If you are one of the many collectors who believes they have found a rare red line Washington 2 cent stamp, this article is for you. Those lines show up often, they are widely misunderstood, and in most cases they do not indicate a printing error or a valuable variety.

Getting stamp certificates back can be a little painful. Sometimes you pay the fee, wait for the results, and find out the stamp was altered, misidentified, or worth a lot less than you hoped.

Other times, the certificate changes everything.

This most recent batch had both. There were fake grills, genuine coils, better-than-expected varieties, and a few stamps that came back far stronger than expected. One of them was the kind of find collectors look for year after year and almost never actually pull out of an album.

What These Stamp Certificate Results Actually Show

Stamp certificates matter because they take the guesswork out of expensive stamps. A good certificate identifies the stamp, confirms whether it is genuine, notes faults, and sometimes includes a grade. That matters a lot when the difference between two similar-looking stamps can be hundreds or thousands of dollars.

For this submission, the certificates came from PSE, Professional Stamp Experts. Their certificates include the stamp identification, condition notes, a certificate number, an embossed seal, and the signature of the expertizer. The certificate number can be checked through PSE’s website, which is something collectors should do when buying a certified stamp from a dealer, at a show, or from another collector.

Certificates can be faked just like stamps can be faked. That is not something to ignore. If a stamp has a strong catalog value and the seller is relying on a certificate to justify the price, verify the certificate before buying.

A Scott No. 8 Was The First Big Surprise

The first major result was a Scott No. 8, the 1-cent 1857 Type III.

This was not expected.

The more common version is Scott No. 8A, the Type IIIA. The distinction comes down to the outer frame line. On the Type III, the outer frame line is broken at both the top and bottom. On the Type IIIA, it is broken at the top or bottom.

That sounds like a small difference, but it is not small in value. A Scott No. 8A has a catalog value of about $750, while a Scott No. 8 catalogs at $5,500.

That is the kind of result that makes certification worthwhile. The stamp could easily have been assumed to be the more common 8A, especially with the top cut close to the frame line. Instead, the certificate confirmed the better type.

The Scott 19B Was Even Better Than Expected

The next major result was a Scott 19B, the 1-cent 1857 Type Ic.

A normal Scott 19B is already a strong stamp, with a catalog value around $4,500. It is not a stamp that appears often. Finding one is already a win.

But this example came back as position 96R4, the F relief. That position is considered the most prominent and desirable example of this particular Type Ic variety. Because of that, the catalog value jumps to about $7,500.

The certificate did note some perforation faults, so the retail value will not be full catalog. Still, this is a rare stamp with a desirable position and a light blue cancellation that makes it more appealing visually. For a stamp like this, eye appeal still matters, even when faults are present.

Why Position Matters On Classic U.S. Stamps

Some classic U.S. stamps are not valued only by Scott number. Plate position can matter too.

A certain position may show the design characteristics more clearly than another. In some cases, the position is the best example of the type. That can raise demand because collectors are not just looking for the issue. They are looking for the clearest, strongest example of the variety.

That is what happened with the Scott 19B. The stamp was already rare. The position made it better.

A Scott No. 23 Double Transfer Added Value

Another useful result came from a Scott No. 23, the 1-cent 1857 Type IV.

This stamp was sent in because there appeared to be a double transfer around the “0” of “1 cent.” The certificate confirmed it as a double transfer variety from position 86L1L.

The value difference is meaningful. A normal example catalogs around $575. The double transfer version catalogs around $900.

That does not make it a monster rarity, but it shows why small design details are worth checking. A tiny doubling in the right place can move a stamp into a better variety and make the certificate fee worthwhile.

Color Varieties Brought Mixed Results

Color can be one of the hardest areas in classic U.S. stamps. Catalog descriptions make the shades sound tidy. Actual stamps do not cooperate.

Red brown, brick red, Indian red, bright red brown, rose pink, and related shades can be difficult to separate without experience and comparison material. Lighting also changes the way a stamp looks. So does age, paper tone, cancellation, and even the scanner or camera used to view it.

This group had several color-related submissions.

Scott No. 27 Brick Red

One stamp came back as Scott No. 27, the brick red variety of the 5-cent 1858 issue.

