vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Apr 10, 2021 19:20:51 GMT
I should perhaps link this to the thread for "Help with plating penny stars" because there is a need to have this stamp plated for identification. This paper with the large crown watermark was in use for penny reds once the perforation machines had been perfected, from 1855 so it should not exist imperforate , but it does! It seems that the machines needed repair and from time to time stamps were needed and imperforate sheets were released to post offices, as perforations were relatively new I don't imagine it caused much concern to postmasters who still had scissors handy . I ask you to give me opinions of this stamp please: LARGE CROWN wnk on white paper no longer blued 1856-58
  OK so it is in lousy condition with surface rub ,creasing and a poorly cut at top, Scanned at 1200dpi The postmark is Scottish type used at Blairgowrie What margins remain, are in places too wide for this to have been a perforated stamp with the teeth trimmed off.(in my opinion) plus I believe I can see hints of red lines on the left side margin, but also at the lower left bottom and the ragged edge at the top centre . If it should have been perforated p14 then the catalogue suggests £3600 SG 38 or 40 or if the letters are engraved Alphabet IV then SG42 Cat £5750! Both "H" are significantly different Opinions please. have I hit the jackpot? |
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stainlessb
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qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
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What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Apr 10, 2021 20:08:04 GMT
It does indeed appear to be a bonafide imperforate stamp and I can also see the right margin of what would have HG, and bottom left looks to be a bit of border. If you can get it scanned at 800 dpi with an image ratio as close to 666 x 777 it should be relatively easy to ID using the E-gauge on the GBPS site (I have all 5 volumes of the plating series by Roland Brown that I can scan the relevant page)
Yes, maybe a bit ragged, but who cares!
Great find!!!
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Apr 10, 2021 20:42:04 GMT
Thanks Stan, stainlessb, but my Canon does 600 or 1200 dpi , nothing in between. SG suggests possible plates 50 and 51 Have engraved letters rather than punched, and I wonder,since the two "H" differ in appearance, if they might be the Alphabet IV engraved ... Dose that close things down at all on either of these plates |
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stainlessb
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qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
Posts: 4,665
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Apr 10, 2021 21:23:13 GMT
looking at the imprimaters the top right serif on the right H looks doesn't seem an exact match to either 50 or 51, but it's hard to tell as the image on GBPS doesn't magnify very much and zooming in until it pixelates and the top serifs on the left H appear to touch on your stamp. I'm surprised your Canon doesn't have a "custom" option? If you are not already using it I believe there is a free trial of VueScan and it may allow for this. My Epson does not have a 600 or 1200, but it does have 800 and custom (I am using Vuescan) I have attached the page for Brown Volume 2, Die 1, plates 46-91 in case you find a way to get the measurements used for this method  |
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Beryllium Guy
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What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Apr 10, 2021 22:03:29 GMT
Hi, Alex ( vikingeck): For what it’s worth, I think you have found a genuine rarity. I completely agree that your stamp does not seem to be merely a trimmed perforated one. I will leave the more detailed discussion to others like Stan ( stainlessb), who have way more knowledge and experience in this area, but it certainly seems to me that you have really found something great. Congratulations! -Chris |
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Beryllium Guy
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What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Apr 11, 2021 8:32:19 GMT
I ask you to give me opinions of this stamp please: LARGE CROWN Wmk. on white paper no longer blued 1856-58
What margins remain, are in places too wide for this to have been a perforated stamp with the teeth trimmed off.(in my opinion) plus I believe I can see hints of red lines on the left side margin, but also at the lower left bottom and the ragged edge at the top centre. If it should have been perforated p14 then the catalogue suggests £3600. SG38 or SG40 or if the letters are engraved Alphabet IV, then SG42 at Cat £5750! Both "H" are significantly different. Opinions please. have I hit the jackpot? Hi again, Alex: I am still thinking about your fabulous discovery.... I do think that you have indeed "hit the jackpot"! I checked my copy of the 2014 edition of the SG Empire & British Commonwealth Catalogue 1840-1970, and here is a snip of the relevant listings:  So, although you have suggested that this imperf stamp "should not exist", it does indeed exist, as it is cited in SG, and there are three variants: SG38a, SG40a, and SG42a, depending on the colour. Also, you mention that: In fact, the perf 14 version SG38 used catalogues at £35, whereas it is the imperf version like yours, SG38a that catalogues at £3500 (2014 edition figures). So, it looks to me that your stamp is: already known to exist, listed in the SG catalogue, and extremely valuable. Congratulations again on such a wonderful find in an unexpected place.... your story should be on the cover of a stamp magazine! It's a bit like Terri's ( philatelia ) story of finding the Ireland rarity in a batch of kiloware. It's every stamp collector's dream!  |
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Apr 12, 2021 18:54:49 GMT
48 hours later an update.
I contacted a collector acquaintance who is very knowledgeable on these issues and who is able ( on another forum) to,plate them . He has confirmed I have found an example of SG 38 . Alphabet III from plate 57 imperf , on white paper wmk large crown. cat £3000 +
At his suggestion, tepid water and a soft brush has lifted the ugly white mark which turned out to be a paper adhesion and not a surface rub , so it looks a bit better already .
I am now preparing it for an expert certificate.
Covid-19 restrictions have caused a backlog on certs so it may take a number of weeks .
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Mr. H
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What I collect: US, Netherlands, Whatever suits my fancy.
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Post by Mr. H on Apr 12, 2021 19:00:01 GMT
Congratulations on your discovery!
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REL1948
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What I collect: 1840-Pre-Decimal, GB and Colonies, 1840 1 penny reds, Postal Histories
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Post by REL1948 on Apr 12, 2021 19:11:26 GMT
Congratulations Alex. All the best in the expertising odyssey. It's a nice piece of history.
Rob
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cursus
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What I collect: Catalan Cinderellas. Used Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, Germany & Austria. Postal History of Barcelona & Estonia. Catalonia pictorial postmarks.
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Post by cursus on Apr 18, 2021 15:18:51 GMT
Congratulations, Alex. Well done!
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Apr 18, 2021 15:29:52 GMT
Here it is again after a clean and the adhering white paper spot removed , and the bent over corner top right flattened out . Still in poor condition. It will now go to the Royal Philatelic Society London for what I hope will be a certificate  SG 38k . Alphabet III from plate 57 imperf , on white paper wmk large crown. SG Specialised catalogue C10k |
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JeffS
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What I collect: Oranges Philately, US Slogan Cancels, Cape of Good Hope Triangulars, and Texas poster stamps and cinderellas
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Post by JeffS on Apr 18, 2021 16:12:34 GMT
Vikings rule!
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Jul 22, 2021 9:56:16 GMT
In May I sent the stamp off to the Royal Philatelic society for confirmation and a certificate.
Yesterday it was returned with a certificate , and it is now officially accepted as GENUINE ! Huzzah !!
Catalogued at £3000 .
now we must mark it down severely due to surface scuffing and untidy margins , as we have discussed in the penny black thread recently, but well worth the £20 certification fee.
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radiocruncher
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What I collect: GB especially Wildings and Machins. Early Germany to 1945
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Post by radiocruncher on Jul 22, 2021 10:05:48 GMT
In May I sent the stamp off to the Royal Philatelic society for confirmation and a certificate. Yesterday it was returned with a certificate , and it is now officially accepted as GENUINE ! Huzzah !! Catalogued at £3000 . now we must mark it down severely due to surface scuffing and untidy margins , as we have discussed in the penny black thread recently, but well worth the £20 certification fee. A great outcome and a nice bit of postal history. |
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