Follow these steps in the
identification of your fifteen cent Bank Note:
You will need to check for the paper
type on this stamp. If it was printed on the "soft porous"
paper it is the American Bank Note printing, Scott 189.
If the stamp was printed on the "hard white" paper you will need to check
for the quality of printing (see "the
secret mark on the 15¢ Bank Note"). If the printed
quality is sharp and crisp the stamp is most likely a National Bank
Note printing, otherwise it is most likely a Continental Bank Note
Printing, Scott 162.
If the stamp was printed by the National Bank Note Company,
check for a grill to determine the Scott number. If the stamp has a
grill, it may be Scott 141. If it does not have a
grill it is Scott 152. Care must be taken when authenticating
the grill. Many fake grills have been added over the years in an
attempt to increase the value of the stamp. In most cases, even if
it appears to have a grill, in all likelihood it does not.
Certification is a must for Scott 141.
Watch for re-perforation (to fake a more well-centered stamp), for re-gumming (a major problem with the Bank Notes), and even
for bleaching
of the cancellation (to remove the cancel). Unused copies carry a
substantial premium over the used stamp.
We include the "Special" printings in this identification
guide merely for completeness. Only 169 copies total of Scott
174
and Scott 199 were sold, and they were never issued for postal use. We occasionally see uncertified copies of
these stamps offered for sale at ridiculously low prices. You can
rest assured that the stamp being offered is not genuine. These
stamps are so rare, only 70 are known, they rarely come up for sale, except in
the sale of a major U.S. Collection.
