I Found A Used Scott #361

This is an awesome find. I'll be sending it for a cert today.

Not a bluish paper. I will show a picture of a bluish paper. Hint: it is not blue.
The picture shows ordinary paper and on the right bluish paper which is more gray. Forget blue with bluish paper and forget the cert. You need a lot more study and advice before even considering a cert.



Improvement of the image in the link edited after Don's informative image.

Succes with your certificate. I hope it comes back as you wish.

However, if you think it is a blue paper based on that blue colour at the bottom, that looks like running of the ink.

Well that's a bummer. Thanks for letting me know. The hunt continues...

I think the link above does not really help identify a blue paper stamp, here is an image of blue paper stamp (one on left). Note how when stamps are placed against an orange background the gray hue of an 'blue' stamp will jump out at you.
If possible, always ty to scan/view with another stamp of the same issue. Additionally and with blue inked stamps like the 5 cent, blue ink can sometimes be seen on the surface of the stamp (for example, poor wiping of the printing plate) and this is often mistaken for 'blue paper'.


Don

That would have been quite the find given that the PSE population of used 361's is zero.

There are 5 known, 3 of which are on cover.

Scott 361 is perf 12
Your stamp is perf 11.

Add: the data above regarding number of known copies provides you insight to the odds of finding the next one. It does NOT provide any concrete data on the characteristics of your specific stamp, which must be evaluated individually on its own merits, which is this case fails on the perforation rate.

But the 5 cent plate wash is a common mistake made by beginning collectors.

I am SO glad that you used the phrase perforation rate which is best measured (by newbies) with a calibrated perforation gauge.

Thanks so much for the pics of the #369. It appears to me that many on Hipstamp aren't
369's. I sold mine about 15 years ago to a collector for $75.00. Haven't been able to find a decent one at decent price since.

Hi Avalanche. Made the same mistake a few years back with a 369 from Momen at Hipstamp. He insisted it was Blue.

Hey stampavalanche.
I was like you just a year ago. Even after looking at the accurate pictures provided in this site, any 1908 definitive with an off-white color would still look like "bluish paper" to me because I truly didn't know what I was looking for. Every person on here has started out the same way, so don't feel bad about that.

Here is a piece I may have considered a candidate for bluish paper at that time:



It looks similar to yours, although mine is in much worse condition... The color of the paper has changed just enough to be noticably bluer/grayer than other 361s, but the reality is that paper can change drastically depending on a number of reasons.

Getting a cheap mint copy to study in-hand is your best bet, especially one with original gum. And your money would be better spent on obtaining one of these to increase your own experience before sending it to the people who DO have experience, then striking out.
If you get a certificate that says "not bluish paper", it doesn't really help you much.

Rule of thumb I've learned with this issue: The closer the stamp is to it's originally printed condition, the easier it is to identify.

Here is a 358 I now use for reference:




After having the experience of holding a mint example in hand, it would be impossible for me to make the same mistake as before. Not only does the rag stock change the color of the paper, but it gives the overall composition a kind of a waxy appearance, imo. The pictures from Don and Redwood are totally spot-on, but nothing beats in-hand observation if you really want to have full confidence in what you're looking for.

Maybe the topic title should be changed to "I Thought I found a Used Scott 361".