STAMPBOARDS - Postage Stamp Chat Board and Stamp Forum

This stamp caught my attention at a recent American public auction.

It is a fairly common USA 6c 1893 Columbus. It has no flaws or varieties whatever. It is simply an attractive used example of Scott 235 with catalogue $US22 a stamp.

There is nothing special whatever about the slightly smudgy oval parcel cancel.

In short it is simply a very nice looking, well centred, 6c Columbus stamp.

The most basic, basic, collections of USA contain this stamp, and when dealers like me sell them on we leave them on the page. As I would leave this one on an album page - to this day.

I keep writing in my columns that very fine used early Australia stamps are absurdly undervalued right now, and I sell complete sets of Roos and KGV heads in this grade for about $A1,000 a set, and simply can't keep up the supply of them -

https://www.glenstephens.com/rarity.html

The stamp has a catalogue value of less than a First Watermark 6d Roo 1913 ($US25) as a comparison. That stamp, as a valid guide, has a Richard Juzwin retail price in Australia of $A20 and I too sell FU copies for that figure, and absolutely superb examples for $A40-$50.

The poll question is ... that you need to guess at, is what was the invoice price for this stamp above - before postage and insurance etc were added.

Please take a guess on the poll, and see how much you know about the stamp market.

Make whatever comments you like here, but anyone who may know the actual answer, will be shot at dawn - with no blindfold if you post the result or links to it etc.

This Poll, as are all polls here are meant to be FUN! (And hopefully educational for ALL members.)

It probably graded Gem 100 despite the shortish perfs in a couple of spots. Guessing $750, but nothing would surprise me, really.

As for some slight guidance possibly, the same auction had this truly SCARCE value of the same set .. the $3 Green in very attractive VFU and quite superb colour, cat $US1,000 that was invoiced with all buyer fees included for $US1,380.

The £1 Roo of this set, versus a 6d blue Roo in relative scarity.

GlenStephens wrote:

As for some slight guidance possibly, the same auction had this truly SCARCE value of the same set .. the $3 Green in very attractive VFU and quite superb colour, cat $US1,000 that was invoiced with all buyer fees included for $US1,380.

The £1 Roo of this set, versus a 6d blue Roo in relative scarity.

But shockingly off centre, by the standards of the micrometre perfectionists!

I picked the $1000 to $1500 option, purely on the basis of the centreing and knowing how ludicrous these gradings are.

One note, but without a price guess.

The 6c would be considered to have an extremely light
cancellation for the issue, and excellent (unfaded) color.

The $3 would be considered far above-average in centering,
no doubt in the top 10% of all copies. Printing of the $3
was 27,650 copies.

BEWARE of Columbian cardboard proofs shaved down to
stamp thickness and perforated; German and Belgian forgers
were extremely good at this deception, and the proof also
makes a "beautiful" copy, as they were more firmly and
sharply printed than the "sheet" stamps.

Many other cardboard proofs (which often sell for a tenth
the price of the rare stamp) have been "converted" over
the years.

Oh, heck, I'll put in a guess at the A$7500-A$10000 range.

Folks,

I am going for $5000 to $7500 but really think it should be about 10 times an average used example.

Tim

Didge wrote:Folks,

I am going for $5000 to $7500 but really think it should be about 10 times an average used example.

Tim

Ummm - Tim your guess is THREE HUNDRED TIMES the price of an average used 6c example.

You are wrong on the figure, but I'll certainly remember your wise and thoughtful comments when next mailing you a nice used Roo.

And thank you in advance for your superb generosity. And here is silly me for thinking DOUBLE the FU price was fair and reasonable for superb used Roos. I'll now just add a zero seeing clients feel it is the fair thing to do.

Glen,

Thank you for that mate. My guess was based on previous comments that you have made about the US market for so called perfect stamps. I do love a great stamp with a great postmark especially if its a Kangaroo so might have gotton carried away.

Tim

GlenStephens wrote:

Didge wrote:Folks,

I am going for $5000 to $7500 but really think it should be about 10 times an average used example.

Tim

Ummm - Tim your guess is THREE HUNDRED TIMES the price of an average used 6c example.

You are wrong on the figure, but I'll certainly remember your wise and thoughtful comments when next mailing you a nice used Roo.

And thank you in advance for your superb generosity. And here is silly me for thinking DOUBLE the FU price was fair and reasonable for superb used Roos. I'll now just add a zero seeing clients feel it is the fair thing to do.

God forbid that this mania for absolute perfection in centreing should EVER come about for Kangaroos!! I, for one, would be happy to pay less for a stamp that some lunatic that measures the centreing with a micrometer and finds wanting!

I thought I had heard of those Yanks paying up to 1000 times the price of catalogue, so I went for above $10,000.00.

Talk about a great time to be hoarding superb used Roos, as when this phenomenon hits Aus, even if its one tenth of my guess, used Roos will be very sought, even more so.

