My first submissions: surprises of all kinds (including a 98 1931 Rotary)
planetsteve
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Here's what I have from my first two submissions:
1 1 01152955 100119 VF-XF 85, Used 35 1859 10c type V US
2 1 01152956 100120 F 70, Used 36 1857 12c plate I US
3 1 01152957 100445 VF 80, Mint OGnh 231 1893 2c US
4 1 01152958 100451 VF-XF 85J, Used 234 1893 5c US
5 1 01152959 100454 VF 80, Mint OGnh 236 1893 8c US
6 1 01152960 100577 VF 80, Mint OGnh 297 1901 5c US
7 1 01152961 100730 VF 80, Mint OGnh 397 1913 1c US
8 1 01152962 100731 NG 0, Mint OGnh 398 1913 2c US
9 1 01152963 101006 VF-XF 85, Mint OGph 573 1923 $5 US
1 1 01155003 100897 VF-XF 85, Mint OGnh 516 1917 30c US
2 1 01155004 101156 XF-Sup 95, Mint OGnh 698 1931 20c rotary US
3 1 01155005 101157 Superb 98, Mint OGnh 699 1931 25c rotary US
4 1 01155006 101158 VF 80, Mint OGnh 700 1931 30c rotary US
5 1 01155007 136485 XF 90, Mint OGnh 742 1934 3c US
6 1 01155008 500052 XF-Sup 95, Mint OGnh 919 1943 5c Austria US
(The good people of PSE cut me some slack on the economy submission of only six stamps. Their note on the webpage that indicates a "maximum" of ten for that service is a typo.)
The first entry is a favorite #35 -- which I misattributed btw -- with decent centering and cancel. The next surprised me with a tiny thin.
Both of my mint Columbians came in at 80, including this disappointment. Any ideas on why it wasn't, say, an 85 or 90? I did do something to this stamp that I don't think I will ever do again -- I removed selvage on the right, because I thought that the magenta tone to the paper that transitioned to white at the edge of the selvage made the stamp look duller. There is now a shortish perf on the right (the third up from the lower corner).
I was also surprised with a slap of REPERFORATED. The good news is that I learned a lot, such as the appearance of a reperforation (now I see the very clean holes) and the reality that even inexpensive stamps can be altered. (Most of these stamps were purchased around 2000-2001, for half their current valuations at the very most.)
Judging by the pop reports, I am surprised that this 1923 $5 is so common. I guess it has always been a collector's stamp. (I am also dismayed to see that it is previously hinged, especially after it was represented to me as NH.) I don't see that this issue will appreciate much (except for top grades), so I'd like to find another home for this one right away and find a better copy.
I was quite pleased by the scores for the 1931 rotaries. The 30 cent got a pedestrian grade, but I just love this design, and again, this grading was an inexpensive learning experience.
After all these scores below 90, I was glad to see that my eye was validated by this Golden Gate in 95 and -- oh my this is satisfying -- a 98 Niagara. I was actually a bit surprised by this grade, and I am thrilled that it is the only one certified as a 98 except for a single 98J. In this latter case, I would actually like to sell, though at a substantial premium over SMQ.
I find this grading process to be pretty exciting -- even more so than my experience with PCGS -- and I learned much from this exercise. It appears that the pops for most of the important issues show a bell curve with the median at 90, which tells me that most submitters to date are dealers. It's going to be tough to find this quality as yet ungraded, but at this point it sounds like a worthwhile challenge.
1 1 01152955 100119 VF-XF 85, Used 35 1859 10c type V US
2 1 01152956 100120 F 70, Used 36 1857 12c plate I US
3 1 01152957 100445 VF 80, Mint OGnh 231 1893 2c US
4 1 01152958 100451 VF-XF 85J, Used 234 1893 5c US
5 1 01152959 100454 VF 80, Mint OGnh 236 1893 8c US
6 1 01152960 100577 VF 80, Mint OGnh 297 1901 5c US
7 1 01152961 100730 VF 80, Mint OGnh 397 1913 1c US
8 1 01152962 100731 NG 0, Mint OGnh 398 1913 2c US
9 1 01152963 101006 VF-XF 85, Mint OGph 573 1923 $5 US
1 1 01155003 100897 VF-XF 85, Mint OGnh 516 1917 30c US
2 1 01155004 101156 XF-Sup 95, Mint OGnh 698 1931 20c rotary US
3 1 01155005 101157 Superb 98, Mint OGnh 699 1931 25c rotary US
4 1 01155006 101158 VF 80, Mint OGnh 700 1931 30c rotary US
5 1 01155007 136485 XF 90, Mint OGnh 742 1934 3c US
6 1 01155008 500052 XF-Sup 95, Mint OGnh 919 1943 5c Austria US
(The good people of PSE cut me some slack on the economy submission of only six stamps. Their note on the webpage that indicates a "maximum" of ten for that service is a typo.)
The first entry is a favorite #35 -- which I misattributed btw -- with decent centering and cancel. The next surprised me with a tiny thin.
Both of my mint Columbians came in at 80, including this disappointment. Any ideas on why it wasn't, say, an 85 or 90? I did do something to this stamp that I don't think I will ever do again -- I removed selvage on the right, because I thought that the magenta tone to the paper that transitioned to white at the edge of the selvage made the stamp look duller. There is now a shortish perf on the right (the third up from the lower corner).
I was also surprised with a slap of REPERFORATED. The good news is that I learned a lot, such as the appearance of a reperforation (now I see the very clean holes) and the reality that even inexpensive stamps can be altered. (Most of these stamps were purchased around 2000-2001, for half their current valuations at the very most.)
Judging by the pop reports, I am surprised that this 1923 $5 is so common. I guess it has always been a collector's stamp. (I am also dismayed to see that it is previously hinged, especially after it was represented to me as NH.) I don't see that this issue will appreciate much (except for top grades), so I'd like to find another home for this one right away and find a better copy.
I was quite pleased by the scores for the 1931 rotaries. The 30 cent got a pedestrian grade, but I just love this design, and again, this grading was an inexpensive learning experience.
After all these scores below 90, I was glad to see that my eye was validated by this Golden Gate in 95 and -- oh my this is satisfying -- a 98 Niagara. I was actually a bit surprised by this grade, and I am thrilled that it is the only one certified as a 98 except for a single 98J. In this latter case, I would actually like to sell, though at a substantial premium over SMQ.
I find this grading process to be pretty exciting -- even more so than my experience with PCGS -- and I learned much from this exercise. It appears that the pops for most of the important issues show a bell curve with the median at 90, which tells me that most submitters to date are dealers. It's going to be tough to find this quality as yet ungraded, but at this point it sounds like a worthwhile challenge.
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