Show Your US 1851-57 Imperforate Stamps

Thank you Dudley!

Need some help on this one. The top and left side have been compromised by a scissor, but from what I can see, as well as markings on the right side margin, I see some potential for it being an 89R4. Curious what you all might see in it. This is the best picture I can offer for now.

I agree with you but I can't help also pointing out that the likelihood of this stamp being a genuine imperf is slim to none. Almost guaranteed to be a trimmed perforated stamp. Some might think I am being a wet blanket but others might really appreciate knowing the difference.

Hi Sinclair
I'm asking to learn not to cast doubt, but what are the the take signs of a trimmed perf stamp?
I've looked for signs of perfs but can't see any and my understanding is theo perf stamps were printed using the imperf plates.
Thanks in advance
Laurie

In general, imperf stamps were separated between the margins, not like the stamp above. Go to the recent #85C thread and crop the perforations from the stamp. What does it look like after that? Store that image mentally.

I'm not arguing Winston as I don't have the stamp in hand yet but I'd like to hear how it's margins are more suspect than say, Classic Coins' 2L2 or 13L2 on page #5 of this thread, or your 10R4 or 9-7 pair on the 1st page, or RLSNY's #7 on page #3.

The plating of the stamp was my 1st concern though and I appreciate your comment.

Caper123, sinclair2010, I took the picture to the point of pixilation and didn't see any evidence of trimmed perfs. Though the edge cuts are smooth and fairly square. Were there machine cuts back then?

Along the right side or the side with the large margin, there appears to be a partial design from the next stamp. I would say that this is not a trimmed stamp. But, without examining the back we cannot be certain.

I will be sure to post a quality scan, front and back, when the stamp is received.

This was one of my first purchases when I returned to the hobby. Wasn't planning on buying it, but how could I pass up an unused 17, even though it's toned and the margins are just into the design.



Have some other ones (a 12 and a 14/15 pair), but haven't scanned them yet.

A great topic and brilliant items.

Caper, you asked a question so I will answer. The 2L2 and 13L2 are not even remotely in the same category. Both of those have a singular tight margin with three large margins. There is no reasonable way to conclude that those stamps once had perforations. The telltale signature of a trimmed stamp are two adjacent large margins coupled with two adjacent small margins. A somewhat well centered stamp that has been trimmed will appear to be markedly smaller than normal.

It was an indisputable fact that the 10R4 that I posted way back was a trimmed stamp and I returned it when the seller would not issue a partial refund. That stamp actually still had perforation remnants.

My 7-9 pair actually has pretty small margins all the way around and unless I didn't notice that some moron filled in the perforation holes between the stamps to turn an ultra-rare 20-23 pair into a much more obtainable 7-9 pair, it is pretty safe to say it is a genuine imperf pair. There is actually an incentive to turn perforated Plate 4 stamps into imperfs.

As far as the rls #7 goes, I never said I liked it:)

That's fair Winston. Not sure whether anything but a guess can be made now about whether some unscrupulous person may have trimmed a catalog value $2500 stamp to make it appear to be a $3000 one but my instinct is to say not likely. When the stamp is received (part of a pair of stamps picked up for about $50) I promise to make a better scan of it and post it so all can weigh-in again. Meanwhile, thanks for taking a look and for your opinion!

Nice stamp bankrupt! It is one of my favorite designs of that era.

Here is the six-bar NYC cancel that I promised I would post. Not many of these to be had.

This would be the large slug cancel that I say is very closely related to the six-bar cancel.

That is a frequent argument but the reality is that good sound stamps are not what is used for these kinds of deceptions. I am not going to tell you that I am certain about your stamp and I have already said as much but I am doing way more than guessing. Posting better images may not prove a thing either way.

I do agree that you got a good buy on it.