Csa Gem Or Another Ebay Dud?

Here is an ebay auction ending in less than 24 hours. I'm always fascinated by great CSA postal history, so I gave this one a look-see.... I have my opinion about this piece, but I'm much more interested in what those who know more than I have to say about it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CSA-9-10ct...AOSwIk9aYTtq

I suspect that the envelope is genuine but the stamp did not originate. The parts of the cancel that "tie" the stamp look drawn in, and there appears to be evidence that a stamp was originally on the envelope to the left of this one.

It may be ok as Gordonsville Va did use a sans-serif town cancel into 1863. I would not want to condemn it based on this scan alone.

This part doesn't look like it matches.

Jim

Agree with revcollector. The tying part of the cancel at left of the stamp is particularly unconvincing. The way the cancel is struck, there should be nothing on that side.

The evidence of a stamp may or not be a fake thing. The bad thing may be the attempt to make this an adversity cover, here a re-used envelope with the original address overwritten. A typical sender short of envelopes would carefully take apart the glued seams, turn the cover inside out and re-glue. That gives a clean surface to write a new address. So how did the second writer erase the first address in ink here? There is no evidence of scuffing per the new address being written cleanly. So the first address was already faded or chemically faded before writing the second address. Having an old envelope around with a faded address is possible, but it's very convenient here, also.

This could have easily been a genuine cover with the stamp removed that sat around for years with ink fading before being made into a fake. There used to be quite a few of those faulty covers around.

I did not think that the cds aligned properly with the stamp either. But how about the stamp itself? I don't believe I have ever seen that pale bluish green color on the TEN variety. Perhaps, the stamp is oxidized or is this a color variety that I'm unfamiliar with?

If you read the description below the stamp, it seems that the seller is Patricia Kaufman who is one of the country's most expert CSA collectors/dealers.

Glenn - The seller is saying that the piece is signed Patricia Kaufman.

While Patricia Kaufman is indeed one of philately's foremost experts on CSA material, that has all the earmarks of an inventory mark, not an expertization mark.

Additionally, and I could be wrong about this, but I wasn't aware that Ms. Kaufman formally expertized items.

I don't like the apparent misalignment of the stamp and cancel either.

I agree. The "PAK" may have significance but I wouldn't try to read too much into it.

Why would a dealer of the stature of Patricia Kaufman deface the back of a cover? How do we know that PAK isn't Putrid Anonymous Kounterfeiter?

Patricia had nothing to do with the cover. It is a part of the sales pitch. Go to her page of CSA 9 covers to see the real thing.

Experts have marked the backs of covers for decades. However I do not know whether that is a genuine set of initials or not, or what the numbers mean. It would be interesting to find out.

I sent the ebay link to her and asked if she knows of this item.

I have to say that I have done business with this seller and have bought a couple really great items from them fairly recently. I have nothing but a positive experience to report. They seem to be honest, knowledgeable, and willing to communicate with you. They buy, at least in part, on SAN, and are capable of capitalizing on errors committed by the auction companies.

Let us see what Patricia say's.