Is This #39 Very Fine? Worth Grading?

Douglas Andrew Willinger, watermark your stamp, then perhaps you will see your thin.

Good Luck

Let us know what you find, besides the thin.

Stampmaster

@Stampmaster

Would watermark fluid destroy the original gum?

Can't speak for watermark fluid since I use lighter fluid. I've dipped many never hinged stamps and lighter fluid does not harm the gum at all.

Hi Tangstamp, no.

No harm. Ronsonol lighter fluid or Clarity watermark fluid.

It is a very nice stamp. However, after re-examining the scan of the stamp, I suspect that the stamp has a re-perforation most likely on the right edge. Please look at my attached images, which shows:

1. The left edge and the right edge have a misaligned perforation. I cannot match them up by moving the image up and down. One or both of them must be re-perforation.

2. The upper and lower edges have matched perforation.

3. The right edge and the rotate top edge cannot match up the perforation.

4. The left edge and the top edge can more-or-less match up the perforation.

So mostly likely the right edge has a re-perforation. Please let me know if you have a different opinion.

Although the initial scan was too small to be definitive, I suspected that the stamp was reperforated on the right side. The perforations are too straight and regular and the perforation holes appear to be shallower than normal. When the stamp was dipped, did it reveal light spots which would be filled thins or dark areas for thins or creases that may flash a lighter color while the stamp dries? While Clarity is better for watermarks, lighter fluid is often superior for revealing defects. If margins were added, they will show up clearly in fluid. Next, if the stamp has gum, gently feel the perforation tips. If the tips feel stiff or sharp like a saw blade, the stamp is most likely regummed or has severely disturbed gum. Using a 15 power loupe and back light, look for gum in the perforation holes. A stamp with disturbed gum is unlikely to have much gum in the perforation holes.

A rule of thumb is that if a stamp was altered, why would the perpetrator stop at one?

I do have the Clarity watermark fluid. But is the lighter fluid really safe to be used for stamp examination? Do professionals such as PSE use lighter fluid to examine the defects of Stamps?

You know sometimes the damage cannot be easily seen or cannot be seen immediately. Even there is no damage right now, how about 1 month or 1 year later?

Yes, as far as I know expertizers use lighter fluid.

"To my knowledge, there is no 45 grade at PSE, PSAG, or the PF."

"watermark your stamp, then perhaps you will see your thin.... Let us know what you find, besides the thin." Stampmaster

No access to watermark fluid yet, but here is a rear scan showing the dealer stamps, and a better front scan.

Is there something that you know about this particular stamp?

DAW, I think my previous statement is technically still correct, as at present I don't think there is a 45 grade at PSE, PSAG, or the PF. However, I forgot that back in the formative days of grading at PSE there were some additional grades given out (that no longer exist) as they were trying to formulate and tune their grading system. So my apologies; I was definitely wrong about your particular cert. I wonder how many grade 45 PSE certs there are from that period? You may have an unusual item in the cert itself!

Wow!

If I recall correctly, at least one of the cert issuers would grade re-perforated stamps, but later discontinued doing so.

To my knowledge the only minimum number grading rule is that of the refusal to issue "J" (jumbo) grades under 70, never-mind that a jumbo identification refers to the overall size and proportions of the margins.

In my humble opinion there should be separate grades for matters of condition and centering, in addition to an overall grade, as doing so would provide a better illustration of how the latter was achieved.