Any Help Confirming And Plating These 2 Scott 10A?

I just got these. they are on two wrappers dated dec 10, 1851 and dec 13 1851.

Hi 3193zd --

Although I can probably plate your stamps from the scans you provided -- it will be a bit of a struggle as everything gets pixelated when I try to enlarge the images.

If there is a way for you to post up better quality scans (like 1200 dpi with no more than 16% compression), I will give both of your stamps a go-around and plate them for you.

In the past, Don Denman (SCF site owner, Moderator, and our host) has offered to post up images exceeding the 250kb file size limit for plating purposes if you email them to him) -- so that would be the best route as that way all SCF participants would have the benefit of the scans. Alternatively -- you can try sending the images to me directly using the SCF private messaging utility.

Regards // ioagoa

***Fixed my role here - Don***

here are some better images.

Hi 3196zd --

Your stamp with the black grid cancel and the black Baltimore MD Dec 14 cds -- both of which tie the stamp to the folded letter sheet -- is Scott #10A -- position 69L0.

Additionally -- the stamp shows two vertical lines recut in the upper left triangle (recut variety #12).

On to the next one .

Regards // ioagoa

Hi 3196zd --

Your stamp with the black grid cancel that ties the stamp to the folded letter sheet -- (i.e., the FLS with the black Baltimore MD Dec 15 (?) cds to the right of the stamp and with the fingerprint smudge below the stamp) is Scott #10A -- position 67R0.

Based on the addressee and the handwriting, the two FLS's are from the same correspondence -- and given the plate positions of each -- and the relative dates of the cds cancels -- I wonder if the stamps were cut from sheets printed from the same batch of ink? Another interesting thing is that the cds cancels are two different formats -- in one case, the MD state abbreviation is centered below the date slug -- and in the other case, the MD follows the town name. None of this means anything -- but curious nonetheless.

Both of these are nice folded letter sheets -- thanks for showing them.

Regards // ioagoa

Yes they both were sent from the same business a few days apart. Thanks for the help!

do you know how I can determine if this is a blue or ultramarine cancel?

Hi 3193zd --

Is there an image missing from your last post -- as the two Scott #10A stamps I plated for you last night both appear to have black cancellations?

Regardless -- I am probably not the right person to help you with differentiating between a blue and an ultramarine cancellation -- as without having the stamp in hand, color ID and differentiating between subtle color varieties is almost impossible working off a scanned image -- at least for me.

Regards // ioagoa

edited for minor typo fix

I agree with ioagoa that the cancels I see definitely appear black.

When you are dealing with these bluish paper covers of the era, sometimes it can create optical illusions on cancel colors. The killer will likely be the same ink as the CDS so look at it as well. Also look at the CDS both on and off of the stamp to get different perspectives on it.

In any event, I checked the ASCC - American Stampless Cover Catalog, and while Baltimore certainly does use Blue during this era, I found no listing for Ultramarine, for what its worth.

the postmarks are definitely a blue. there are also blue fingerprints on the cover.

SO you guys got me to get out my microscope and yes the cancels are black. thanks for all the help. one last thing is there a place where I can find the images of the recuts? I think the one with two recuts in the upper left has a recut in the lower right triangle as well.

Hi 3193zd,

The stamp with the two lines recut in the upper left triangle, identified as 69L0 by ioagoa, has recuts varieties #1 (two inner lines) and #12 (two vertical lines recut in upper left triangle) only. There is no line recut in the LR corner of this position.

The stampplating.com website has a guide to all the recut varieties here:

http://stampplating.com/recuts

To see more detailed information on each position, the stampplating.com website shows this at the link below:

http://stampplating.com/complete-plating

perfect!Thanks!

You're quite welcome.