Stamp grading

Rayem

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site and am not an expert in stamp grading. I thank you in advance for your information. I am watching a nice stamp on eBay but noticed it has a small ink pen line mark on the gum. It was verified from the seller that "it looks like a pen mark". Does this degrade the value of the stamp. Thanks, Ray

StampAlarm

Yes it would degrade the stamp unless a real rarity is what you are looking at.

It isn't OG. It's OG with a ink pen mark.

And welcome aboard.



Jerry

Rayem

Thank You, Ray

dougwtx

IMO, I don't think it hurts the value that much for a pen or pencil mark on the back. In the old days, it was quite normal for people to put identifying numbers on the back, mint and used. Even some "experts" put expertizing marks on the back such as a plate id or their own mark. I forget the expertizer, but the Greenland overprints, 22a-27a, are worth more when the authentic expertizer's stamp is on the gum. When I sold my set, a dealer questioned if I knew if the headstamp was authentic or forged. I have heard of some US experts that had their own marks too that they put on the back.

edited to add: for the block in question, I would buy it at a DOG or MH price; unless it is a high value item.

edueku

Looks like the back of a higher denomination rotary press issue. Might be a decent deal as a block but I wouldn't pay near catalog value for it. If you ever resell, those small defects will make the block harder to sell (ESPECIALLLY to a dealer) Gum creases are definite production defects. Most US stamps are DEvalued with any sort of pen mark on the back(and pencil on gummed stamps that is not removable). A gum bend can be OK if it doesn't show in WM fluid, sometimes what appears to be a crease sometimes is technically a bend. Hope this helps some and welcome to the board!