Brick red is usually brighter and more distinct than standard red brown. This example had the right look, so it was worth sending in. The certificate confirmed it as genuine brick red.

The catalog value is around $1,450. The problem is condition. The stamp has faults noted on the certificate, so it will likely sell for only a small percentage of catalog.

That is normal with classic material. Catalog value is not retail value. Faults matter, especially on stamps where buyers have other options.

Scott No. 28B Bright Red Brown

Another strong result came from what was expected to be a Scott No. 28.

Instead, the certificate identified it as Scott No. 28B, the bright red brown variety. That is a better result. A regular Scott No. 28 catalogs around $1,100, while Scott No. 28B catalogs around $2,250.

This stamp has a short corner perf at the upper left and the centering is not especially strong. That is common for the issue, but it still affects price. Even so, a small percentage of $2,250 is still better than a small percentage of $1,100.

Scott No. 64B Rose Pink

The Scott No. 64B rose pink was a different kind of result.

The hope was that it would come back as Scott No. 64, which has a higher catalog value. Instead, it came back as Scott No. 64B, which catalogs around $160.

That sounds like a miss, but the stamp graded 90. A 90 grade means the stamp is well centered and sound. It also has a nicely struck date cancel that appears to show 1861, the first year of issue.

So while it was not the better shade, the grade helped save the result.

The Grill Results Were A Mix Of Wins And Fakes

Grills are one of the areas where certificates are not optional for better stamps. Fake grills exist. Weak grills exist. Misread grills exist. Sometimes what looks like a grill is something else entirely.

This submission showed all of that.

Scott No. 79 All-Over A Grill

A Scott No. 79, the 3-cent A grill, came back genuine.

The A grill is different from the smaller rectangular grills collectors often see on later grilled issues. It covers the entire stamp. Because the grill affects the perforation area, weak or missing perf tips are often normal for this issue.

On another stamp, those weak perfs might be a serious fault. On this issue, they are part of what collectors expect. The certificate noted perf faults as normal for the issue, which makes the condition easier to understand.

A used Scott No. 79 catalogs around $13,000.

Scott No. 85 D Grill

The Scott No. 85 D grill came back genuine, with a small filled thin at the bottom right.

That fault will reduce the retail value, but this is still a valuable stamp. Scott No. 85 catalogs around $1,050 in used condition.

For better grill types like C grills and D grills, certification is especially important. They are faked often enough that an uncertified example will usually face heavy doubt from serious buyers.

Scott No. 85E Z Grill

The Scott No. 85E, the 12-cent Z grill, also came back genuine, but with a major condition note. It was reperforated at the left and bottom.

That hurts the value. Reperforation is not a minor flaw. It means the stamp has been altered to improve its appearance or replace missing perforations.

Still, the stamp itself is scarce, and a used Scott No. 85E catalogs around $2,250. Even with the reperforation, the certificate gives a clear and honest description of what it is.

The Banknote Grills Delivered Two Big Results

The 7-cent and 10-cent Banknote grill results were some of the strongest in the group.

Scott No. 138A I Grill

The 7-cent Banknote was submitted for authentication and came back as Scott No. 138A, the I grill.

That is better than the expected Scott No. 138 H grill. I grills are smaller than H grills and are worth more.

Scott No. 138 catalogs around $525. Scott No. 138A catalogs around $800.

That is a solid upgrade.

Scott No. 139A I Grill

The 10-cent Banknote result was much bigger.

The stamp came back as Scott No. 139A, the I grill, rather than the more common Scott No. 139 H grill.

The difference in value is huge. Scott No. 139 catalogs around $850. Scott No. 139A catalogs around $10,000.

This is exactly why better grilled Banknotes should be certified. The stamp is poorly centered and has faults, so it is not going to bring full catalog. It may sell for only a fraction of that number. But even 10 percent of $10,000 is far better than 10 percent of $850.

That is the math collectors care about.

Fake Grills Still Have Some Use

Not every grill worked out.

One stamp sent in as a possible grilled issue came back as fake. A 30-cent Banknote also came back with a fake grill. The 90-cent Banknote was another strikeout, also showing a faked grill.

