Postage Stamp Chat Board & Stamp Bulletin Board Forum
 

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to ask your opinion about a stamp in my collection, whose oddness I only noticed a few months ago.

It's a GB Queen Victoria 2d blue, which I believe to be Stanley Gibbons catalogue number 47 (1858-79) with plate number 13. It is used, showing two cancellations. It has watermark W4 (large crown) and P 14.

It is in the perforation that the oddness appears: the perforating machine seems to have 'slipped' to the extent that the stamp, when separated for use,
contains the word 'POSTAGE' not at the top of the stamp where it should be, but at the bottom, below 'TWO PENCE'. In other words, the stamp has lost its upper 2 or 3 millimetres, and gained the same proportion of the stamp below.

If I can master the technology (I am a technological dinosaur) I will append an image. But hopefully even without an image you can get an idea of the nature of the stamp.

I asked for an opinion from Stanley Gibbons, who told me that so large a perforation shift was unusual, but that the error could not be listed in their catalogue, and was of no significant worth.

Yet it seems to me that such an error, showing what should be at the head of the stamp appearing at the bottom, is likely to be of great interest to philatelists, and of considerable rarity.

What do you think, fellow stamp collectors?

Soolie.


PS Well, I tried pasting the photo onto the mail, but it wouldn't take it. What's the secret? Never mind, I'm sure you get the general idea. Opinions please.

soolie

I know that the preferred first post at Stampboards is on the introductory page.

I can imagine what you have from the description given. I do agree with the people at Stanley Gibbons, it is unusual but not worthy of catalogue status.

You have correctly realized that a photo/scan would be more helpful and instructions are readily available on how to do that. See User Control Panel.

Kindest regards

Richard Debney

soolie,
it is common etiquette to introduce yourself before issuing demands.

You might like to go to this topic when you have time to introduce yourself:-
Hello All NEW Members - please briefly introduce yourself!
http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10277

There are simple instructions on how to post a photo here:
Want to add a photo/image? Practice posting a picture HERE!'
http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=284&start=0

_________________
Wolfgang
Papua New Guinea stamps and postal history: http://www.i-ng.org

Yes, a scan is essential, and is really easy to master. It's worth taking the time to learn as it's a really useful skill to have, not just here but on any bulletin board.

Sounds like you have a misperf.

These are not catalogued because they are occasional occurrences.

Value will depend on the actual stamp. In some early stamps, perforating was a new skill and not very well done, so misperfs can be common and of no value.

However, in some instances, misperfs are rare and sought after by some collectors, and can be more valuable than the base stamp.

If many sheets were perfed in this way, they will be common. But if only one line of perf pins was out on one sheet of stamps, you may have a scarce one.

So ... we really need to see the actual stamp in order to be able to give an informed opinion.

Also, a mention of which stamp it is in the heading will attract the attention of the people who might know best.

_________________
A man might as well marry ... if he finds a good wife he will be happy ... if not, he will become a philosopher.
Collecting Greater New Guinea & Macropods (Kangaroos & Wallabies).