Spot the Difference if you Can #28
Because of the location of where I live, there are few collectors near me that I can meet with, But there are a some within 50 km of me & we try & meet a couple of times a year to trade & check out each other’s new acquisitions. It’s a great way to get away from the office for a few hours & enjoy my hobby. On my last meeting I found a great stamp than my friend had in his collection.
The two stamps shown below were issued on January 22, 1891. One is worth about twice as much as the other in Mint or used condition. These stamp varieties , are highly sought after by collectors of Hong Kong as they are difficult to find, both mint or used and collectors don’t like to part with them. I have never seen one first hand until recently when visiting a friend who is a casual collector of British Commonwealth stamps. Can you see the difference?
Look carefully at the stamps below & see if you can spot the difference
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The Stamp on the left is Scott #66 & on the Right is Scott #66b. Scott#66b is the Short U variety in the JUBILEE part of the overprint. Sc #66 has the normal sized U which is the same height as the rest of the letters in JUBILEE. It’s easy to miss if you don’t look carefully
The stamps of Hong Kong have peaked my interest recently due to the political unrest in the region. As it turns out, my collector friend was un-aware he had the variety. The collection had been handed down to him by his grandfather & he had assumed it was a duplicate. Once I pointed it out to him, he was very thankful & very happy with the find. I asked if he would sell it, but he decided to keep it, in memory of his grandfather. I completely understood.
As mentioned, the stamp on the left is about 2 times more valuable than the other in mint or used condition. These differences are listed and imaged in EzStamp as shown below
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These varieties are hard to find and are moderately priced. I am still searching for that one. If you find one, grab it if you can get it at a reasonable price. It’s a buyer’s market right now so keep looking for those treasures.
Happy hunting