What Do You Think... Re-Gummed?

Hi.

Here is a stamp I think might be re-gummed... even worst, there could also have been a cancel removed. I would like to have your opinion... Here are the pictures.

First, the stamp itself taken from my scanner. It is a Canada #36:


Now, here are some shot using my USB microscope. I think that what I see is gum buildup around perforation holes:


Here are some more closer shot:


Now, as I said, I think there might have been a removed cancel. I included a picture resulting from some manipulation that seems to show some "design wear". I also included the same picture with the identification of where I believe the cancel was:


So, what do you think? I am still learning and I want to be sure before washing off fake gum... I know that it might be hard to have a clean opinion from picture...

Thanks.

Affirmative on the regummed in my opinion. Hard to tell for the cancel

Excellent philatelic forensics pepere_jack!

I agree, with the re-gumming. As Coriandre says, the cancel removal is not so obvious.

I agree that it has been regummed, nice catch!
(I hope you did not buy it as MNH with original gum!?)

pepere_jack...I would need to see 18 pictures of the gum to make a honest opinion about being re-gummed, and you only posted 17...HAHA

Looks like re-gumming to me.
Robert

Thanks.

I did buy this a couple of years ago, when I was more of a beginner then I am now...I will have to check back my purchase log, but I think I purchased it as a lot with other large/small queen. It was probably described as MINT H (because there is a hinge mark). I don't think that I spend a lot of money on that...

I am now checking more in detail stamps that I purchase before when I was too enthusiastic about the purchased item and less "attentive" to the item detail... Beginners errors! But I know much more now and I am able to see that the "great purchase" I did back then are not so "great".

For the clean cancel, well, I agree that it is not evident. It was a guess because of the regumming and because it looked like a curve line that could be a circular cancel.

Thanks for your opinions!

There is defnitely something fishy about the stamp. This is a filtered image which shows an arc passing through the head of the queen.



There is also what looks like scribbling in the lower right portion of the field.

The interesting thing with this stamp is that it is not worth very much in mint, hinged condition. The latest Unitrade catalogue prices a used VF copy between $3-$6 and this only rises to $100-$140 for a mint, hinged copy in the same condition. This stamp would not be considered very fine because of marks/stains on the face (the Queen's chin and neck area) and the back, less than VF centering, and extremely disturbed gum beyond the hinging. Such a stamp would only be worth $40-$60 if it was genuine.

This makes it a very unlikely stamp for anyone to go to the trouble of removing a cancel and regumming it. This is usually done with stamps of higher value that are worth significant money in mint condition. It is also usually done with stamps that are nicely centered with no postmark that can easily trade in VF mint condition.

My guess is that this stamp has suspicious gum from 100 years of mishandling with hinging, wet fingers, damp storage conditions, and likely being stuck to another stamp that left its impression on the gum. It may also be possible that it was regummed many years ago before the hinging and other damage occurred.

Either way, the value of this fine condition stamp is not effected greatly by whether or not it was regummed. Really good job with the images provided though. We seldom see a stamp's condition documented so well online.

My Unitrade 2014 lists a VF used copy at $3.00.

Thanks for noticing that BeeSee. I edited my post accordingly. I had looked at the wrong column in my catalogue for the used condition pricing. Still the gist of my post remains the same.

Thanks Scottamer for your comments.

I agree that this stamp does not have a great value even in perfect condition. But my guess is that fraudulent people that regums stamps and removes cancel will practice somewhere before getting on the large value stamps. It could have been one of the "practice stamp". You will want to use inexpensive stamps that could fetch some respectable amount if the result is satisfying.

I have been trying to get a closer look of the "curved line" through the Queen's face but it is not easy to get a clear picture... Here is what I got:

Large view


Then closer view of the Queen's eye and nose:


So I guess it might not have been a removed cancel but rather a very light scrape on the design, light enough not to damage the paper fiber.

Could be...

pepere_jack...I used my colour identifier software and as you can see from where the arrows are is where I took a colour sample and both areas are some what the same colour..If some one had removed the cancellation chemically...I would expect the reading from the bottom arrow to show a litter area.





Now look at this Queen booklet, look at the top left stamp..That was not chemically removed...Could be a weak ink spot or dry print.

What do I make of this stamp - Canada Scott 47 50c Widows Weeds with partial gum - strip down one side ungummed. How was gum applied to these stamps at the time? Botched regum?

I personally think it has has a cancel washed off and r-gummed.

Pepere jack

If you will mail the 2 cent Small Queen to me at the Greene Foundation I will be happy to run it through the various optical filters on the VSC6000 and let you know if there is a removed cancellation. I will return the stamp with the forensic photos (but no official opinion or certificate).

From your scan I don't think the "circular" mark is a removed cancel but, as a Small Queen collector, I am curious.

Garfield Portch

gportch,

I agree to send you the stamp. I will try to send it tonight, if all goes well. I am curious to know what you'll discover! I think also that it will be a nice addition to this thread, if you let me post those pictures (or you might post them yourself).

I will let you know when it is sent.