That is frustrating, but those certificates are not useless.

A certified fake can become reference material. It gives the collector a known example to compare against future stamps. That can help avoid sending in the same type of bad candidate again.

Collectors often focus only on the wins. The losses teach more.

Ribbed Paper Instead Of A Grill

One stamp was submitted as a possible 15-cent H grill, Scott No. 141, which would have a catalog value around $1,500.

Instead, it came back as Scott No. 163 on ribbed paper.

That is a different kind of result. The lines visible in the paper were not grill marks. They were the ribbed paper variety. Ribbed paper has lines running through it, either horizontal or vertical.

A normal Scott No. 163 catalogs around $160. The ribbed paper variety catalogs around $250.

It was not the hoped-for grill, but it was still a better variety than the standard stamp. It also adds something practical: now that the ribbed paper look has been confirmed, it becomes easier to recognize in the future.

Washington-Franklin Coils Needed Certification

Washington-Franklin coils are a difficult area because many flat plate coils have been faked. Coils can be made by trimming perforated sheet stamps. That creates straight edges that imitate coil stamps.

Because of that, serious buyers often want certificates for better flat plate coils, especially line pairs.

Scott No. 395 Line Pair

The Scott No. 395 Washington-Franklin flat plate coil line pair came back authentic.

That is a strong result because these are faked so often. Authentic examples can be hard to find. The catalog value for a Scott No. 395 line pair is around $475.

This is the kind of stamp where a certificate is not just helpful. It may be necessary to sell it properly.

Scott No. 447 Line Pair

Another Washington flat plate coil line pair, Scott No. 447, came back genuine and sound.

That is another good result. Scott No. 447 line pairs catalog around $240.

The result looks lucky when viewed by itself, but that is not the whole story. With Washington-Franklin coils, plenty of submissions come back fake. A few authentic line pairs can make a batch look better than the full history really is.

Rotary Press Coils Performed Well

Rotary press coils are usually easier to separate from flat plate coils because the design measurements are different. Still, some of the better and scarcer rotary coils are worth certifying, especially in used condition.

Used stamps have more opportunities for hidden problems. They were attached to envelopes, went through the mail, were soaked off paper, dried, pressed, and handled. Thins, creases, and other faults can happen at any stage.

Scott No. 449

The Scott No. 449 rotary press coil came back genuine and sound.

That matters because Scott No. 449 is one of the scarcer rotary press coils. In used condition, it catalogs around $650.

The certificate does two things here. It confirms the identification and confirms that the stamp is sound. For a used coil with real value, both pieces matter.

Scott No. 450 Line Pair

The Scott No. 450 line pair also came back genuine and sound.

This is the Type III design, identified by the extra line in the ribbon at the bottom. A Scott No. 450 coil line pair in never hinged condition catalogs around $550.

The certificate gives the buyer confidence that the type, format, and condition are all correct.

Scott No. 453 And Scott No. 454

The next two coil line pairs were Scott No. 453 and Scott No. 454.

Scott No. 453 is the Type I rotary press coil, without the extra line at the bottom and without the line by the ear. A previously hinged line pair catalogs around $750.

Scott No. 454 is the Type II design. It looks similar to Type I, but it has a small line next to the ear. A hinged line pair catalogs around $400.

These are the kinds of small design differences that make Washington-Franklin coils difficult for newer collectors. The stamps can look almost identical until you know exactly what to check.

Scott No. 459 Imperforate Coil

The Scott No. 459 was another useful result.

This is the rotary press imperforate coil. It is unusual because rotary press stamps were not issued as standard imperforate sheet stamps. This is an imperforate coil, meaning it came from coil production but lacked perforations to separate the stamps.

A never hinged Scott No. 459 catalogs around $375.

It is not the biggest stamp in the batch, but it is a specialized item that benefits from clear certification.

A Common Stamp Turned Into A Better Shade

The Scott No. 537C was one of the more satisfying shade results.

Scott No. 537 itself is common. Unless it grades well, it usually does not have much value. But the red violet shade, Scott No. 537C, is much scarcer and catalogs around $425.

