difference that causes a great difference in value.

I find the red paper Hong Kong issues almost impossible to watermark.
I agree that US stamps provide a significant challenge.

For me it's Japanese prefectures. I can't seem to identify most of them just yet and really need to get a hold of a Sakura.

For the countries that I collect, it's modern Japan, hands down, although I assume this is at least partly because I use Scott. The reasons are the same that others have mentioned - same denomination for a couple decades, no dates or western writing on them for the most part, and many similar designs - hundreds of flower stamps, for example. I've almost given up on collecting recent Japan for that reason - it's just too aggravating finding the right spot in my Steiner album. And then, when I do manage to give it a go, I'll often find stamps that I had mounted previously in the wrong space and then commence beating my head against the desk. I really like the stamps of Japan, though, I just wish it didn't take so long to figure out which stamp it is.

mobilman44 - I agree. I have a stack of early USA that I spent a fair amount of time working in. Sadly, the US postal administration did not have much in the way of design variation in early years so I just don't bother with it any more. I'll be selling my US collection because of it.

I agree! Very difficult, very tiresome. Argentina, too. Both try my patience and cause me to move on to easier countries.

Don

Here's some help.

"Who's afraid of watermarking the Brazil 1918-41 series?"

http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.co...1Stamps.html

The stamp issue that is most difficult for me are the large Greece Hermes Heads stamps.

"Greece Hermes Heads"

http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.co...s-heads.html

If you can positively identify the 1861-62 "Athens Provisionals" , the 1862-67 "Consecutive Athens " issue, or the 1868 (1868-69, 1873 (80 L)) "Cleaned plates" issue, "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din! ".