I think it is an inventory or ownership stamp - and too bad - it sharply reduces the stamp value. Reminded me of the very large world collection I bought at auction one time and never thought to check the backs.....every stamp had the Scott number in ball point.
The letters spell RHAETICUS with the Latin use of the letter V for U. This can refer to the Mathematician and Astronomer Georg Joachim Rheticus. However, it looks to be a contemporary marking. Rheticus lived in the 16th Century before stamps.
This reminds me a an auction lot I saw a long time ago of modern GB stamps in blocks each carefully noted to be "unmounted mint until mounted by me" !!!!!?????
My guess would be an expertizing mark. A Grosvenor auction (UK) showed a number of Nyassaland stamps with a Rhaeticus imprint on the back. No image of the hand stamp, unfortunately, but how many could there be?
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Posted 02/02/2018 10:24 am
