Rf13A - Genuine Or Not?

I found this in an APS circuit and thought I'd get an opinion before buying it, if anyone would care to render one.

It appears to be genuine to me. The overprint is inverted, but is missing the "U." for U.S.P.C. Co., which according to the Scott catalog is one of the two who used this stamp. The date falls within the period for the 7 cent rate. Nice, clean stamp...right?

Hi

Yes that's a genuine RF13a, with the S. P. C. Co. (Standard Playing Card Company" cancel/surcharge in violet.

The U. S. P. C. Co. cancel/surcharge is in black.

This cancel/surcharge isn't missing any letters.

Jim

p.s. If there are no creases, tears, or thins in this stamp, it is worth more than the catalog value indicates. Most copies of these larger playing card stamps have faults, as most were applied to the decks in such a way that they were usually torn in half in opening the box.

Jim,

Thank you for the quick analysis. While I collect revenues, and am fairly comfortable with most types, the playing cards are an area I just haven't gotten immersed in yet.

Yes, the stamp is clear of any faults, thins or creases. That was one of the things that had me scratching my head a bit.

It's now headed to my collection and, given what you said, it was a bargain at half catalog.

Certainly it is a nice bargain at half cat.

Historically, the three playing card companies United states Playing Card Co., Standard Playing Card, and Andrew Dougherty, were known in the philatelic literature as The Combine because they were under the same ownership, even though they retained their separate names on the cards they manufactured. An interesting challenge is collecting all three cancels on RF13 and RF13a. The most common is the black U.S.P.C. The only one that does not reside in my personal collection of playing card cancels is the red Andrew Dougherty inverted (RF13a).\ One can also pursue the similar cancels on RF9.

Challenge accepted!



Jim

Quite a bit tougher challenge is a full set of RF18 and RF18a.

Jim