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The Philatelic Foundation was founded in New York in 1945. The PF is widely recognized in the hobby as the leading authenticating service for postage stamps in the United States. Since its beginning, it has issued over 555,000 Certificates of Authenticity. With almost 75 years of experience, the PF has unrivaled expertise in correctly identifying stamps by their Scott Catalogue number. A number of issues are distinguished by subtle color, shade, perforation and watermark varieties. Many scarce and valuable stamps look virtually identical to stamps of only nominal value. In addition, otherwise genuine stamps have sometimes been repaired over the years to conceal such flaws as paper thins, sealed tears and other condition issues. Unused stamps have been regummed to simulate genuine original unhinged gum. Pen cancels have been fraudulently removed from early issues of used stamps to make them appear as more valuable unused stamps.
With eight decades of experience authenticating valuable United States stamps, the PF in consultation with eBay has developed a “watch list” of those stamps that are frequently misidentified by catalog number or misdescribed by condition. As the leading internet marketplace for the sale of stamps, eBay recognizes the benefits of expertization. A stamp posted for sale on eBay, accompanied with a Certificate of Authenticity, provides confidence to both seller and buyer. Both the eBay and the PF share the same goal: to make certain that stamps bought and sold in our hobby are genuine in all respects.
The “watch list” below, identifies stamps of significant value which the PF have found to be the most frequently misidentified by their Scott Specialized United States Catalogue numbers, The list is limited to a little more than 5% of all Scott Catalogued U.S. stamps. The great majority of the listed stamps were issued in the 19th century with a smaller number issued before 1925.
Postmasters’ Provisionals : 1X1 through 8XU4
1847 Issue : 1 & 2 unused
1851 Issue : 5, 5A, 6, 6b, 8, (8) Pos. 99R2, 12 unused, 13-15 unused, 16, 17 unused,
1857-61 Issue : 19, 19b, 21 unused, (21) Pos. 99R2, 23 unused, 25A, 27A. 31-33 unused, 34, 36
Reprints of 1857-60 Issue : 40-47
1861 First Design Essays : 63-E11e through 72-E7h
1861-66 Issue : 64, 64b, 67 unused, 75 unused, 78c
1867 Grilled Issues : 79-85, 85A through 85F, 66 unused, 90 through 92 unused,
95 through 100 unused, 101
Re-Issue of 1861-66 Issues : 102-111
1869 Issue : 118 through 121 unused, 122
Re-Issue of 1869 Issue : 123 through 133a
Banknote Issue with “H” Grill 1870-71 : 134 unused, 137 through 139 unused, 140 through 144
Banknote Issue with “I” Grill : 134A through 143A
National Banknote Issue 1870-71 : 154 & 155 unused
Continental Banknote Issue 1873 : 165 unused, 166 used
Special Printing of 1873 Issue : 167 through 177
American Banknote 1879 Issue : 191 unused
Special Printing of 1879 Issue : 192 through 204
Special Printing of 1882 : 205C
Special Printing of 1883-85 : 211B, 211D
Columbian Issue 1893, 4c error of color : 233a
Columbian Issue 1893, dollar values with original gum : 241 through 245 unused
Bureau Issue of 1894 : 261A through 263 unused
Trans-Mississippi Issue 1898 dollar values with original gum : 282 & 283 unused
Pan-American Issue with Inverted Centers : 294a, 295a, 296a
1902-03 Issue : 313, 314A, 315
1908 Coil stamps : 316 through 318 unused, 321, 322 unused, 356
1908 Bluish Paper : 359 through 366 (beware of fake cancels on used stamps)
1910-11 Coils : 388, 389
1914 Compound Perforations : 423A through 423E
1914-16 Rotary Press Issue : 449 unused, 459 used, 467
1916-17 Flat Plate Press Issue : 476A, 482A
1916-22 Issue : 491 unused
1917-19 AEF Booklet Panes of 30 : 498f & 499f unused
1917-19 Compound Perforations : 502e, 504a, 506a, 508a, 511a, 512a, 514a, 516a, 517a
1917 Issue : 519
1917 Victory Issue : 537a
1919 Regular Issue : 539
1920 Offset Printing : 534B
1922 Issue “Waste” : 544
1923 Issue “Waste” : 594, 596
1927 Harding Memorial Perf. 11 Rotary Press : 613
1938 Presidential Issue : 834a
1918 Jenny Invert Airmail : C3a
1944-45 RF Overprints : CM1 through CM12
1879 Postage Dues Special Printing : J8 through J14 unused
1914 Postage Dues : J58
1916 Postage Dues : J59
1878 State Department Officials : O68 through O71
1879 Agriculture Official : O94
1879 Officials Special Printing Overprinted “Specimen ” : O1S through O98S
1875 Newspaper Special Printing : PR33 through PR56
1895 Newspaper Special Printing : PR102 through PR113
Updated: September 24, 2018