SC 46 Widow Weed - Does This Look Genuine Or Known For Fakes

ARGG... I screwed up my bidding, for some reason on my ebay app, the prices were shown in Pounds and I thought it was in USD or CND. So I ended up picking up a VFMNH OG 46 on the high end price wise, but it's a gorgeous sample. So with having paid quite a bit, I am debating getting it certified by Greene when I receive the stamp. Was this a stamp with a lot of fakes floating around? I know this is tough but judging from the photos does this appear genuine?





PayPal protects from fakes of course, but with Greene taking 8 to 12 weeks, I believe PP only covers for 45 days.

This was bought from a reputable UK dealer with excellent feedback and guarantees all stamps are genuine and I always say buy the seller, not the item.

Thanks,
Dan

Hi Faken

This stamp is not really known for fakes but with a relatively high value and NH premium, it could be a target for re-gumming. I don't suspect that this is the case with yours. You have a pretty good looking stamp that is worthy of a certificate.

GJP

I agree with gportch, the stamp is a beauty. A certificate is probably something to consider, not because it isn't the real deal, but it removes all doubt.

OK thanks guys, I feel much better now. Back when I collected I was really only collecting used and now that I am collecting MNH AND that fakes are all over the place, I'm paranoid. I'm something in the way of an Omega watch aficionado and can easily tell fakes from the real deal, but I'm a total newb in the world of IDing fake stamps. In all honesty, all the fakes I've seen seem to all be Jubilees.

Thanks again guys, really appreciate it! At least I don't feel rushed to get the certification done ASAP.

Dan

Hi Dan,

Nice looking stamp. As the NH factor for this stamp is 300%, I would suggest you get it certified before you sell it to ensure it is not regummed. As this NH factor changes the Unitrade 2014 catalog price for a VF version from $650 to $2,600.

- stamporator -

@Stamporator - this is exactly what I was worried about in terms of a regum. Do older regums tend to have that same kind of patina look that you would see on older OGs like in the photo? All of the regums I've looked at tend to have a very even color on the back of off-white or yellow. I think I'll just get the cert done and put my mind at ease - I have no intentions of selling it at all, but I paid a good amount for it and it's guaranteed to be OG. It's $40 to certify it with Greene, so it's not really out of this world.

Is Greene the way to go? Wondering if there's anywhere in Montreal that has a similar reputation.

Thanks again guys for taking the time to comment.

Dan

Hi Faken

Here is your good news for the morning. The expertizing fee at the VGG will be $30 (not $40) as we go by the FINE value in Unitrade. Stamps with values less than $300 get done for $30.

GJP

Hey good news! $10 is $10 right? In all honesty I think the price is very reasonable, it's the shipping back and forth that makes me nervous lol! I'm going to check with Paypal to find out how long I am protected just in case it's a regum.

Faken: great scan of Canada Scott#46 20 cent 1893 Queen Victoria. To quote my old Scott: "the gum on these later Ottawa printings appears bright and shiny, often with a yellowish tint".

Let me also add that I would have been hesitant to place that beautiful stamp on a parcel of the day. For the generations to come I will quote Winthrop S. Boggs (the 1975 printing, p299) who said that casual inspection of the 20c and 50c values "will show they were adapted from the Bill Stamps of 1868 and the similarity is so great that Bill Stamps of these denominations have been used for postage". He also states that the position dot "is usually placed so that it falls in the colored area of the stamp and is therefore not discernible". This isn't ironclad as he also says that it sometimes "may be seen at the right of the medallion midway between the top and bottom of the stamp".

Based solely on an auction photo that I've seen, I think this is the 46i brown-orange stamp, not the 46 vermillion. However, I don't have any myself and may be completely wrong.

I'm thinking the scanner is blowing out the color, I'll confirm once I receive it :)

That is a gorgeous specimen.

Well, my new baby has arrived and looks gorgeous and from my novice eye, does not have any tell tale signs of a regum. Either way, she went straight in to a FedEx envelope and is on its way to VGG. I've asked them to please do a quick inspection for regum upon receipt because PayPal only protects transactions for 45 days, which is half the time it takes for the expertization process to be completed. So if it's a regum, I need to know in the next few weeks, so hopefully they can help me with that.

@gportch - It's actually $40, I double checked the mint fine value and it's currently at $494.00 according to EZStamp (my current Unitrade catalog is 2006).

So now the wait begins *sits and fidgets*

Dan

Sorry I tried to email you gportch but I guess I don't have enough posts to send private messages yet... here is what I asked:

Hello gportch,

Are you part of the VGG committee that does the expertization/certification of stamps? I just updated the thread about my #46 at https://goscf.com/t/35064

Do you think they will be able to confirm the regum issue before they start the process - I spoke to Margaret and she's going to try and help with this request. Also am I looking at the wrong value? I see the value of MH Fine at $494, so $40 for the eval, which is well worth the peace of mind for this specimen.

Thanks again for your input!
Dan

Hi Dan

Yes, I am involved with the Expert Committee. My main role is that of forensic analysis of submissions using the Foster+Freeman VSC6000 H/S (one of 3 in the world being used for philatelic purposes). Actually, I am the Vice President of the VGG. I am in every week, usually on Wednesday (often on other days as well), and will keep an eye out for your stamp. I will get a preliminary opinion for you immediately and then put it into the certification process. I don't expect that we will be able to see it in the committee until the meeting in mid January as we already have a full table for the December meeting.

GJP

@gportch WOW that's amazing, thank you so much, very much appreciated! And what a small world the stamp business is lol ;)

You will actually receive the stamp today before noon.

Thanks!
Dan