Really nice stamp Ernie. Mine has a small thin on the back and much more of a postmark. It's the classic stuff I really like and it's getting much harder to get at a fair price. I have a couple really nice classics coming in the next month and I'll show a scan when they arrive. I'm not going to "let the cat out of the bag" yet but they're real special!!!
Nice Harvey. Can't wait to see em!
Ernie,
Very nice stamp! It definitely represents a good basis for selection criteria for a collection. It wil be very interesting to see what you build.
Jerrel
P. S. Harvey, I am looking forward to your latest additions! I made a number of additions today for my France postage due stamps which should arrive in two to three weeks and capstone the collection nicely.
Very nice example. Love the large banknotes!
Here is my best example of 191 actually a 191S but it will do:
Wow Jack,
Nice stamp. I hate to expose my ignorance though.... what is the "191S" designation?
I've never seen one marked "SAMPLE" before.
Ernie
The Scott's US specialized Catalog has a section for US Specimen or Sample stamps. This one, 191S, is listed with a blue "SAMPLE" overprint and list in 2016 for $140. It doesn't say what they were used for but I'm assuming it was a trial run. How they got to the general public I have no idea! I got this from Wikipedia. The value tends to be lower than the non-specimen stamp.
"A specimen stamp is a postage stamp or postal stationery indicium sent to postmasters and postal administrations so that they are able to identify valid stamps and to avoid forgeries."
The S.191 is an American Banknote product on soft paper. There are two others (really three if you count the rare grilled one) that were earlier and on hard paper with somewhat different colors but the same design.
S.155 Carmine is the National Banknote company variety:
S.166 Rose Carmine is the Continental Banknote company variety:
And of course there are various special printings e.g. the 1875 Continental Banknote special printing, S.177 violet carmine on hard white paper ungummed perf.12 but often cut apart with scissors:
Raise your hand if you love classic United States postage stamps.
What we have here is Scott 191. Full VF centering. Attractive face-free cancel. 100% sound and 100% beautiful. This is the type of stamp I want to anchor my collection.
re: US Scott 191
Really nice stamp Ernie. Mine has a small thin on the back and much more of a postmark. It's the classic stuff I really like and it's getting much harder to get at a fair price. I have a couple really nice classics coming in the next month and I'll show a scan when they arrive. I'm not going to "let the cat out of the bag" yet but they're real special!!!
re: US Scott 191
Nice Harvey. Can't wait to see em!
re: US Scott 191
Ernie,
Very nice stamp! It definitely represents a good basis for selection criteria for a collection. It wil be very interesting to see what you build.
Jerrel
P. S. Harvey, I am looking forward to your latest additions! I made a number of additions today for my France postage due stamps which should arrive in two to three weeks and capstone the collection nicely.
re: US Scott 191
Very nice example. Love the large banknotes!
Here is my best example of 191 actually a 191S but it will do:
re: US Scott 191
Wow Jack,
Nice stamp. I hate to expose my ignorance though.... what is the "191S" designation?
I've never seen one marked "SAMPLE" before.
Ernie
re: US Scott 191
The Scott's US specialized Catalog has a section for US Specimen or Sample stamps. This one, 191S, is listed with a blue "SAMPLE" overprint and list in 2016 for $140. It doesn't say what they were used for but I'm assuming it was a trial run. How they got to the general public I have no idea! I got this from Wikipedia. The value tends to be lower than the non-specimen stamp.
"A specimen stamp is a postage stamp or postal stationery indicium sent to postmasters and postal administrations so that they are able to identify valid stamps and to avoid forgeries."
re: US Scott 191
The S.191 is an American Banknote product on soft paper. There are two others (really three if you count the rare grilled one) that were earlier and on hard paper with somewhat different colors but the same design.
S.155 Carmine is the National Banknote company variety:
S.166 Rose Carmine is the Continental Banknote company variety:
re: US Scott 191
And of course there are various special printings e.g. the 1875 Continental Banknote special printing, S.177 violet carmine on hard white paper ungummed perf.12 but often cut apart with scissors: