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Month: February 2015

Some new unlisted R5c double transfers

Some new unlisted R5c double transfers

I’ve started going through the smaller of the two hoards I bought at Chicagopex, examining for cancels, plate varieties, printing anomalies, etc. These 3 examples of R5c proved interesting. If you click on each image, it will increase to 1600 dpi. At first glance, this one looks like an inking anomaly or a kiss impression, but the doubling is prominent in some places but nonexistent in others. The next two are very similar, both double transfers not listed in Scott….

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Making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

Making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

Well… not exactly. I saw the part perforate pair below on eBay. It’s a moderately tough item, cataloging $250 for a single stamp and $600 for a pair. This one definitely fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Stained and toned throughout. I figured I’d gamble and put in a bid, thinking that I might possibly be able to improve it somewhat. I won the pair for 10% of Scott. Not exactly a…

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Identifying R13e (2-cent Proprietary ultramarine)

Identifying R13e (2-cent Proprietary ultramarine)

This is one of the most misidentified stamps on the part of dealers and collectors, compounded by a lack of specificity on the part of the Scott catalog. Like R97, R13 comes in the same 3 distinct shades: blue, milky blue, and ultramarine. However, unlike the former, Scott does not have a listing for all 3 colors of the latter. Personally, I think this needs to change, but that’s a tough sell with the editors. With R13c, the blue and…

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