Essay Used On Cover Legitimate Test Or Added To Cover?

Hello, I am looking for help to identify this essay on cover and get opinions if it was actually used on this cover or added later. Wondering how to get it expertized and if it would be worth it?





Thank you MJ

The stamp isn't tied to the cover by the cancellation, and I wonder whether the grubby marks to the north of the stamp indicate the position iof another stamp that was removed? Not remotely an expert, though!

Also . . . the perforations on these stamps were so variable that this could have been perforated and then had the perfs trimmed off. It is cut close at top and bottom

From what I am seeing I agree with Geoff and Smauggie that it does not appear to be what it is trying so hard to be.

To answer your question on how to get it expertized the best place would be the American Philatelic Society. If you are an APS member there are discounted fees for having items expertized so it is worth joining not only for this benefit but also for all of the other great benefits. Here is a link to the expertizing service, how to go about submitting an item to them, and what are the fees that are charged: https://stamps.org/How-to-Submit-an-Item

If it could be authenticated, what would it be worth? Any ideas. Just trying to figure out if it would be worth sending it in.

Hiker, why do you believe this is an essay?

An expertising service will expertise it for what they believe it to be - which is very likely going to be a trimmed Scott 65. Not economically worth getting a certificate, but perhaps of academic interest to get one.

I agree with smauggie, the perforation rows and columns of this era were somewhat erratic and often a bit wider at the sheet edges. Users still occasionally cut their stamps apart with scissors into this era, so a stamp without perforations isn't necessarily a production error, but can easily be evidence of how this particular user chose to separate their stamps for use. I see no obvious tampering or reason to believe this trimmed stamp hasn't been on this cover since its use. A faker would have used a stamp with wider margins and made sure it was tied by a killer.

Hello John Becker, Thanks for the response. I don't think the design of the stamp matches the 65 and it is on really thick paper.

What specific design differences do you see?