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Getting out...
Sep. 22nd, 2012 09:34 pmOne interesting habit I've developed when examining a stamp and finding that it may have a high value is to immediately look for evidence that it's not what I think it might be.
The other day, for example, I picked up a cover (philately-speak for an envelope with a stamp on it), and actually, only the front of the cover (most of the back has been cut away), of something that was sent from St. Petersburg to Narva in mid-August 1869.
The stamp on the cover is of a design that made its first appearance in 1858, as the second stamp issued by the Russian Empire. Between then and 1869, essentially the same stamp was issued with different paper, watermark, and perforation characteristics, and I fully expected to learn a few things as I examined the stamp and then tracked it down in a catalog that I "inherited" from Feht.
As it turned out, the perforations on the stamp suggested that it was indeed Russia #2 (referring to its catalog number). Confident that I had misunderstood something, I wrote to Feht (who is quite knowledgeable in such matters) and was set straight regarding the nature of the catalog I had used, written by a fellow named Soloviev, and generally pretty good as far as Soviet-era stamps were concerned, but very so-so when it came to early issues.
It isn't to say the stamp is definitively not #2, but the catalog I used is simply not authoritative enough to make that determination. So until I gain some experience in the field, I shall consider the stamp to be a Scott #23, printed in 1869 or so, whose value lies primarily in having been printed 100 years before I graduated from high school.
* * * By all rights, I should have gotten down to work this morning when Galina left for Natalie's house, but I'm thinking that part of my malaise over the past few days may have its root in having chained myself to the desk since arriving in Houston, and of having almost no time for other activities for the past couple of months. So Galina and I took off for the other side of town (40 miles) and then ate out for lunch, visited the Phoenecia and Nippan Daido food stores on the way back, stopped off at PetSmart to restock, and paused at Fry's to pick up a power strip.
I figured I'd be too tired to do any work, but I surprised myself. I think maybe the excursion did the trick.
A look at the "state of the plate" shows quite a bit of work piled up. I shall have to fully snap out of whatever "it" is tomorrow and get serious about tapping the keyboard.
Meanwhile, I think I'll go catch some z's.
The other day, for example, I picked up a cover (philately-speak for an envelope with a stamp on it), and actually, only the front of the cover (most of the back has been cut away), of something that was sent from St. Petersburg to Narva in mid-August 1869.
The stamp on the cover is of a design that made its first appearance in 1858, as the second stamp issued by the Russian Empire. Between then and 1869, essentially the same stamp was issued with different paper, watermark, and perforation characteristics, and I fully expected to learn a few things as I examined the stamp and then tracked it down in a catalog that I "inherited" from Feht.
As it turned out, the perforations on the stamp suggested that it was indeed Russia #2 (referring to its catalog number). Confident that I had misunderstood something, I wrote to Feht (who is quite knowledgeable in such matters) and was set straight regarding the nature of the catalog I had used, written by a fellow named Soloviev, and generally pretty good as far as Soviet-era stamps were concerned, but very so-so when it came to early issues.
It isn't to say the stamp is definitively not #2, but the catalog I used is simply not authoritative enough to make that determination. So until I gain some experience in the field, I shall consider the stamp to be a Scott #23, printed in 1869 or so, whose value lies primarily in having been printed 100 years before I graduated from high school.
I figured I'd be too tired to do any work, but I surprised myself. I think maybe the excursion did the trick.
A look at the "state of the plate" shows quite a bit of work piled up. I shall have to fully snap out of whatever "it" is tomorrow and get serious about tapping the keyboard.
Meanwhile, I think I'll go catch some z's.
