Opinions On This US Scott E7

One of the things that surprised me when I joined SCF 3 or 4 years ago were all the posts about fakes and repairs, I had no idea this happened (and still wouldn't know how to spot them).

There is a current listing on ebay for U.S. E7 Special Delivery, Helmet of Mercury and Olive Branch design, MNH OG. The 2022 Scott Volume 1A lists this stamp at $65.00 new, $50.00 used, and $144.00 never hinged. The seller started bidding at $0.01 and it is currently at $1.25 with 2 bids. Other copies of this stamp on ebay are started or BIN priced MUCH higher.

The front and back scans are below. Depending on how the auction ultimately ends, this may be an incredible buying opportunity, or there is an issue with the stamp (fake?, regumed?, reperfed?). For my education I'm asking what others think. Thank you.






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

It looks ok. A lot of ads on ebay start out low and don't move right away because a lot of people wait until the ad's ending in hopes of getting the item cheaper or by sniping at the end. Wait until an hour before it ends and see what it is. It still has 3 days to go at this time.

Oftentimes, on ebay roughly 90% of the bids on a low-start item occur in the last 5 minutes of the auction. The stamp looks fine to me, although a regum can be hard to see in a single photo. I've got no reason to think this is a regum, though.

This is a CKstamps listing.

If you got to the SCF search and enter "ckstamps" in the upper (google) search choice you will find many threads about this seller.

This one is first but a few years old. It has good info though

https://goscf.com/t/36178&whichpage=1


As to the OP, it looks good from here.

Is it me or do the perforation bridges between the holes along the top have irregular widths? Some narrow and pointy, while some are wide, like the holes are slightly larger and unevenly spaced. The other sides are quite regular.

Add:


Which is for VF-80, which this stamp is not even close to that. Using the "Specialized by Grade" section of the catalog provides values for F-70 which are closer to this stamp.

As to the question of whether or not the stamp is MNH no one can make a pronouncement based upon a scan. Back scans are not that valuable. The gum could be original MNH or it could be sweated, redistributed, disturbed in some other way etc..

Know who you are dealing with and buy from a trusted source that you have built a relationship with.

Do not let scoring a "deal" blind you to reality. Quality costs money and good material finds it's own price level.

Perhaps someone can post a cut and paste top and bottom perf comparison.

Just a newbie here, but something sure doesn't look right about the top perf's to me either compared to the other three sides which are very uniform in appearance.

Parcelpostguy: per your request.
Perfs look OK to my eye.

Well uboatnut, thank you for that. It provides good comparisons here.

The item closed quite sometime ago with a final price of $25.25 on 9-30-2021.

Since then CKstamps sold several more E7 mint with various amount of hinging and one regummed per the descriptions, all for a lower price.

That is a lovely design on that stamp,
I am fascinated by the apparent inclusion of the Lancaster Rose of Britain
(a rose gules)
Love to know what the designer had in mind there !

Perhaps it is part of the special delivery plinth.

Rod222....I see nothing to your Red Rose of Lancaster.
The photo you show has has a circle in the center.....
The E7 has a diamond shape?
yours shows 5 sides...stamp 4 sides??
What am I missing??

You are missing nothing, mine is merely an opinion, and a curiosity.
Can you explain it?
The Lancaster Rose comes in a vast amount of forms,
it is said to perhaps influence the "Maltese Cross" postmarks on the Penny Black

There is definitely a similarity there.
I was also thinking perhaps the plinth was a take from the architecture of the US postal service, somewhere, that may have helped in solving.

As I said, I would have liked to know what the designer had in mind there.

I would also argue the "Helmet of Mercury"
I see it as a Petasos, a floppy hat made of felt or leather.
Ergo, the hat of Mercury.

Mercury, yes. Makes sense for Special Delivery.

The plinth (with roses) has feet or supports. Maybe a stylized wall-mounted mailbox? Pandora's box? That would take care of porch pirates.

And the olive branch. What's that about?

Universal Icon of "Peace"
wiki
The olive branch is a symbol of peace and victory associated with customs of ancient Greece and connected with supplication to gods and persons in power. It is found in most cultures of the Mediterranean basin[1] and became associated with peace in the modern world.

The winged helmet is that of Mercury (Hermes in greek mythology), messenger of the Gods. Normally, he is depicted carrying his Caduceus (also a symbol of peace). Sometimes, he is depicted as bearer of an olive branch symbolising the bearer of the message of peace.

Not too sure about the cross-like symbol, but that could be a compass rose.