Revenue Stamp R134p4 And R136p4 Both Proofs

what are proofs and are they worth anything they seem to be a bit thick for a stamp????

Just wondering as I bought these!

and are they worth sending in to get graded????

I wouldn't spend money grading proofs. Not sure if anyone even does it. These can be purchased usually in the $5-$10 range. So unless these are something out of the ordinary, the $5-$10 range is about it.

Grading sure has become a buzzword. Novices please collect stamps not grading certificates. Hobby not investment.

Im not trying to piss anyone off im just asking questions that's all, I mean I know this is a hobby or sort of and I am a novice, but I have spent money on grading some stamps to enhance value other than that I stick to oddball stamps I just never heard of proofs. Now I own 2 and wondered if they were worth anything.

Thanks for the advice
John

I'm pretty sure you're not upsetting anyone John. Grading is a sore subject with some collectors. To me proofs are a cheap way to own certain stamps that I'll never be able to afford. There are no rules on how to collect so if you want to grade your stamps then by all means do it. My response was simply based on the fact that the grade will cost more than the value of the proofs.

These are certainly proofs, and are listed in the proof section of the Scott Specialized. As mentioned above, they have only a small value and are not worth grading. Proofs are usually very attractive, since they were carefully printed on new plates as a rule. Enjoy them for what they are, high examples of the art of printing stamps

sure wish I could buy them in the $5-10 range. Anybody have a source at that price?

The catalog value of each of these proofs is $15. They are "thick" because they were printed on card stock rather than paper. In my opinion, it would never be worth having them graded because, for one thing, they are almost always in VF-XF condition. Like stallzer, I have never heard of anyone having a proof graded.

Some sold listings

$6 http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-RB4P4-4c...AOSwH3NXmzfK

$8 http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-R119P3-1...AOSw44BYId7K

$4 http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-R136P4-4...AOSwPCVYB16w

$10 http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-R50P4-25...AOSwanRXg4S-

$7 for a pair

http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-RB3P4-3c...047675.l2557

$5 http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-R122-P3...047675.l2557

Like stamp values, the values of revenue proofs vary considerably. There are quite a few proofs that can't be found in the $10 and under range, although they are often substantially less expensive than the corresponding stamp. For example, R99c catalogs $2,500. R99P4 catalogs $220. I picked up the R99P4 below at the APS Stamp Store for $80.

Lovely piece. As I stated earlier proofs are a good way to fill some spots in collections that have great eye appeal and many can be bought for less than it's counterpart.

Proofs are a great addition to a collection. The 19th century issues were created as proofs in a series of five different printings, with only the Trans-Mississippi and the later small bank notes not completely done (there are card proofs for the 1c, 2c, 8, $2 and $5 of the 1895 series). Just as with the revenue proofs, the prices vary from a few dollars to the key which is 212P4.

Here's a sampling:









Proofs were also created on thin paper, known as "India" paper because of its superior ability to absorb the ink and produce a superb image. Here's a 66P3 as an example:





Another format is the large die proof. It should be on a full size sheet, as shown in this example. It's a 20th century issue and is one of two known 742P1 proofs in collector's hands.









There are a couple of special printings of proofs. Probably the best known are the "Roosevelt" proofs. These were created for dignitaries and it is believe there are about 85 sets given away. Here's a couple of examples. The first is 66P2 while the second is 296P2.









All images are items from my collection.

Boy That is a wealth of Information, Thank You all for the Info. I paid 13.50 and 16.75 for them but to me its not about the money, its about having them. Although I have been lucky enough to get a few Nice regular Stamps fairly cheap, (off the catalog price).

Im kinda new to this and sorta bouncing all over the place when I buy! with no real goal in mind Just if its old and im able to get it cheap enough then I bid. Oddball and revenue stamps seem to [eak my interest, I have about 800 stamps now in my Collection, Yet still haven't figured a way to keep them so they stay in the envalopes untill I can decide on the best way to show them off without damaging them.

Again Thanks for the info Guys as it has been a real Help

Odocon, the only rule in stamp collecting is to collect what you like. The price you paid for your proofs is a good price and they will look fantastic in you collection.

Odocon, That's a great start!

A suggestion for showing them would be to use stockbooks with clear acetate over the rows. You can pick them up from sellers on ebay or Subway Stamp Shop, which can be found on-line. I use the black pages, 32 pages per book (gives you a total of 64 pages. I also mount the stamps in Showgard black mounts for further protection. I will eventually get around to creating my own albums for the stamps with pages I create from scratch.

If you get the opportunity to obtain a used Scott National album, get one just so you can see how the pages are laid out and look. You may be able to get one from a member of the local stamp club. I also highly recommend joining the local stamp club and the American Philatelic Society as these organizations can help you enjoy your hobby immensely.