How To Find If A Stamp Is CTO

hello
sorry for this topic, it might already have been proposed and answered, but I couldn't find it in forum.

I have received some stamps yesterday, and among them, trader wrote me that there are free CTO stamps from Cuba.

Here is my question :
How can I know that the stamps are CTO ?
is there any web page, where I can find if some stamps are CTO ?
Is there a way to find out for sure if a stamps is CTO ?
many thanks and enjoy stamps

The most common case : a stamp with a cancel AND full gum

Unless they've been badly treated by a previous owner, modern CTO stamos tend to be in good condition, with a neat corner cancel. Postally used ones will usually be scruffier, with no care taken with the cancel.

This isn't just a modern phenomenon. High-value Australian stamps from ninety or more years ago can (usually) be found CTO.

The CTO corner cancel may also be shiny black ink, unlike a real one.

CTO (Cancelled to order) stamps are dead easy to spot.

Produced so that collectors can enjoy the stamp and the design
without paying top dollar for each.

I have no issue with CTO, all are welcome at my place,
I collect for the story the stamps illustrate,
Naturally, I replace CTO with used, if opportunity arrives.

1985, 1986, 1987, Cubans are oft CTO

Here are some examples

Here is a 1913 Australian CTO, probably dated Dec 3, 1913. It was available in collector's sets for many, many years. Scott 7, ACSC 16wb, valued at AUS$100, a slight premium over AUS$70 for a standard used stamp, and a much nicer presentation, in my opinion.

New South Wales stamps are known CTO, as I'm sure the other Australian colonies are also.

floortrader, that is a nice stamp ! One thing, there seems to run a strange line through E-PENCE. Is that normal or is this a plate variety?


Peter

I don't really see the strange line, though my eyes have been fooled many, many times. The early Australian Kangaroos and KGV's are a veritable minefield of varieties for fly speckers. This one, for example, is a 10 shilling stamp from 1916 which is an Official stamp, likely CTO, with a very short "Spencers Gulf" plus some small dots and specks in various areas. I identified this as Scott OB55, ACSC 48ba(D)f with a value of "I have no idea".

Often the "postmark" is shown for around 25/30%

And it is most often on one of the corners.

CTO's are stamps that were never used for postage, but made look so, and I guess that's why they are worth less.
That's why it's not unlikely that some sellers will wash off the gum to hide that they're CTO's. We can't rule out every stamp with weak corner cancelation as CTO.
I think the philatelic community really needs catalogs of CTO's, like forgery catalogs. But while the authorities are willingly helping to fight forgeries, they will be less willing to help identify CTO's, especially those countries that used CTO's as a significant official income.

thanks to all of you for the comments

Any web page or link dedicated to CTO stamps ?
cheers

Roniku, we have a "search" function on this forum. If you use it you might find what you are looking for


Peter