Follow these steps in the
identification of your ninety 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 191.
If the stamp is
on the "hard white" paper, you will need to determine the
color. If it is a full rich carmine, it is most likely a National
Bank Note printing. If
it is a rose carmine or pale rose carmine, it is most likely the
Continental Bank Note printing, Scott 166. This
is the primary consideration in determining whether a stamp is Scott
155 or Scott 166. See the "colors
of the 90¢ Bank Notes" for a color comparison.
If the stamp was printed by the National Bank Note Company,
check for grill to determine the Scott number. If the stamp has a
grill, it may be the rare Scott 144. If it does not have a
grill it is Scott 155. 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. If the stamp is not
the full rich carmine shade and it has a grill it is most likely a
fake.
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 170 copies total of Scott
177
and Scott 202 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 80 are known, they rarely come up for
sale, except in the sale of a major U.S. Collection.
