What we collect!
Stamporama Discussion Board Logo
For People Who Love To Talk About Stamps


14 visitors online

Canada/Stamps : Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

AuthorPostings
Poodle_Mum
Members Picture

A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
15 Aug 2014
02:58:08pm
I'm curious about what grade you would consider a stamp that has 4 distinct yet tight margins on an 1855 stamps? The margins are clear of the border, cancellation is very nice - does not obliterate the stamp design.

Kelly
Like
Login to Like
this post

"Let's find a cure for Still's Disease, Breast Cancer and Canine Addison's Disease. We CAN find a cure and save lives!!"

emmettslegacy.webs.com/
khj
Members Picture

15 Aug 2014
03:25:55pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

Depends on how "tight" the margins are, and if they are tight on all 4 sides or only a couple.

Scott defines:

Fine = Imperforate stamps may have small margins, and earlier issues may show the design just touching one edge of the stamp design.

Fine-Very Fine = Imperforate stamps will have two margins of at least normal size, and the design will not touch any edge.

Of course, a picture trumps any written grade.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Bobstamp
Members Picture

15 Aug 2014
03:29:49pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

Classic-period stamps are graded with more leniency because of their age. For the same reason, people go easy with me, recognizing that I too am a classic! Winking

I'd like to see an image of your stamp, but I suspect that it would be graded VF (Very Fine). Scott uses the convention of 1/4mm representing a "full margin" on classic stamps, so margins of that size or greater would result in a VF descriptor. But I'm certainly not an expert in classic issues, so someone else might want to weigh in.

Bob

Like
Login to Like
this post

www.ephemeraltreasures.net
Poodle_Mum
Members Picture

A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
15 Aug 2014
04:02:44pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

Thanks guys. I'll post an image tonight.

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Let's find a cure for Still's Disease, Breast Cancer and Canine Addison's Disease. We CAN find a cure and save lives!!"

emmettslegacy.webs.com/
khj
Members Picture

15 Aug 2014
04:07:48pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

Bob, where did you see that Scott uses the convention 1/4mm for full margins? I've only seen that note for some specific small margin stamps, but never as a general convention -- or did I miss a note in the Scott intro? That seems to be an amazingly small number as a general criteria for full margins. I've always used the criteria 1/2 the spacing between stamps for full margins. Anything less than that is simply a "clear margin" but not a "full margin".

Poodle_Mum, there are several 1855 issues, and I wasn't sure which one you were talking about. Please also cite a Scott catalog number when you post your pic. The Scott catalog does have a lot of footnotes indicating which early issues had "very small" margins and which ones had "moderate" margins. That will play an important part in the grade.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Bobstamp
Members Picture

15 Aug 2014
04:30:37pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

The bit about 1/4mm borders comes from page 10A of my Scott 2004 Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers. It's in the section titled "Full Margins" and refers to the difficulties of grading classic issues, not modern issues.

Bob

Like
Login to Like
this post

www.ephemeraltreasures.net
khj
Members Picture

15 Aug 2014
04:39:24pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

OK, thanks Bob.

What that phrase means is that 1/4mm is MINIMUM criteria in cases where half the spacing between stamps is less than 1/4mm.

But in general, 1/4mm is not sufficient condition to define a full margin (only in the case where half the spacing is less than that).

Scott uses the same general convention as others -- full margin is half the smallest spacing between stamps.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Poodle_Mum
Members Picture

A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
15 Aug 2014
05:05:43pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

Ok here is the stamp -
Image Not Found

If it is a bit blurry it's because I made it slightly larger than the actual scan to try to define the borders.

Also - if anyone can tell me anything about the postmark, that would be great. My early Canada knowledge is very minimal.

**edited to remove Scott image in case of copyright infringement**

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Let's find a cure for Still's Disease, Breast Cancer and Canine Addison's Disease. We CAN find a cure and save lives!!"

emmettslegacy.webs.com/
khj
Members Picture

15 Aug 2014
05:33:54pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

Ha Ha. I had thought it might have been a US stamp!

Like
Login to Like
this post
Poodle_Mum
Members Picture

A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
15 Aug 2014
05:36:32pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

khj - Ha! Unlikely in *my* collection. Russia, Germany, Queen Victoria and Canada.

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Let's find a cure for Still's Disease, Breast Cancer and Canine Addison's Disease. We CAN find a cure and save lives!!"

emmettslegacy.webs.com/
khj
Members Picture

15 Aug 2014
05:43:15pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

I can see the thick border clearly, but hard to see the thin outer frame line.

But it's certainly at least F-VF.

Very nice stamp to have!!!

Thumbs Up k

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
khj
Members Picture

15 Aug 2014
05:45:22pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

That type of cancel is known as a "target cancel".

There should be an SoR article on fancy cancels somewhere.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Poodle_Mum
Members Picture

A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
15 Aug 2014
06:23:32pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

Thanks Big Grin

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Let's find a cure for Still's Disease, Breast Cancer and Canine Addison's Disease. We CAN find a cure and save lives!!"

emmettslegacy.webs.com/
Philatarium
Members Picture

APS #187980
15 Aug 2014
09:39:25pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

I don't have my copy handy to double-check at the moment, but doesn't the Unitrade go into more detail about differences in grade, especially on classic-era stamps, and also provide prices reflecting those grading differences?


