1869 -3c (#114)
The 3c Issue - Auction Analysis

This is one of the most common stamps yet its value can value
greatly. This page is intended to give a guide to the value of your
#114. All the stamps were sold over the same period, summer 2005.

Large margins, good centering. Never hinged. Fresh appearance

$1,050

Fancy Cancels are hard to value, some are
famous, some rare and others common. The
example above is the famous 'Shoefly'
strike. This was the era where postmasters
cut their own cork cancels, some got quite
creative.

$425

A good rule of thumb when attempting to value
a fancy cancel is does it look unusual. This
beer mug cancel, is unusual. Devil cancels,
whilst relatively common, fetch prices just
over the three figures. Blue cancels
are slightly more scarce than black cancels
plus the strke is clear and distinct.

$450

You are unlikel to see this error. The stamp was
sold as a block of five. A result of feeding a
creased corner into the perf machine at an
angle

$2,100
Another beer mug. This time a less clear strike and
in the common black color. It makes a difference to
the price.

$180
This issue is notorious for being off center.
Which makes the centering of this mint
hinged example fairly good.

$150
Jumbo vertical margins, beautiful centering and
a fresh bright appearance. One can only imagine
how much this would have sold for if it had gum

$425

The rarest cancel colors are violet and yellow.
Violet are often seen as a small star cancel and
as such are worth about $40. I have only
seen one yellow cancel, it has not come up for
sale yet. The green cancels, whilst are found
on occassion. The example has a busted corner and
a tear.

$325
Does your stamp have a wing margin? MH

$115

More than 95% of #114's have
a black cork cancel on them. This one
is unusual in that it has circular grid
cancel. A late usage for this type
of strike.

$20

Another unusual cancel. A pumpkin, this was
used by the Waterbury, CT, post office.

$220

 Nice wide margins and great centering makes
this a great stamp

$95

Apologies about the poor image. However,
the skull and cross bones fancy cancel
is the rarest of them all. Again from Waterbury, CT

$950

Got a straight edge? Not good. MH

$37

The ebay seller claims it is a green
cancel. Beware, only true green
cancels fetch the money. This is a blue
cancel, perhaps even teal, to the
casual observer it could look green.

$30

 Lastly the most common strik. The segmented
strike in black. If poorly centered it will be worth
almost a dollar. Thisone has perf faults but
at least the centering is quite good.

$3

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