Lot 505 United States Of America #886 3c Bright Purple Augustus Saint Gaudens, 1940 Famous Americans Issue, A XF-SUP NH Single

A XF-SUP NH single of the 3c bright purple Augustus Saint Gaudens from the 1940 Famous Americans Issue . Very close to perfect centering. With the unaided eye, one has to look very closely to notice that it is not quite perfectly centered, and by this it is generally meant that no side will be more than about 1/8th to 1/4 of a milimeter larger than any of the other sides. We're talking a difference so small that even with very close scrutiny the stamp looks more or less perfect, and it is only after some time that you begin to get the sense it is not quite perfect.

2016 Scott Specialized does not list most graded stamps after past #715, but generally most high grade stamps are worth more or less the same amount. Generally speaking, for NH stamps whose basic catalogue value is 25 cents, based on Stamp Market Quarterly, XF90 is worth $10-$12,XF-SUP 95 is worth $30-$35, SUP-98 is worth $100-$150 and GEM100 is worth $200-$250. Used is generally worth more. Based on this our estimate of the value ist $35. The stamp offered here grades 95 as follows:

Centering/Margins: 65/70

Paper Freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of Visible Paper Flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10

In assessing the centering on high grade stamps, I apply two tests. The first is to scrutinize the stamp very closely, looking at it first, normally, and then I rotate it and look it it from all four basic directions. I try to determine whether or not it is easy for me to tell that the stamp is not quite perfectly centered, but looks perfect at first glance, and if the answer is yes, does it look to me like it is off by more than 1/4 of a mm in any direction. If the answer is yes and yes, then it is automatically a VF-84, and I stop applying the tests, and conclude it does not qualify for any of the high premium grades. If the answer is yes and no, then it is likely an XF-90. If the amswer is no, then it may be either an XF-SUP 95, a SUP-98 or a GEM-100, and this is where the second test is applied. I use a 10x loupe and the ruler on my perforation guage to very carefully measure the width of the margins on all 4 sides by lining the edge of the scale up with the bottom of one of the perforation holes, or 2 holes along the edge I am assessing. I use the bottom of a hole, rather than the tip of the perforation in order to ensure that the measurement is consistent, as the length of perforations can vary slightly. If they margins are all exactly equal, as indicated by the ruler, then it is a GEM-100. If 3 sides are equal and one side is off by 1/8th of a mm at most, it is a SUP-98. If three sides are equal, but the 4th is off by 1/8-1/4 mm then it is an XF-SUP 95. These high grades are suprisingly scarce: most stamps that you scrutinize carefully will grade VF-84 at best, with many being only VF-75 or VF-80. The stamps you see on offer here, were what I found by looking through well over 1,000 stamps and probably closer to 2,000. So, while they are not super rare, they are genuinely scarce in these grades. Most of what you are paying for when you buy these is the scarcity combined with the time and effort taken to find them amoung a large quantity of stamps. Many collectors who argue that these are common stamps overlook these facts.