16.4.19

Tips To Follow To Identify Rare Postage Stamps

By Scott Wagner


Stamp collection has been one of the tasks people have continuously engage in over the years. They focus on the Rare Postage Stamps which are considered to be more valuable than the common ones. This motivates most stamp collectors to concentrate their energy and time on trying to get them by all means possible. However, one needs to have stamp collecting skills to know how to differentiate them by checking errors and perforation.

Age is another essential factor that makes them scarce especially when they get older. Additionally, they are becoming rarer because collectors are continuously keeping them in permanent collections. This makes the collecting process to be more valuable as the value of each stamp increases with time.

There is a need for one to have skills of differentiating each stamp from another. There are mint ones which are also known to have a fine condition. They are rare to find as they are considered to have a great value which in turn increases their prices as they still have their original gum, no defects and do not have cancellation marks. However, used ones have lost value as none of the above characteristics can be sold at a lower cost.

One is required to measure the number of perforations on the stamp edge by use of a perforation gauge. This is an essential gadget that will help determine those with similar perforations. In most instances, those that are nearly identical have different perforations. Some of the perforations make them infrequent hence increasing their value and costs more than one would have expected.

You should take time and research your stamp. This will help determine how common it might be. Among the many sources of information to consider, Scott catalogs should be the first reference resource material. You will realize that the rarest stamp in the world is one made in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six which is the most expensive.

It is necessary to check the printing errors. There are some which are printed mistakenly baring some mistakes which were not noticed until they were released. A good example is the inverted Jenny which is an airmail stamp. It had a pane of one hundred which was printed upside down. Due to the mistake, it became among the rarest stamps and increased its value.

Another issue considered is the content error. You might realize that a stamp has a different content with one indicated on the Scott Catalog. This means that some sheets would have wrong content which went unnoticed early enough. For example, a stamp issued in year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four has an image of rodeo star Ben Pickett instead of his brother Bill.

Moreover, the use of the Scott Catalog can be helpful since it acts as a standard stamp reference guide. There is a need to note that it is updated annually which means that the information to acquire from is relevant. You are required to list down every stamp in the world best-known to you with some expectations. This way, you will have a chance of understanding their values.




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