Evidence Of Regumming?

Folks,

Attached is a photo of the reverse of a "MNH" U.S. C4 airmail. It is not yet in my possession. I've read that a cracked finish MAY BE evidence of regumming, in that the goop dried too fast and left an alligatored surface - to my eye, these appear as lines running generally from the top left to bottom right. I have a nice MNH C2 for reference (see second image, stamp held with tongs). It does not display the same cracking.

Any comments are much appreciated.

The first scanned stamp is a safe bet to be regummed based upon the cracking and the gum soaked perf tip fibers. To be honest the second scanned stamp could use a closer review as well for potential regumming.

rogdcam, where do you see "gum soaked perf tip fibers" on the first stamp? I don't see any.

First stamp looks ok to me. (Perfs tips could be filed but I think they are ok.)
Don

Soooo glad I haven't sunk a lot of money into this avocation yet.

Don - now you have me second-guessing my C2, which has far fewer loose perf fibers and a REAL shiny finish as if the gum was applied with an airbrush.

First (top) stamp looks fine.
Color and clarity look good... not too "clear", and not cloudy.
Perf tips look ok, gaps seem ok for the most part, a closer image would be ok, but I'd be 99%+ this is MNH.

The first stamp is absolutely regummed and it was not a good job. It was heavily coated and is cracked and crazed all to heck. Are we looking at the same scan?

First stamp looks fine to me. I see loose fibers on the perforation tips. Also there is irregular bare paper into the perforations, indicating that the stamp was separated from a sheet and not tampered with. I don't see any gum pooling around the perforation cuts or other areas.

I think maybe I've finally gone senile? Or just blind?? I don't see any gum on the first stamp - at all. If you could hold it w/tongs & take a picture like the 2nd one, under a light, it would help alot!

Forget perf tips and pooling. The gum is thick, cracked and crazed like shattered glass.

Folks,

Just to be clear, I do not yet posses the C4 in question, so I am unable to provide a better scan. However, I am attaching here what I hope are two additional scans for reference: my same C2 as discussed above, and my C6 (understood that it's a later USPS issue). But even my C6 is in doubt: note the thread of lint trapped under the gum in the upper right corner.




Thoughts? Interesting how a consensus is lacking on the C4!

With respect,
my opinion would lay a large part on your supplied scans.
Most of the gentlemen here are very knowledgeable, I think it may be difficult to get consensus without clarity of information.

Perhaps a re scan of the top or side fifth of the stamp teeth? at 600 dpi, one should be able to see the hairs of the paper.

Update: Sorry I missed this
so I am unable to provide a better scan.

On top of it the C6 in the last scan appears to have had perfs added.

If it helps, the same C2 and C6 with oblique lighting...

Hope this helps. The feedback is very good.

Scans can be deceiving. Even smooth paper/gum can look like oatmeal paper under the "right" oblique lighting.

That said, from the oblique scan, the C6 gum looks like it could be problematic.