Stamps -> UK (Great Britain) -> Victoria
For collectors of stamps from Great Britain, perhaps the most desirable stamp of all is the Queen Victoria Stamp. This is a rare stamp that was first made in 1840. The original value was one penny, but since that time these stamps have become much more expensive. You can easily expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars on an authentic Queen Victoria stamp.
While there are many of these available, it is important to know whether or not you have an authentic Queen Victoria stamp on your hands, or if it is a fake. Here are some easy guidelines to help you determine not only the authenticity of your stamp but whether or not it will be worth a great deal of money.
1. Overall Condition
Queen Victoria stamps that are in great condition will obviously sell for more money. If you are a serious collector with money to spend, look for an extremely fine or very fine condition stamp. These will typically have very small perforations on the edge and the entire stamp will be very clean looking and in overall good condition.
However, if the stamp is too perfect, you may not be dealing with an authentic Queen Victoria stamp. There should be some age and wear to the item if it is authentic.
2. Look for adhesive.
One of the world’s first adhesive stamps was the Queen Victoria stamp and these are worth an incredible amount of money. Ideally, you should look for one that has the majority of the gum intact, since these will be worth the most money. However, even stamps that only have a small amount of adhesive can still be worth a pretty penny.
If the adhesive is not dark colored, as it would be with age, this is a sign that it may have been added recently. Remember, if it looks too new – chances are that it is.
3. Avoid faults.
Unless you are merely collecting Queen Victoria stamps for the fun of it, you should avoid faults. These are imperfections that are the result of age and handling, and not from the original designer. If the stamp is torn, or has creases, it will be worth less money. However, little things like having a hinge still intact may actually increase the overall value of the stamp.
This is one case where perfection makes it easy to spot a fake. While collectors always look for Queen Victoria stamps that are in close to perfect condition, they will still have some age since they are so old. Avoid any stamps that are completely perfect.
Stamp collecting should be fun, so first and foremost remember that if you do come across an authentic Queen Victoria stamp, even if it was used on a postcard it is still a rare find. Take good care of it and you never know, it may increase in value over time. These rare stamps are a lot of fun to collect.
Originally posted 2008-08-24 05:00:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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