Like
Login to Like
this post

"You gotta put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone. (Hoots the Owl -- Sesame Street)"

www.hipstamp.com/store/the-philatarium
ThePhilatelist
Wish I was Engraved!
15 Aug 2014
10:13:26pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

"Scott Canada #5 (catalogue)"


A word of caution - I think it is copyright infringement to reproduce any part without permission.

I think Scott catalogue bases "grading" mostly on the centering (in the case of perforated stamps) or clear margins (for imperforate ones). Your stamp does seem to have four clear margins.

Stanley Gibbons is more realistic, and their introduction describes their grading standard as a combination of factors: Margins/Centering, Gum (for unused), and Cancellation. I see that the margins are not even on all sides, so I would classify this as Fine for the margins. The cancellation might go for Average or Fine, but a postmark enthusiast like myself will probably look at this one differently (especially if the postmark is special, which I cannot comment on).
Like
Login to Like
this post
amsd
Members Picture

Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads
16 Aug 2014
04:42:00pm

Auctions
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

TP, to what you caution us regarding copyright. I could find nothing amiss

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"

juicyheads.com/link.php?PLJZJP
Poodle_Mum
Members Picture

A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
16 Aug 2014
05:43:50pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

David - I had posted a copy of the image from Scott catalogue to show what the stamp with their margins to compare with my own. Then I saw the comment re: infringement of copyright so I deleted it.

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Let's find a cure for Still's Disease, Breast Cancer and Canine Addison's Disease. We CAN find a cure and save lives!!"

emmettslegacy.webs.com/
amsd
Members Picture

Editor, Seal News; contributor, JuicyHeads
16 Aug 2014
05:52:01pm

Auctions
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

thanks for explaining it. I doubt that would qualify as infringement, since you are merely "quoting" an image as a comparison, which, in my book, would qualify under the fair use exemption.

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Save the USPS, buy stamps; save the hobby, use commemoratives"

juicyheads.com/link.php?PLJZJP
ThePhilatelist
Wish I was Engraved!
16 Aug 2014
06:03:27pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

"I doubt that would qualify as infringement, since you are merely "quoting" an image as a comparison, which, in my book, would qualify under the fair use exemption."



The image from the catalogue was posted here on the Discussion Board. Posting something on a public domain exceeds fair use, in my opinion.

Like
Login to Like
this post
khj
Members Picture

17 Aug 2014
12:26:10am
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

From the Copyright Act of 1976 (of course, this is US, but I'm guessing most copyright laws have a similar section):

"...the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright."



The image was posted for educational/non-profit purposes.

The image is just one of several thousand stamps shown in the Unitrade catalog.

I don't think Unitrade can copyright most of the stamp images in their catalog for numerous reasons.

The Unitrade editor is active on another board in which snippets of the Unitrade catalog get posted often. I've never seen him complain.

In my opinion, it was fair use of a very very very small part of the catalog. No different from quoting a Unitrade number and price from the catalog. If I were posting whole pages or complete sections from the Unitrade, that's a different story. My opinion.
Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
michael78651
Members Picture

17 Aug 2014
01:46:06pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

Just one thing to add to what Kim said is that all you have to do is credit the source, which Kelly did (image from Scott catalog).

Like
Login to Like
this post

www.hipstamp.com/store/the-online-stamp-shop
khj
Members Picture

17 Aug 2014
03:45:46pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

Here I was talking about Unitrade when the picture was from the Scott catalog.

Hmmm, I don't see the embarrassed smiley.

Scott primarily cares about their numbering system. They get upset when you post a whole sequence of their catalog numbers with pictures, even when you post them with your own pictures. A very well-known and well-established US stamp (non-sale) website found that out the hard way and actually got shut down for a brief period until they reached a Scott catalog number licensing agreement.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Poodle_Mum
Members Picture

A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
17 Aug 2014
05:41:47pm
re: Grading Imperf Canadian Stamps

This has certainly turned into an interesting discussion. I could have just as easily posted a picture from the Unitrade catalogue which no doubt is the same as that of the Scott catalogue. I figured since it was one picture and clearly identified as a "quote" from the catalogue and not a whole bunch of stuff, there was no infringement of copyright. In any case, I received the answer I was looking for. I figured if Scott was showing a picture with those margins, then my margins were good. When it comes to early stamps such as these, it is difficult to clarify the size of the margins. Where some stamps such as my Nova Scotia #2s and #3s, I have some that have quite wide margins but I've yet to see Canada #5 online with any margins of that size. So, I looked at the Scott catalogue and noticed that their stamp used for a sample has basically the exactly same size margins (perhaps a tad wider on the left side), then what would be considered Fine if it were a different stamp, it could possibly be considered VF due to this particular issue.

In any case, we've certainly had an interesting discussion come out of it. Thanks Kim and Michael and all other contributors.

Kelly

Like
Login to Like
this post

"Let's find a cure for Still's Disease, Breast Cancer and Canine Addison's Disease. We CAN find a cure and save lives!!"

emmettslegacy.webs.com/
        
Please Note:
Postings that were loaded from the old Discussion Board cannot be edited.

Contact Webmaster | Visitors Online | Unsubscribe Emails


User Agreement

Copyright © 2024 Stamporama.com