stainlessb
Member 
qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
Posts: 4,906
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 Jan 22, 2019 3:28:24 GMT
I have come across some stamps that are clearly cancelled, yet they appear to have original gum (albeit they were hinged....)
They are not high value stamps
how can this be?
I know I may have spent too many hours looking at stamps today but I see no reason why someone would regum a canceled stamp
has anyone else seen this? Is there a method to get stamps off envelopes and leave the gum (that'd be a neat trick!)
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Jan 22, 2019 4:12:57 GMT
CTO's?
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bobby1948
Departed
Rest in Peace
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Sir Edmund Burke
Posts: 690 
What I collect: WW to 1945; US mnh 1922-1990; US used and unused to 1922
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Post by bobby1948 on Jan 22, 2019 6:39:15 GMT
As zipper noted, those are "Cancelled to Order" stamps (CTOs). Postal agencies in various locales print millions of stamps for the philatelic market, but realizing collectors are not going to pay the face value, and unwilling to discount mint stamps which could be used for postage in that locality, they cancel sheets of stamps (cancels are often printed on the sheets) and sell the sheets to the collector market at deeply discounted prices.
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stainlessb
Member
qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
Posts: 4,906
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 Jan 22, 2019 14:05:13 GMT
Thank you! I never knew suc h a thing was done, but it makes sense. So if included in a lot, just indicate CTO's included?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2019 14:36:22 GMT
Most CTO's have very clear printing and generally are found in the corner as part of a 4 stamp block cancel. Some are individual and perfectly placed in the center.
The CTO's go back to the late 1800's and today many modern countries like the emirates and countries in Africa basically issue nothing but CTO's. They even print the postmark during the initial printing. Many catalogs no longer list them or do so separately. Most serious collectors would frown on these.
On some CTO's the date and day positions were reversed for identification.
There are of course collectors who actually look for certain CTO's like the early Victoria stamps that all have "Melbourne" as the city with different dates. There are also PTO's or favour cancels. Some but not all post offices allowed clerks to cancel stamps on envelopes never destined to go in the mail. Such covers can then have good value but generally lack other postal markings. Unfortunately, singles soaked off are indistinguishable from the real thing. As noted, modern CTO's have little or no value. |
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stainlessb
Member
qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
Posts: 4,906
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 Jan 22, 2019 19:01:58 GMT
nl1947
so 1952-53 would not have been that uncommon to find CTO's, and yes many are from African countries
and MH-CTO would the the accepted way to list these types of stamps?
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Post by billfromlachine on Jan 25, 2019 21:11:55 GMT
stainlessb,
the CTO stamps are generally treated as postally used for both description and pricing. Most experienced collectors will recognize
the CTO stamps without it being pointed out to them.
Regards from Canada
Bill
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,699
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Jan 25, 2019 21:30:15 GMT
For me, most post 1980 issues CTO's are just as collectible as a mint NH version. I would not pay much extra for one because the stamps were generally printed without any intention to be postally used. For example - all the Disney issues. I do not collect many since I limit my collection to 1980 but I end up with them and mount most (except Disney).
But then we have discussed FDC's as CTO's too.
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