Watermark Detection On Cover Question.

Hi everyone, My question is.... Can a watermark be detected on a stamp that is on paper / cover? Or does it need to be removed?
Thanks,
Bob

Your question is very general, so the answer is also general. It depends. There are several techniques/tools which may give some degree of results.

It would be better to have a specific item to discuss.

Speaking from a "postal history" standpoint, amateur attempts to lift a stamp from a cover/card often cause irreversible damage and devaluation to the postal history of the item, so many of us avoid it and leave the precise ID to "one of 2 or 3 types", especially since the postal history aspects can often exceed the stamp value by large amounts. Bottom line, in my opinion, it should be done very sparingly, and on a case by case basis.

Often the date of use will provide a pretty strong clue as to which watermark (or no watermark) a stamp might be.

OK Thanks. First, I would never remove a stamp from a nice cover.
My question would actually be: If a stamp from the US Washington / Franklin series had a higher valued watermark version and low value unwatermarked version, is there a way to check with the stamp remaining on cover?
Thanks again,
Bob

What is the cancel date of the cover?

Hello. I am sorry I do not have a specific cover on hand but this was just a general question with all the Washington / Franklin stamps on post cards I have. I will ask again when I go through my collection and find something that fits my question.
Thanks again,
Bob

I have found that if it is a cover (not a thick postcard), you can "sometimes" see the watermark with a very bright light from behind. Not too easy with Washington-Franklin, though. Good luck.