Show Off Your Gems. You've Earned That Right.

When I was young, I collected particular XF specimens. This Lexington-Concord set is one of the best I have ever seen and it had taken me some time to put together. All three are Jumbo/XF Nevre Hinged.

Are you going to see if they grade 100J? Anything less is, well, just another almost nice stamp. Unless limited to 100J the term "gem" covers less than perfection at which point I must ask, what is the term for the best stamps, if "gem" isn't it?
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Nice set by the way.

Now here is a nice looking US Sc. 572.

Likely "gem" or close to "gem" centering. I tried, but I did not win this lot as it sold for more than my bid and I wasn't even the first under-bidder.

Nope I was fine with someone else getting this for $13.37 plus under five dollars S&H.



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Oh, here is the side that doesn't show in the album nor stock book:







Yes, one rough gem. Unless the back doesn't matter this is one "gem" of a space-filler.

Here is one that has "Jumbo" margins and fairly nice centering.





Sound condition too. Selling it on HipStamp (papermandave)

534B ex James Myerson

261

261A

243

218

I am unsure the original poster meant a 100J graded stamp when he used the word 'gem'; I assumed he meant 'gem' as in 'something prized'. Let's not let this thread deteriorate into another drama-filled grading disagreement.

Otherwise, I am looking forward to seeing everyone's 'gems'.
Don

Agreed. All of the stamps I have shared so far are graded but I am leaving that information out because they stand on their own. I enjoy looking at them and hope others do as well. There are more to share and many are not pricey stamps just "gems" to me.

OK, I'll play. I haven't in general aimed for super-high grades but here's one that makes the cut.

311

315

64

Not perfect, but still gems to me!


406





285 - Pretty sure this is Jersey City






Just love the later fancy cancels!

Since joining here I've greatly expanded what I know to look for (and so much more- really been most interested in postal history related stuff previously) and have become mildly obsessed with finding a properly centered stamp.... I've flipped probably 10,000 postcards in the last year. Not one single stamp was truly centered... Maybe saw 3 that had a 1mm difference between sides or ends and that was as close as I came.

I get that the beauties here are Gems... but how often do you see a well centered stamp even used? is it 1 in 100,000 or worse than that even? Andy

It depends (one of my favorite answers).

If you want to find XF or better used stamps (early 1900's and earlier), it is not common to find any in mixtures or accumulations, because most have been picked over, and even those with better centering most often have faults. Every so often I get lucky and find a great stamp hiding among average ones (such as the used Scott 650 Gem posted). Finding used stamps with XF or better centering and sound is much more uncommon than unused stamps, if you don't want to pay a premium. It also depends upon the issue (some just happen to be more commonly better centered than others).

Now if the title asked us to show our best centered stamps clarity would be achieved without grading pollution or nebulous terms such as jumbo and gem.

For me, "gem" examples are the small, P2A (small dies made for exhibition in the model post office at the Panama Pacific International Exhibition) and large die proofs, wide to huge white space surrounding the image and none of the pesky holes. Plus they are in the same pricing range as some of the NH stamps with "boardwalk margins."

Speaking of Boardwalk...

LOL.
In 1973 when I started stamp collecting, gem just meant a beautiful stamp before all of this craziness of having a 2cent Washington that catalogs for .50cent to be rated by some 'expertizer' and becomes a $350 stamp with a J.

Here is a 232.