One Cent Postage Due Stamps

I found these among my grandfather's stamps. I've found a number of similar stamps at the mystic stamps site, and I gather that very subtle differences can make a big difference in value. Along the edge of each you'll see part of a grid whose lines are 1/2 cm apart, if that helps.

I'd love any info you can give, both about the stamps and about how to discern those subtle differences, as he also had a number of other early stamps whose design was apparently used in a number of issues. (My guess is that none of them are the high-value issues, since he never mounted them.)

Thanks!





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Twslisa, one of the best ways to go about this is your local library. They probably have a Scott catalog and that book lists all of the different issues and printings of the older stamps.

Peter

These links may will be helpful for start:

http://www.shaulisstamps.com/tips/PostageDues.htm

http://www.theswedishtiger.com/xdues5.htm

That second link is extremely helpful in identifying some of the US stamp varieties. Thanks so much for posting it Aurora!

OceanGuy,
thank you very much for saying thank you!

yeo see you buying one of these-Perf has ALOT to do with number-

Yeah, I will probably eventually cave in and get one. For now I downloaded a PDF with a scale perforation gauge.

But it sounds like with these the only way to tell will be watermarks. Which leads to another question: with a used stamp that is affixed to the paper, how the heck would I see if there's a watermark?

For used stamps still on an envelope (cover in the collecting world) there is no way to tell for sure. I have heard that a signascope (device used for watermark identification) can be accurate for stamps on covers but I can neither confirm or deny. The other ways are by dates on the cover or shades of a particular stamp, these can help determine exact stamp through the process of elimination.

This design for this denomination was used on J29, J31, J38, J45, J52, J59, and J61. It doesn't look like perf 10 or 12. Therefore are most likely perf 11 - J61.

Learner driver.
This 1c I presume J70 postage due.
Is the squiggle under the Left hand Value tablet an EFO? or a plate flaw?
Thank you.

Rod, You mean the perf 11x10.5 J80. This appears to be a "dry printing" of the very late 1950s, noted by the bubbly appearance of the ink, especially in the ovals around the bottom numerals. I would attribute the inking on your stamp to poor ink adherence. An oddity and not a constant variety.

Thank you John.
I didn't check the guage, my bad.
Too impatient to query the EFO.
Your advice on my album page.