Looking For Some Help Decoding This 1c Franklin With Unusual Cancel

The card containing this stamp had two comments that say to me, maybe someone has seen this before or can help me track it down. I know Langs had it listed on ebay at some point. The two comments:

1) "Rarely seen black SKULL cancellation"
2) Ex-Neinken

As for #1 this doesn't look like a skull to me. Though I could imagine the stripy bits being a toothy smile, but color me skeptical.

#2 is just intriguing - maybe there is a record of this stamp somewhere.

I think it is likely posiiton 86L1L.

Looking for wisdom. Thanks.

I was scrolling through other parts of the SKinner-Eno work and it looks a lot more like a beer mug than a skull No exact match, but PO-Bm 4 reminds me of this one. It says 1869 so I guess that seems rather unlikely, but FYI.

In my opinion these type cancels often result in endless subjective interpretations while the typical objective is often to increase the marketing appeal. For a definitive answer, the best hope is that someone can match the cancel to a cover.
Don

The first thing you should look at is if the stamp has evidence of another cancel. There are a lot of good fakes coming out of Asia these days where they add a fake fancy cancel on top of a genuine light cancel. I see evidence of cancel ink at both bottom and top of your stamp (from the genuine cancel I would say).

Beware

OK, it is clearly a beer mug cancel.

Don, I agree and that is the reason I'm posting here hoping for some definitive information. At least the design seems unambiguous.

Richard, I appreciate the warning, but this stamp was clearly in Langs possesion for many years. Not a recent fake. Running it through retro, reveal there is a little ink below, but I'm not concerned at this point. Perhaps it will go to the PF at some point for a more definitive answer.

THe ex-Neinken comment is still intriguiing. I've been able to trace many of Langs' comments back to original sources so far and I have no a priori reason to doubt that. It is always a question as to whether to pass on comments like "ex-SmithJones" when selling. What I've sometimes done is simply add that I cannot independently verify it.

Looks like a pumpkin to me but then again everything does.

Hmm, too squat for a mug, imo.

My first impression (pun intended!), if genuine, was a handled basket, struck sideways:


That said, I agree with Don, viewers often "see" something fancier than actually intended by the maker. And what is "clear" to one may often be hard to convince the next person.

Maybe Neinken owned it before it was painted .... (which is what you are looking at with retro-reveal)

I have no doubt that it is fake. And the band plays on .... I don't.

ok, if you feel that way I'll take that as the right position. You are far more experienced in such things. This one isn't going up for sale.

Ouch.








Now which expertising service is the weakest on cancels?


(Edit: Once again I typed too slowly.)

Fabio's Stamp Expertizing and Bail Bond Service

Does that service give a stamp grade as well, or just a range; 3-5, 10-20 or 15-life?

That service gives you whatever you want if you have enough cash.

What does the back look like?

Don