7 1/2 Green (1857) - A Forgery?

Just came across this stamp which looks like a Scott #9...

probably too nice to be a genuine one,

but, however, I would like to hear some other opinion.

I find your picture, hum... fuzzy.

Here is a link to the Canadian postal archive to the Scott #9. http://data4.collectionscanada.gc.c...=POST&p=1&u=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/020117/020117030101_e.html&r=1&f=G&SECT3=POST. By clicking on the picture, you can get a Hi Res picture. You can then compare with yours.

I am no expert, but I guess no one would be able to tell anything from your picture.

Thank you, Pepere Jack. I have already done that, and didn't find any differences...

To my eyes the picture shown is out of focus a bit.

Compared to the Canada Postal Archives picture (very sharp) the jewels around the Queen's head on the crown are smeared on this picture.

May a more in-focus picture be shown please?

Thanks Puzzler. I just plugged on my best scanner, and these 2 scans are the best I can do.

Hard to confirm without seeing the actual stamp, but based on my own copies, this one looks genuine, although it seems it is repaired from the back

Thank you, Gilles.

I agree... it looks that it has a hidden fault.

Do you think that will be smarter to try to carefully soak that paper, so that I can see what is "under the cover"...

and to risk to damage stamp at all...

or to let it stay this way?

Filipo, Much better scan!

I cannot be sure because I don't have one myself, but if it is a forgery, it is a really good one. I guess that only a certification would tell for sure.

And yes, it looks like it has some faults. I can see a crease / fold line that goes horizontally through the queen's mouth right in the middle of the stamp. So I guess that the stamp might have been heavily creased and repaired to diminish the crease or it might have been completely ripped in half. We can see on the right of the stamp between the POSTAGE and STERLING across the border of the design that the paper have been disturbed along the crease line. Looking from the back, it look like it is a tear, at least , what, half a centimeter? More? And the repair might have needed part of design to be retouched along the crease (a little bit of green here and there) to hide the ripped paper. The C of Canada on the left and the Queen's left ear piece seems not clearly defined, in my opinion. But then, it might just be the fold, it is difficult to see it through a scan.

You might try and dip the stamp in lighter fluid. The repairs/creases should be seen as very dark compared to the rest of the stamp.

If the stamp is ripped in half, then soaking it will probably separate the two parts. If it is a full rip, then this stamp is already damaged. I am not telling that the stamp should be discarded if it is damaged, but a fully ripped stamp, even one this valuable, won't be worth very much. But it could be a good space filler.

thanks again, Pepere Jack.

I removed the large hinge, and the water didn't tear the stamp apart (again).

In fact, the backside doesn't look bad so much...

Unluckily, I plugged in again another scanner, and the scan is again not very well (the vertical line is an error in scanning)... but, you will see the point.

Well, you still can try to dip the stamp in lighter (or watermark) fluid. I am guessing that you will see a horizontal dark line about in the middle.

It might be that the stamp was not completely ripped in half, but the hinge was there to "reinforce" the stamp. So even if it is only a crease, it is still a major fault that will affect drastically the value.

It is still e nice example of a rare stamp! if it is real...

I just did it, and the only dark line visible in the fluid is a 1/3 tear from the left side. So, I suppose that this stamps has 2 different faults... the first one is that tear, and another is the large crease over the stamp (because the stamp once has been folded).

All things considered, I think you have a very nice stamp there. Certainly a more-than-worthy space filler. I have seen forgeries of this stamp, and yours does not look like a forgery to me.

I agree this appears to be a genuine stamp with faults. A nice space filler.

Thanks!

With these faults, probably not worth more than 3% of the catalog value... but, I am very happy that it is not a forgery, and it will surely looks nice in one of my albums.

You seem to have a stamp that might have some value. I suggest you get it certified:

http://www.greenefoundation.ca/

That is a very nice source, thank you for the recommendation. But, I don't think that this space-filler deserves to be certified... certification will cost about $60, and I don't think that this stamp worths much more.

But, I have some other Canadian stamps, which will be more worthful to be certified. All institution, or individual experts, who are providing expertize for the fixed price (and not asking for the 5-7% of the fairly unobtainable catalogue value) are much more into 21th century, and doing a great job for all philatelists.