Several different shades were submitted, and only one came back as the better variety. That is typical. Rare shades do not show up just because a stamp looks close. Many candidates fail.

For this issue, maybe one out of twenty shade candidates will turn out to be the scarce variety. That makes the genuine result worth paying attention to.

The Best Find Was A Scott 534B

The biggest personal find in the group was Scott No. 534B, the Type VII imperforate offset issue.

This is one of those stamps that collectors may look for for years without finding. It is the kind of empty album space that stays empty. The stamp is scarce, and most collections simply do not have one.

This example was found sitting in the wrong spot, placed where a Scott No. 534A Type VI would normally go. The two types look similar, but Scott No. 534B has an extra row of dots on the mouth.

That tiny design detail made the difference.

At first, it was hard to believe the stamp was real. The extra dots were faint. There was even a possibility that someone had altered the design by adding dots. But the certificate confirmed it as genuine.

Even better, it graded 85.

The catalog value for Scott No. 534B is around $2,500. With a grade of 85, this is not just a nice identification. It is a genuinely strong find.

This is the kind of stamp that makes collectors keep checking the wrong spaces in old albums. Most of the time, nothing is there. Once in a while, the stamp everyone missed is sitting in plain sight.

What Collectors Can Learn From This Batch

This submission shows why certification is not only for obvious rarities.

Some stamps were sent in because they looked like better shades. Some were sent in because the grill looked promising. Some were coils where fakes are common. Others had small design details that needed confirmation.

The big lesson is that value often comes from precision. A Scott No. 8 instead of an 8A. A Scott 139A instead of a 139. A Scott 534B sitting in a 534A space. Those are not casual differences. They change the market value.

Condition still matters. A stamp with a high catalog value can sell for a small percentage of catalog if it has thins, reperforation, creases, pulled perfs, or poor centering. But the correct identification is the starting point. Without that, the value discussion is just guessing.

Certificates Are Especially Useful In A Few Areas

Collectors should be most cautious with classic stamps where small differences create large value swings. That includes early 1-cent 1851 and 1857 types, classic color varieties, grilled issues, Banknote grills, Washington-Franklin coils, and scarce offset varieties.

Those are also the areas where mistakes and fakery are common.

A certificate will not make a bad stamp good. It will not erase faults. It will not turn a poor-centered stamp into a premium example. But it can confirm what the stamp actually is, and that can be enough to change the entire outcome.

Catalog Value Is Not The Same As Selling Price

Several of the stamps in this batch had strong catalog values but also had faults. That distinction matters.

Catalog value is a reference point. Retail price depends on condition, centering, cancellation, demand, and how many buyers are actively looking for that specific item. A faulty stamp with a $10,000 catalog value might sell for only a small percentage of that. A sound, attractive, well-centered stamp with a lower catalog value might be easier to sell.

That is why certificates should be read carefully. Do not just look at the Scott number. Read the condition notes.

A stamp described as genuine and sound is very different from one described as genuine with reperforation, thins, creases, or other faults.

Why The Failed Certificates Still Matter

The fake grills in this submission were not wasted money. They answered a question.

That matters because uncertainty has a cost too. If a collector keeps wondering whether a fake grill is real, the stamp may sit in a stock book for years with an inflated expectation attached to it. A certificate closes the loop.

It also gives the collector a confirmed reference example. Over time, that matters. The more genuine and fake examples a collector studies, the better their judgment gets.

Not every certification fee comes back as profit. Some come back as tuition.

The Real Value Was In The Surprises

The best results in this group were not always the stamps that looked best at first glance.

The Scott No. 8 was better than expected. The Scott 19B had a more desirable position. The Scott 139A I grill was a massive upgrade over the expected H grill. The Scott 534B was the kind of album find collectors hope to recieve once in a lifetime.

That is what makes classic U.S. stamps so interesting from a market standpoint. A small design feature can change everything. A faint row of dots, a broken frame line, a grill size, or a color shade can move a stamp from ordinary to scarce.

But the same thing also makes this area risky. The details are easy to misread. Some stamps are altered. Some look better than they are. Some varieties are close enough that guessing is a bad idea.

For valuable material, the certificate is often what turns a possibility into something real.