Embossed Bavaria Stamp

Hello-

I was looking online at a website and it said that Michael catalog mentioned a 1873 reprint of this stamp. It said the stamp is highly embossed and has much sharper image. The normal stamp is from 1870 and is watermarked. Does anyone know if the reprinted stamp is supposed too have a watermark? What kind of value it may have and if mine is the stamp in question? When I looked at other Bavaria stamps that I own they not are this embossed and have a much flatter appearance.

Your stamp looks normal to me. The only way to get a value is to know what you have and for that you need to check for a watermark. There are three different watermarks used over the course of 1870-75. If there is absolutely no watermark you are looking at Scott 23b. First things first though, check the watermark.

If the color of your stamp is accurate it may be Michel 32c. The watermark would be wavy lines. You should easily see the watermark by holding it up to the light.

If the watermark is crossed slanted lines (Michel calls this "Rauten" but should not be confused with the German Empire Rauten) then it would be 22X or 22Y depending on the size of the crossed slanted lines.

This stamp without watermark only comes imperf, plus it would have an embedded silk thread.

But as rogdcam noted you need to first determine the watermark.

I am looking at the watermark on my stamp and it is definitely a "Rauten." There are crisscrossed lines, now how do I know which stamp it is? What color do you think my stamp is?

If the watermark lines are 17mm apart you have Scott watermark 92, catalog number 23 and if 14mm you have watermark 93, catalog number 23a. The first is valued mint at $12 ($22 MNH) and the latter is valued mint at $100 ($190 MNH). That is for VF stamps with no faults. My guess is likely Scott 23.

PS: Your stamp is green. You can look online and see that other 23's match your stamp in color.

Hey rogdcam-

Was able to identify my stamp using the millimeter tool on my tongs and was able to measure the watermark. The watermark measured at 14mm. Thank you for your input. Without you and Germania I would still be scratching my head.