What Does "Scoring Facial" Mean On A Cert Description?

I received an expert committee opinion today on my US J36 (postage due 1895 - 30c)

It reads:

"it is genuine with pen 'X' cancel, scoring facial vertically at center"

Is this a description of the cancel or some type of fault I have never seen before?

Any insight is appreciated!

Good question. Score as a verb can mean cutting or scratching a line on a surface. But if this were actually a fault, I think the verbiage would be clearer ... so I think it merely means that the X cancel appears to run vertically through the face of the stamp. I would take it as a description of the cancel.

That was my hope! Thx a lot for your thoughts on this unusual (to me) qualifier.

Need a pic.

Agree

Why guess?

Pressure from the two lines meeting in the middle scored the paper.
Heavy indent, not threw the paper

Yes, you paid, you can ask.

Well that is out of the way, on to my guess.

If it does not mean the ink lines and/or paper surface was very lightly scratched or scuffed, it may really be a note as to the position of the "X" when the stamp is resubmitted for a certificate as mint after the pen cancel is removed. Or extended on to the envelope when added to a cover.

Every single PF cert that mentions scoring is referencing an indented line or lines in the stamp(s), never an ink line or indentation caused by a cancel.

That is my guess.

A scoring line could have been caused by the point of the pen (the nib) and the ink lightened or removed leaving just an indentation in the paper. The wording sounds a little mixed up, but it is letting you know what they see.

Redtail, PLEASE post a scan. There is no point guessing or speculating. It is important to share *complete* information when making a thread.

"it is genuine with pen 'X' cancel, scoring facial vertically at center"

This is unnecessarily sloppy verbiage all around. There is no reason they cannot use proper grammar, syntax, and punctuation, to make sure there is nothing ambiguous about the certification. (what in the world does "scoring facial" mean?)

This is how I read it (but why should one have to guess?).

It is genuine (comma) with a manuscript X cancel in ink. [and] A score line runs vertically through the center of the face of the stamp.

People pay good money for these expert opinions. They should at least get competent written language on them.

Thank you everyone for the discussion, I appreciate it and yes I have gone back to experts before when I was confused but I wanted to try this method out as an alternative.

Based on what I read it seems to be a ref to a "score" at the center of the X made by the ink pen. So does a score = a fault?

I assume there could be some debate over this question now that the description has been deciphered by the collective stamp mind of this board.

Philately Phun!

PSAG = NO WONDER

Scoring would be a thinning, I'd guess