I was pricing up some Roos last night, from a collection I bought at lunchtime, and placed $250 on this 1913 2/-, (except it is $4,000 to Didge and $8,000 to Pandadog as they seem to appreciate top quality material more than most) - price for a FU copy is $125.

For my own knowledge, is that 2/ a CTO copy, or one used
on a regular letter or parcel?

And what would be the price difference between those two
categories?

GlenStephens wrote:

I was pricing up some Roos last night, from a collection I bought at lunchtime, and placed $250 on this 1913 2/-, (except it is $4,000 to Didge and $8,000 to Pandadog as they seem to appreciate top quality material more than most) - price for a FU copy is $125.

I reckon twice Didge is not bad on some of the items he has.

Some interesting perfs on the right though Glen.

doug2222usa wrote:For my own knowledge, is that 2/ a CTO copy, or one used
on a regular letter or parcel?

And what would be the price difference between those two
categories?

Doug, that is a CTO from Specimen set. The crisp steel Melbourne cancel is the giveaway. Only around 2,100 sets were sold between 1913 and 1921.

Pretty nice centreing for that issue too. Postally FU sells (average centreing) for $200 plus.

Now as I recall, some Yanks get a little enthusiastic about mathematical centreing. It is shall we say well centred.

I cast my vote accordingly, but still probably wrong.

Almost as nice, just centered a liitle high, but more of teh cancel visible (Dec 3 13).

pandadog28 wrote:I thought I had heard of those Yanks paying up to 1000 times the price of catalogue, so I went for above $10,000.00.

Pandadog, I agree - there has been previous discussion on this type of thing on Stampboards. Also if you search for the term "slabbed" here, you'll find more discussion.

As Glen advised in "Post 1", this catalogues at $US22, so with that factor, we come up with $22,000, which is ridiculous but IMHO may not be far from the truth. And if that's the hammer price, there'll be taxes and fees to add on, so the buyer could end up paying >$27,000 for this.

To inject a tad of reality here as Gav's figures are fantasyland even for our fiscally insane American cousins, the large Scott multiples I wrote about in the past were generally paid for 1930s common stamps with a tiny basic Scott value of 30c or so.

So 200 times cat is still "only" $600 etc.

This however is a fairly scarce scarce to start with, with a cat of $US22.

Glen,

I will take it. Its an absolute bargain. When the US fad kicks in I will clean up.

Seriously, happy to take it.

Tim

didge .. paypal invoice for $4,000 on the way to you. A bargain I'd say.

Hi all,

Without reading the thread before I voted for 5000 - 7500 AUS$, because on the US market very well centred stamps are paid a lot more than catalogue value for.

As I now read, I am wrong, but maybe near the right solution ?!

Regards,

Glen,

Thanks mate. Can I pay with Zimbabe dollars? I will give you a trillion.

Tim

Didge wrote:Glen,

Thanks mate. Can I pay with Zimbabe dollars? I will give you a trillion.

Tim

Only ONE Trillion? You cheapskate .. I'll add one of these in with the order for you. Highest denomination banknote ever issued - anywhere - at any time.

My absolutely pure guesswork shot is 100 times cat. value (i.e. US$2,200) which to me is insane even with those low numbers printed

Tony - the 6c in question did NOT have a "low number printed"!

---------------------

*POLL* - what did this common used USA stamp just sell for?

Under $A25 0% [ 0 ]
$A25-$A50 10% [ 2 ]
$A50-$A100 5% [ 1 ]
$A100-$A500 15% [ 3 ]
$A500-$A1,000 10% [ 2 ]
$A1,000-$A5,000 20% [ 4 ]
$A5,000- $A7,500 20% [ 4 ]
$A7,500-$A10,000 10% [ 2 ]
Above $A10,000 10% [ 2 ]
None Of The Above 0% [ 0 ]

Total votes : 20

Aha, read it all too quickly - it was the $3 with the low numbers printed (as you'd expect for a high denomination stamp like that ).

Lakatoi 4 wrote:
Aha, read it all too quickly - it was the $3 with the low numbers printed (as you'd expect for a high denomination stamp like that ).

Yep, 4.7 MILLION sold of the common 6c purple under discussion!

OK .. let's get over 30 votes and I'll reveal the winner.

So far, members are guessing APPALLINGLY!

*POLL* - what did this common used USA stamp just sell for?

Under $A25 0% [ 0 ]
$A25-$A50 9% [ 2 ]
$A50-$A100 4% [ 1 ]
$A100-$A500 13% [ 3 ]
$A500-$A1,000 9% [ 2 ]
$A1,000-$A5,000 22% [ 5 ]
$A5,000- $A7,500 22% [ 5 ]
$A7,500-$A10,000 9% [ 2 ]
Above $A10,000 13% [ 3 ]
None Of The Above 0% [ 0 ]

Total votes : 23

This stamp likely sold for $78,000 dollars.

MedfordOr wrote:
This stamp likely sold for $78,000 dollars.

