I had high hopes for this stamp being a major upgrade for my existing copy, but as happens all too frequently on eBay, it was not all that it was claimed to be. No faults were disclosed in the listing, and the listing photo was small enough that you really couldn’t tell for certain.

When I made my offer, I included wording to the effect that the offer was contingent upon the stamp being completely sound.

When I opened the envelope yesterday, I was crushed. There it was, a ginormous horizontal crease going through the top value tablet… either the seller was blind, or was hoping to put one over.

The overall color is excellent, and this is the only example of R97a I have ever seen with a handstamp cancel, which being a cancel specialist, is what drew me to it to begin with.

I contacted the seller and expressed my displeasure. I sent him high-resolution images highlighting the crease. Since I *do* like the cancel, I requested either a substantial partial refund or a return for a complete refund. I told him I would accept either option he chose. He accepted the former on my terms, so I now own the stamp at a price I am happy with.

Had it been sound as advertised, it would have been an amazing piece. Now it’s just a nice cancel on a tough stamp.

The hunt continues…