Trouble Identifying Prince Edward Island Stamp

Hi all --

I have a Prince Edward Island stamp that I am having trouble identifying.

The 2p rose is Scott #5 but I can't tell if it is #5 or 5g. It is on white paper, perf 11 3/4 x 11 3/4. In my database program it states the perf is 11 to 11 1/2 to 12.

Is it true that the perf can differ 1/4 either way? I read that somewhere but I would like to know for sure.

The margins are non-existent on the left and bottom. What is that called? Does it make the grade go down?

Thanks, Kathy

It's called bad centring. Only Americans numerically grade stamps (by mixing a range of factors), but this would receive a low one. Some people collect stamps where the miscentring is more extreme - what the French call piquage à cheval.

Looking at Gibbons, it lists:

1861 - 2d rose, p9
1863-68 - 2d rose or deep rose, p 11 1/2 x 12; 2d rose, p compound 11 x 11-12
1870 - 2d rose or rose-pink, p 11 1/2 - 12.

1870 is on coarse, wove, bluish white paper, others on yellowish toned paper.

A decent range for yours to fall into.

Unitrade has the following (I'm summarizing) -

Sc 1 - perf 9, dull rose
Sc 5 - perf 11.5-12, whitish paper, rose
Sc 5a - perf 11.5-12, yellowish paper, rose
Sc 5g - compound perf
Sc 5i - perf 11.5-12, whitish paper, deep rose

So if yours is on whitish paper, it is #5, although looks a little yellowish to me (of course, hard to tell from a scan).

Here are two of mine for comparison - first is 5g, with compound perfs on yellowish paper, 2nd is 5 on whitish paper.



~Greg

"Yellowish toned" certainly seemed to me best to match the stamp shown.

To answer your question on the deviation in perforations:

Catalogue editors do not always provide perforation gauges in the same way. Some use steps of 1/4th perforation per 20mm, some use steps of 1/2nd perforation per 20mm. What one catalogue lists as 11 3/4 may very well be 11 1/2 or 12 in another catalogue. These, rarely, are exact measures but nearest intervals.