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Post by NordicTraveler on Feb 27, 2022 8:05:24 GMT
would have been fun to get input, when one has studied long enough it goes in just buzz, hard to decide. Is there anyone who is good at interpreting fiber? I know rag fibers should be slightly twisted, have an often round spherical end, and differ from flat even wood fibers, on the microscope image I find fibers of a slightly unusual appearance. Or is it just me who is dazzled by what I "want to see"? P12, plate, double. wm the color paper is greyish, with a hint of bluish tint, I think then?   
new pictures, microsope on red "two cent" nr 2 from left       |
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Post by mdroth on Feb 28, 2022 15:32:12 GMT
Hi Nordic -
Surprised no replies to your post yet. Kind of highlights the difficulties of IDing the 'bluish' stamps...
First - there is nothing regarding the color 'blue' in these stamps. They don't have any 'blue' color. It is one of the most absurd misnomers in the stamp world...
The paper on these stamps appear 'gray' as opposed to 'white'.
Your analysis/presentation looks excellent. But incredibly hard to tell on a computer screen. If anything, based on what I'm seeing, the 2c Wash is more likely 'bluish' than the 1c Franklin.
The microscope analysis looks wild - had not really seen that before. I'll suggest you take a similar image of the first 5 stamps, and then compare them. (Please post the images!) If the images are similar, that answers the question...
These stamps need certs. The best way to determine is side-by-side comparison to a certified example. If you don't have one, you're stuck with relying on internet images. (Take a look at Siegel site - you'll find lots of them) You could also take your stamps to a show & compare to someone's certified copies...
Please post results/conclusion if you send any of them for a cert!
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tomiseksj
Moderator 
Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
Posts: 6,269 
What I collect: Worldwide stamps/covers, Cinderellas, Ohio Prepaid Sales Tax Receipts, U.S. WWII Ration ephemera
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Post by tomiseksj on Feb 28, 2022 16:59:55 GMT
Hi Nordic - ...These stamps need certs. The best way to determine is side-by-side comparison to a certified example. If you don't have one, you're stuck with relying on internet images. (Take a look at Siegel site - you'll find lots of them) You could also take your stamps to a show & compare to someone's certified copies... The Philatelic Foundation's database has 50 pages of stamps that were either certified as being 357s or were 331s suspected of having been 357s. |
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Post by NordicTraveler on Feb 28, 2022 19:11:43 GMT
mdroth and tomiseksj, thanks for answer. Totally agree with you, one can not go for the color gray, or faint blue. But I know that if you have a trained eye on these stamps, you can in certain light / shadow effects barely detect a bluish, slightly indeterminate color. BUT, as I said, it is only by those who have long training and experience in this. I have contact with a guy from us who certifies bluish. He has given me some images from an electromagnetic microscope (which is at least 100 times sharper / deeper than my normal optical Busch Rathenow microscope). He taught me about these fibers. Wood fibers are flat and often easy to see. What is Ragfiber is often slightly twisted, ending in a narrower end with often a spherical end, lumpy. The weird thing here, he also pointed to red "two cents" ;-) Possibly because his training found the gray color a little closer to what is considered "bluish". When I dipped that stamp in Supersafe, the double watermark came out quickly, clearly and distinctly. Which is also an indicator among bluish. I think the most difficult thing is to keep a cool head, not be influenced by a positive attitude because some factors fall into place. Then it is easy to overlook indicators to the contrary. So a good rule I still follow, look for what indicates that it is NOT what you are looking for ;-) So I sent him microscope images from that stamp. Waiting for feedback from him. I'll find those pictures and post them here. And will of course update based on results. We are all looking for all the info that can help in the hunt for bluish. When it comes to buying a scott # 357 or 358 it would have clearly been the best. But they are not so easy to obtain with a certificate within a reasonable price. Found a # 357 yesterday on ebay, with certificate. Normal quality but the asking price was 180 $ used. So I'm watching how high it goes, but $ 4-500 for a used normal quality # 357 is a bit expensive.
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Post by NordicTraveler on Feb 28, 2022 19:12:52 GMT
still struggling to get scanner up and running (canon xp750 which has worked well for 10 years)
Think I have to buy new .....
if anyone has good advice when it comes to photo / camera / lens type etc by microscope, feel free to come up with good advice, I am completely new to this (microscope) . I have good equipment, lots of lenses, etc., so feel free to tell me if you know anything that is useful.
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