Could This Be The 1858 Romania #1 ?????

The design seems to have the characteristics of the genuine as far as
small breaks in the letters ,frames,different spots here and there.
The bottom long extension of the letter"P" is curious though.
It could be a later reprint;or a reprint of a reprint.They have been re-printed in different colors and papers....I would exclude the forgery
issue because it has no resemblance to the genuine printing to begin with.

Here is the image of the auctioned "real" #1 surrounded by the images of my stamp. The paper is definitely an issue. From a design standpoint, the stamps are identical (as I have confirmed through computer image comparison software.

Rod,

Thanks for the wikepeodia picture of the stamp. I do not trust that as being the correct stamp. The stamp image on the later Romania postage stamp looks to be the correct one. Can you imagine if the Romanian postal authority put the wrong stamp image on that later stamp. It would be one of the greatest stamp mistakes of all time!.

Of course the odds of me having a Romania #1 stamp is less than me winning the $1 billion powerball lottery, so I think that I will take the $25 I would spend on getting the stamp authenticated and instead use that money to buy powerball tickets!

Thanks for everyone's help. This is a fantastic stamp forum.

perf,

Thanks for your comment about the reprints. I did not know that there were ever any reprints of this stamp. Do you have any further info or resources on this that I could look at.

In the the link vayolene posted above there is a page on the 27 par. reprints. Click on home page bottom then 1st issue...

Is it possible that my "stamp" is actually an essay or a proof? I am stumped by how the stamp design is an exact duplicate to the original stamp. As an exact duplicate, the stamp then must be...

1. An original stamp

2. A reprint of the original stamp.

3. A proof or essay stamp

4. A precise copy of the original stamp (I do not know how one would make such a copy unless it was done with a xerox machine). The stamp images in all my old and even newer stamp catalogues are really poor, so this makes me think that the stamp was not cut from a stamp album.

5. It is the best stamp forgery I have ever seen.

there is one other option for my stamp.

6. It could be cut from the modern stamp which had this stamp's image as part of the modern stamp's vignette. Someone just took the modern stamp and cut out the "old stamp's image". I discount this option as the size of my stamp is much larger in the borders than any of the modern stamps.

perf12,

thanks for the heads up on the reprints for this stamp. Absolutely fascinating.

My gut feel is that my stamp is an official reprint, a proof or an essay. My careful analysis of the stamp with computer imaging tools indicates that the stamp is exactly the same as the original. All fine features and details are identical to the original stamp design.

Now if it is an official reprint, what the heck is it worth? The original stamp is a $30,000 item. I have no experience with valuing official post office approved reprints. I see none for sale anywhere. There can not be that many of these reprints around as they would be listed for sale.

Any thoughts on value.

I may have to bite the bullet and get this stamp authenticated. Take the risk for $25. If my analysis is correct in that this stamp was produced from the original plate, it has to have significant value I would guess (+$100).

1. An original stampNo

2. A reprint of the original stamp.Must identify the plate position in the 32 stamps.

3. A proof or essay stamp possible

4. A precise copy of the original stamp (I do not know how one would make such a copy unless it was done with a xerox machine). The stamp images in all my old and even newer stamp catalogues are really poor, so this makes me think that the stamp was not cut from a stamp album.Must identify the plate postion

5. It is the best stamp forgery I have ever seen.It is not a forgery because forgers will not forge a stamp in the the wrong colors and paper.I am talking about pure forgeries.

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Some comparitive details between your stamp and a Genuine.Most of these details can be found in many of the 32 stamps.

Well, since we are sharing our Romania #1's, I might as well show mine.

Please ---it is a poor reproduction and worth about $3.00 to a forgery collector . It is not the best stamp forgery by a long shot . The best forgery is a Australian two pound Kangaroo stamp which I would be happy to pay over $1500 for .My Swiss forgeries are a lot better and they cost $125.00 a piece .

Without a cert. from a known expert ,you got a $3.00 stamp . If you want sell it to me and I will send it to Sergio Sismondo for his cert. and will post it here ,but then I think I know what he is going to say.

Hey Floortrader...I guess I should have added an LOL after my original post. Sarcasm is hard to get via text. I'm glad I have a $3.00 stamp because that is EXACTLY what I paid for it.

TGSWANNER --Just so nobody thinks that I am try to steal a real stamp for $3.00 ,what I am doing is trying to add something to my forgery collection of Romania that I haven't touched in 45 years .

The stamp that tgswanner has could be a late reprint.There were many with unknown status.
The cancel looks forged.What type of paper is it? Is it laid?

perf12.

thanks for your thoughtful comments and your highlighted image work. It is all fascinating. I think that I will have to get this stamp expertized. Might as well spend the $25 and figure it out. I suspect that this is a postally approved reprint and a reprint must have good value.

Can you tell me how would I figure out the plate position on a stamp like this. I am not a plating expert and do not know how to do it. Can you help?