How's This For A Good Deal?

Paid $4.00 for a lot of 4 stamps-



*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***

Michel 350a - 40 Euro.
If original, because these stamps were often forged.

Looks to be the correct basic stamp and the cancel is from 1915, but the one(s) illustrated in the Persiphila catalog have heavier, watery ink. It looks like a forgery to me.

Without copying images from that catalog, note from upper left going counterclockwise:

- character is angled and should be more relatively upright.
- This line is supposed to be a bud, rounder. This is too long.
- Again, this is supposed to be a leaf.
- This "2" is too wide.
- "C" should clearly extend below the level of "H".
- This should be more leaf-like.

The one below I think matches the Persiphila catalog but is not certified. It is the correct stamp, the cancel and blue crayon are on top of the surcharge, and the cancel is dated 1917:

sopotsopot: welcome to the Forum. I think you will like it here.

Isn't 91stang a relative expert on these old Persian issues? I hope I'm not confusing him with somebody else.

Here's the cheaper violet surcharge (stamp faulty) which I think matches the Persiphila catalog:

Comparing this with the example above, note the leaves at lower left and upper right ends are detached. I'm thinking this varies depends on inking.

Also, Scott gives a correct image of the 1ch surcharge but uses it as a reference for the 2ch. There are a number of surcharge design differences between the two.

Also the "A" in "CHAHI" differs notably between the two stamps. It's nice to get a great bargain, but it's still kind of fun to get a forgery. As long as you didn't pay too much.