U. S. Scott #865 - Used - Graded Good (LA01-0052-02-02)

Item Specifics

Country

United States

Catalog Number

865

Stamp Type

General Issue

Condition

Used

Centering

F/VF

Stamp Format

Single

Certificate Grade

65 & Below

Year of Issue

1940

Item Description

Stamp Evaluation – Scott #865 (Used, Hinged, No Original Gum – Single Stamp)
2¢ Carmine – John Greenleaf Whittier, 1940
(Famous Americans Series – Poets – Rotary Press Printing, Perf 11×10½)

Design Overview:
Scott #865 honors John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892), noted poet and abolitionist. The design presents his engraved portrait in an ornate rectangular frame, with “UNITED STATES POSTAGE” at the top, “2 CENTS 2” at the bottom corners, and “JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER” inscribed below the vignette. Issued in 1940 as part of the Famous Americans Series (Poets group), the 2¢ denomination was used for multiple domestic postage purposes, especially for nonstandard or combined rates. The submitted example is postally used, hinged, and without original gum.

Grading Breakdown:
Centering Grade: 77 (Fine–Very Fine, F–VF)
The perforations are clear of the design, though margins are not balanced. The bottom margin is the narrowest, the top the widest, with the right margin tighter than the left. This fits Fine–Very Fine centering under the 2009 PSE grading standards.

Soundness Evaluation:
Minor Fault: Several perf creases
Minor Fault: Several ragged, fuzzy, or shorter perfs (about half normal length)
Minor Fault: Light crease
This combination of faults places the stamp into the Fault classification under PSE guidelines.
Soundness Deduction: –30 points

Perforations and Margins:
Perforations gauge 11×10½, correct for this issue. Several are ragged or shortened, though all remain genuine. Margin proportions confirm the Fine–Very Fine centering grade.

Cancellation Evaluation:
The stamp bears a bold black circular date cancel reading “COTTONWOOD, MAY 14, 1940,” which is classified as a Heavy Cancel. It covers most of the vignette, including the portrait, but remains legible and historically tied to the issue period.

Collector’s Note:
The Famous Americans Series is a popular collecting area, though faults and heavy cancels are common among used examples. Clear strikes tied to the period of issue, like this 1940 cancel, add interest for postal historians despite reducing eye appeal.

Eye Appeal Adjustment:
The bright carmine color remains strong, but the heavy cancel combined with perf faults reduces visual quality. A –10 point adjustment is applied.
Eye Appeal Adjustment: –10 points

Final Numerical Grade Calculation:
Centering Grade: 77 (Fine–Very Fine, F–VF)
Soundness Deduction: –30 (Fault classification)
Adjusted Base Grade: 47
Eye Appeal Adjustment: –10
Final Grade: 37 (Good, G)

Final Summary:
Scott Number: 865
Condition: Used, Hinged, No Original Gum
Centering: 77 (Fine–Very Fine, F–VF)
Soundness: Faults (perf creases, ragged/short perfs, light crease), –30
Perforations: Perf 11×10½, several defective but genuine
Cancellation: Heavy dated circular cancel across portrait, –10 adjustment
Eye Appeal: –10 due to cancel and perf faults
Final Grade: 37 (Good, G)

Final Verdict:
This used 2¢ John Greenleaf Whittier from the Famous Americans Series shows Fine–Very Fine centering but suffers from multiple perf faults, creases, and a heavy cancel. Its final numerical grade under the 2009 PSE Grading Guide is 37 (Good). It remains a collectible representative of the Poets group in the Famous Americans Series.

Seller Information

Seller

jamisonenterprises (854)

Registered Since

03/18/2005

Feedback

100%

Store

Jamison Stamps & Books

Item Location

California, United States

Ships To

Worldwide

Returns Accepted

No

Public Questions