Your Opinion: 179 Or 181?

**"Your opinion: 179 or 181?"**

What features are you looking at to help make your determination? Without a much, much, much better scan, including back, it would be difficult to help you.

I guess I'm not being clear enough. You need to point out the feature, maybe with an arrow or a circle. Also, add some words to your response so we at least know how you describe the feature.

Also, if these are actually scans, they are still too fuzzy. By scans, I mean a flat bed scanner.

Thank you for your response and explanation. This is not a scan; I did the best I could with my phone and within the allowed 300kb limit. I'm not sure which details should be the focus. I was looking at the print quality and focused on the eyes. I think it's an exceptionally high-quality print, which is why I asked for help.

I guess it could be an exceptional print, but why would you think that this is now a 181? What literature are you using that tells you that 181 are exceptional quality prints, and that is how to differentiate them from 179?

Also, scanning is the only way to go, so forget about phone pictures. Also, the 300kb limit is very, very, very easy to stay within, as has been noted in various replies to various inquiries. You just need to practice a lot more.

I do not possess literature or knowledge; that's why I am reaching out to you professionals for help. I have learned not to use a phone for color-related issues, but I thought that perhaps you professionals with experience and a good eye might be able to discern the difference from a good photograph. Can you provide any useful advice for distinguishing between these two stamps? I truly believed that special printing would be a much higher quality print than #179.

OK, so I'll try not to be too harsh here but,

You have no literature or knowledge about stamps.
You do not have a flat bed scanner.
Your photographs are not good, they are fuzzy.
You asked about 1 stamp, but then showed us a fuzzy picture of the backs of 3 stamps.

Yet, without literature or knowledge, you believe you have a 179 or 181.

I guess I can only assume that you came into possession of some stamps, and are now asking this community to do all of the work in determining what you have because you don't feel it is appropriate to do some of the work yourself? You must have done some work to even figure out that it "could" be a Scott 179 or 181. If you did that work by looking at a Scott's Catalog, you may have noticed that the description of a 181 is "Hard, White Wove Paper, without gum". Is the paper a Hard White Wove Paper without gum? When you compare it to other copies of 179, does the paper appear to be different? Furthermore you would have seen that fewer than 10 expertized copies of 181 are available to collectors.

So, get a scanner, get some literature, shows us good scans of the front and back, and ask us again.

I took a photo of the back of three stamps, focusing on the middle one as the primary subject of discussion since it noticeably differs from the others. I did some research, which led me to ask about Scott #179 or #181, rather than #185 or #204. The question concerns hard paper, and I'm seeking advice on how to easily differentiate between these two stamps and what the key distinguishing features are.

While I appreciate the feedback, I noticed that the criticism outweighed any useful advice on how to identify the differences between these stamps. Instead of receiving guidance on the specific details to look for, I was advised to acquire literature and equipment and dedicate many years to research and study.

If this forum is intended only for experts to exchange knowledge at a high level, perhaps it should be closed to those who are not yet experts. However, I was under the impression that it was a place where those of us who are less experienced could seek help and learn from those with more expertise. Thank you.

OK, we're getting a little closer. As you can see, if you don't explain in your first pictures what you are trying to show, then it is confusing later. I am just seeing right now that the MIDDLE back stamp was what you are saying is noticeably different from the others. You didn't say that earlier. And still the question is why did you show three stamps. Are the other two confirmed copies of something? I don't even know what they are.

Since you are suggesting Scott 179, 181, 185 and 204, I again have to assume that you are looking at some type of literature. What, I don't know. All I have is my Scott's Specialized from 2017 which says:

179 is blue color, yellowish wove paper, no grill
179c is blue color, with grill
181 is bright blue color, hard, white wove paper, without gum (special printing)
185 is blue, soft porous paper
204 is deep blue, soft porous paper, without gum (special printing)
216 is indigo

I guess if it is blue, has a yellowish wove paper, and no grill, then it could be 179.
If it is bright blue, on hard, white wove paper, without gum (as issued), then it has an infinitesimally small chance of being a 181. You would have to spend big dollars to get it expertized as such.

My best guess is it's a 179 or 185.

I've tried to help, but obviously I'm not. Perhaps one of our real experts could chime in? In any case, if you don't have a good scanner and explain what you are trying to show a little better, then it is almost impossible to guess what you are asking or showing us.

Yes, this is helpful. I used some websites, and I think I've managed to identify this stamp as either Scott #179 or #181. It is on hard paper and is much lighter and of better print quality than the stamps I have that are #185. The backs I photographed are stamps #185 on the left and right sides. The stamp I'm asking about is on hard white paper, and my question is how to distinguish it. Would comparing it with another stamp help? How visible is the difference between the shades of paper color on #179 and #181? Maybe I should buy a #179 and place them side by side; then I might be able to see if there's a difference. Thanks.

Good discussion. Don't be discouraged Dusko, this is how we all learn. The shades of color and paper type distinctions can be really hard to differentiate and I've learned best from someone showing me with actual stamps.

Yes, it's probably best to see the difference through direct comparison. I don't have many of those stamps to make a direct comparison. I have two on soft paper and one on hard paper, so it's difficult for me to compare the one on hard paper. Thank you for the comment.

this topic reminds me that I have to go look at the few 179's I have and compare them. I also have a difficult time with color and paper types...whew

I think that the pics I've seen of 181 have no vertical shading lines in the tails of the ribbon under the words "Five" and "Cents". Your photo shows none that I can see under the "Five". Your picture doesn't show the right side of the stamp. I'm not saying that you have a 181, just that I'm not seeing vertical lines that are usually on 179 and 185. you should check the major certification sites for photos of cert'ed. 179s and 181s (if there available) on their sites. Also check Robert A Siegel auctions under "power Search" for sold copies of 179 and 181, and under their "Census" for 181. Again, not saying which you have, 179 or 181.