The Search For Experimental Orange, Aka, The Pains Of Being Imperforate

In one huge auction lot I bought last year was included well over 100 3c imperfs. In general as I've learned more about them, I've learned that there is a lot more that I don't know. It's just a very deep hole - not just plating, but identifying recuts, and now I'm realizing that experimental OB stamps are worth trying to find.

I posted a stamp not long ago that it was suggested might be one. Before sending it in for a cert, I decided to try see if there were any other candidates.

All the stamps in this scan were plated as plate 1 late. The existing candidate is the one on the bottom row with the blue cancel - 3rd from the right.

The only ones that appeared to be XOB candidates to me are on the bottom row, with the ones to the right seeming closest in color to the candidate.

So there you have it. If you would like to express an opinion on any of this, I'd love to hear it. I fully understand that colors online are not accurate. So, take it for what it is worth. I do promise, that eventually there will be a PF cert or two at the end of this and I'll share the results.

The back scan is mostly so you can see the plating marks on back. I have checked none of them yet. Will do so slowly.

Hi RLSNY --

You are right about one thing -- it is impossible to make any comments about color from this scan -- for all of the reasons previously discussed in this forum -- and even more so when you are limited by the SCF file size limit and are making a scan of this size -- which otherwise degrades the overall scan quality. Case in point -- unlike your original post of the stamp with the Jan 20 blue Philly cancel stamp -- in this scan, the color of that exact same stamp looks way different -- at least on my monitor.

As I have noted in the past -- my view -- and others may disagree -- is that unfortunately the only way to check colors on these stamps is to have the patient stamp in hand -- and compare it to reference stamps (also in hand) that have been confirmed as to color classification by a recognized expert -- and all while utilizing consistent ambient lighting.

Cancellations can sometimes be helpful in dating the usage of a stamp to a certain time period -- and in the case of the EOB's -- we know that time period is from late 1851 to early 1852. For example -- a stamp with a small Boston PAID cancel would fit into this time frame -- but one with a black Philly CDS would not (as Philly abruptly changed from blue to black ink in early 1854). There is a good discussion about this in the Chase book -- and other philatelic literature -- as well as a variety of online resources on the subject.

On your grouping -- based on the handwriting -- I can tell you that 23L1L and 90R1L were plated by Dr. Chase. And that 41R1L and 65L1L were plated by Dick Celler.

Hope this helps a little.

Regards // ioagoa

Rlsny, this would be a great opportunity for me to "pay it forward".

When I posted about my search for the EOB an excellent member here sent me covers franked with EOB stamps to use as references. At about that same time another member here gave me a heads up about an EOB stamp with cert for sale on eBay. It's badly trimmed so I was able to purchase it cheaply.

If you would like, message me and I will loan you this stamp for you to use as a reference in hand.

Thanks for the comments. It's a challenge. I don't want to send in a bunch of probable 11s, but I do feel like I'm feeling my way in the dark. So stampcrow, that would be an awesome option. I will message you.

One thing many dealers (and collectors) have done over the years, is to build their own reference collection(s) of hard-to-expertise stamps. The reference material doesn't have to be first-rate quality, and is done for things that one might encounter again, like Exp OBs. Once you get a verifiable copy, its worth keeping one around for future reference. They aren't super common, but they aren't rare either.

Yes, certainly. It's what I've done for many items - like 155/166. XOB stamps for some reason have never gotten my attention.

Stsmpcriw - I sent a message- getting throug?

I received the certified stamp from stampcrow and it's a big nope for all the stamps I suspected. The certified stamp is quite a bit more orangey than I had expected from online images.

I did however find one other stamp that is a dead ringer on color. But it is not plated. So the obvious question is - is this plate 1L? Your guidance most appreciated. Thanks.

Hi RLSNY --

Your so called "dead ringer" EOB color match stamp is position 13R3.

Not to cause color confusion -- but -- if there is as much "orange" in the color as you described -- then the stamp might be a scarce "plate 3 OB" -- or an "1856 OB" -- all as discussed in the Amonette / Hulme Chronicle article on the various color classifications of the 1851 3c imperfs (USPCS Chronicle #206 -- May 2005 -- excerpt attached below).

Regards // ioagoa

Thanks sir. The color variations of this stamp are just too much.

FYI, this plate 3 stamp came back from the PF as not XOB :( Still looks very OB to me, but I assume plate 3 XOB is a very specific color. Oh well.