R36A Nycr Cancel Trimmed Or Not Trimmed That Is The Question!

So I made a probable mistake some years ago in purchasing what I thought was an R36a, with a NYCR pre-cancel. Our stalwart Revenue Collector Dan Harding has this stamp on ebay listed as an R36b trimmed; but others on ebay or hip have it posted or have sold it as R36a. I note at least three examples of the very same stamp with similar margins, all slightly different. I am aware of Dan's blog some years ago that identified that there are both vertical and horizontal perfed R36b, but I have never seen one perfed horizontally and imperf vertically; although he showed a rare example. So it does not seem likely to me that these stamps were all trimed on the top and bottom; and it also seems that maybe there is enough room for the imperf sides to be genuine. Dan if you see this maybe you could opine.

Alas, it is likely that this stamp is trimmed. A close examination of the margins is required to confirm it, but it appears likely.

Of course it might not have been done to defraud anyone, the taxpayer might have trimmed it to fit on a document.

Thanks for commenting Dan. Do you think it is trimmed on the sides or on the top and bottom? Since there are at least three of these stamps with the same look and cancel, if trimmed on the top and bottom we must assume three very rare R36b vertical imperf versions; in my mind rather unlikely. Unless there was a sheister who had all three and trimmed them in the same way. I will relook at the vertical margins and compare to a perforated stamp but I think they are pretty far apart to be trimmed on the sides; mine has the large side on the right and the other two have the large size on the left. JK

I agree that it needs an examination. The date also appears late in my opinion for an imperf. Trimmed to fit a document is the strongest possible cause.
That user went through a lot of stamps.

JK,

The person who replied to you initially is Bart. I got your email when I was driving today, so I just had a chance to read it now.

The image is heavily compressed, with lots of artifacting, which doesn't help. At first glance I see what COULD be a residual perforation in the left margin just below the top 10.

I don't like the unnatural jaggedness of theleft margin cut(s).

I would not spend the money to try and get a cert. There are better examples out there that are obtainable rather than trying to force the issue with this one.

Dan didn't comment, I did. #128570;

Apparently smiles show up as numbers.

Thanks to you both for replying. I have your identities correct now! I value both of your opinions. Since we are talking about the sides being trimmed, I am more with you; a side margin stamp with the other side trimmed. I took a look at the PF website for certs on R36a and that is very enlightening. AMAZINGLY, there is ANOTHER R36 NYCR cancel stamp certified by PF, number 391111; which they found genuine. However the sides of that stamp are much more even and it might not be a margin stamp at all, or at least both sides are much too large for perforations. I am taking my stamp however out of my main collection!

Thanks to m&m also