Why Did This Stamp Sell For More Than Catalog?

See if you can see why.

Jim

http://www.ebay.com/itm/nystamps-US...047675.l2557

Double overprint.

agree, double print

Might also be a kiss print. These were done by offset similar to the last postage dues and precancels.

I think you mean that the stamps were printed by offset, but the overprints were printed by letterpress?

Jim

Still subject to kiss prints; this would probably have to be put under the VSC6000 to determine whether is is a double OP or not.

Really? To my way of thinking, if you cannot immediately discern that it is a double, it just doesn't make it.

Kiss imprints are still technically a double.

I wouldn't waste the time or money to have something such as this to try and legitimize it being a double if it required using the VSC6000.

Now having said, I'm willing to listen to counter arguments about WHY that would be a good idea!

Some impressions are more double than others...

I went to the ebay lot and upped to 150% on the zoom.

There is easily seen doubling in the "DELIVERY" with the second impression shifted directly down, but a lighter color.

Since one is definitely darker than the other, does that indicate it is a kiss (only inked once - inked, whack, whack) rather than a second impression (inked both times - inked, whack, inked, whack)?

Two of the key points are that a) the dealer/seller didn't notice the variety, and b) sadly, I wasn't the only one that saw the doubling.

Used copies are far more common, not that the doubling variety is that common to begin with, whether you call it double, kiss, smooch, one-and-a-half, or whatever.

But, the centering on this mint stamp was pretty bad. I would have bid a lot more if it was closer to very fine.

Jim

Hre is another example, better centering and price if you don't mind the straight edge

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/U-S-REV-FUTU...382139972545

"Used copies are far more common, not that the doubling variety is that common to begin with, whether you call it double, kiss, smooch, one-and-a-half, or whatever".
There is no "whatever". A double impression is created by going through the press twice, so it gets printed twice. A kiss print only goes through the press once but touches the plate a second time because of some kind of physical error by the printer. They are not remotely the same thing.

This one appears to be an actual double impression, notice the spacing difference compared to the other example.

Also note that in the second example, the ink is uniformly dark. Kiss prints are interesting, but I agree they are a totally different animal.

So this copy of R191d is considered a kiss print, because impressions two and three are not as inked as impression one?

Jim





p.s. the back side

No, the impressions on double or triple overprints are often different. A very weak first impression is often the reason for a second pass through the printer. As for whether it is a kiss print or not, I would want to examine it very carefully using the latest technology to see if there are actually three full impressions; I am not a believer in "partial double impressions" (unless there is clear evidence that part of a second impression was cut off because of a fold over or something additional on the stamp to take up part of the impression).

In the case shown, it may be a double surcharge + a kiss. It may also be a triple surcharge. It may even be a single surcharge with a double kiss (ie. machine skipped a couple of times when the sheet went through, or the sheet was carelessly handled).

The reason for it possibly being a multiple surcharge is that it may have been run through more than once due to the inking being poor, dry, etc. in the previous run(s).

A kiss is when the inking skips (either through user or machine error). Kisses are pretty well always more weakly inked.

Not sure how to tell exactly what happened in this case, however, it is certainly scarce.