It is not my practice to comment on individual tips ..... but on this one I'll make an exception.

NO WAY EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MedfordOr wrote:This stamp likely sold for $78,000 dollars.

Or more....as I have just read about 6 figure sales on items that do not catalog anywhere near that.....

This "American Cousin" wouldn't pay that....my dog doesn't even have a pedigree. I did bid on a PSE graded item once....and won it.....for just a little over $2US.....it usually costs a dealer about $8US to get it a certificate....

NO WAY EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least I know the parameters of the value now. Somewhere between $22 and $78,000.

MedfordOr wrote:NO WAY EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least I know the parameters of the value now. Somewhere between $22 and $78,000.

Hey you should apply for a job as Australian Federal Treasurer .. they are working on precise and accurate fiscal bands like that for today's budget and next year's deficit .... just with a few dozen extra zeros tossed into the mix.

Since MedfordOr is not even remotely close, I'll up the ante to, say, AUD 110 000 (I'm not the one paying for it anyway), given that two chums were in for the centering and a third added torque for the postmark. (Possible grease stains or the unmistakeable fact that stamps kept in plastic casings are likely to disintegrate before the year 3 000, I'm not going to comment on).

Hello. My purely guesswork bid is in the $50-$100 range seeing as it looks a nice clean stamp and i would buy it if i had a chance.

Thanks,

Nice Ingianapolis post mark...wonder if that caught someones eye...$18750.00

My guess is that this "common" 6 stamp probably sold for +200K as it's not purple or red violet. Looks like the printer used the wrong paper--an unlisted discovery?
B

I will say US $7,750

I'll hazard a guess at $625 - I think most bids are wildly high!

admin wrote:OK .. let's get over 30 votes and I'll reveal the winner.

So far, members are guessing APPALLINGLY!

*POLL* - what did this common used USA stamp just sell for?

Under $A25 0% [ 0 ]
$A25-$A50 9% [ 2 ]
$A50-$A100 4% [ 1 ]
$A100-$A500 13% [ 3 ]
$A500-$A1,000 9% [ 2 ]
$A1,000-$A5,000 22% [ 5 ]
$A5,000- $A7,500 22% [ 5 ]
$A7,500-$A10,000 9% [ 2 ]
Above $A10,000 13% [ 3 ]
None Of The Above 0% [ 0 ]

Total votes : 23

Well??????

Seeing we have had a rush of votes in recent hours let's wait until we have 50 voters as a nice round figure!

*POLL* - what did this common used USA stamp just sell for?

Under $A25 0% [ 0 ]
$A25-$A50 4% [ 2 ]
$A50-$A100 6% [ 3 ]
$A100-$A500 15% [ 7 ]
$A500-$A1,000 17% [ 8 ]
$A1,000-$A5,000 17% [ 8 ]
$A5,000- $A7,500 17% [ 8 ]
$A7,500-$A10,000 4% [ 2 ]
Above $A10,000 19% [ 9 ]
None Of The Above 0% [ 0 ]

Total votes : 47

The guesses so far are even more appallingly wrong than they were yesterday though!

The max I would pay would be $50.00

What ever the price, I have an extra I'll let go for 1/3rd the price.

A pure guess - US$925
And that's NOT a bid!
But I'm a punter.

$A7,500-$A10,000 4% [2 votes]

Is the correct answer for this used stamp cat $US22 in Scott!

Less than 4% of members voting got it right.

Invoice price before shipping was $US6,425 - and at the weekend exchange rate of 1.33 that came to $A8,564.

He'd be lucky to get $50 from any ozzie dealer if he sells, (more members here voted for it being worth $25-$50, but what would we know about American stamps. )

---------------

*POLL* - what did this common used USA stamp just sell for?

Under $A25 0% [ 0 ]
$A25-$A50 6% [ 3 ]
$A50-$A100 6% [ 3 ]
$A100-$A500 16% [ 8 ]
$A500-$A1,000 16% [ 8 ]
$A1,000-$A5,000 16% [ 8 ]
$A5,000- $A7,500 16% [ 8 ]
$A7,500-$A10,000 4% [ 2 ]
Above $A10,000 22% [ 11 ]
None Of The Above 0% [ 0 ]

Total votes : 51

----------------------------

I do know I just sold this superb MUH "ABC" Strips £1 Roo block for a lot less than that.

And I know in 10 years time, which one I'd rather be betting on to get the higher price.

Hundreds more perfect centred 6c Columbus stamps must exist out there, but I bet no other blocks like this NWPI do.

So what is this with some US collectors fascination with absolutely perfect centering

I've read the auction catalogue description and it was like they'd found a piece of the True Cross in this stamp

I'll be looking through my smallish (but nice) US collection TONIGHT.

In Scott, this stamp is listed in both purple and red violet,
of equal value; it is not the blue of the 1c Columbian or the
ultramarine of the 4c Columbian.