Expertising your Gandhi Stamps - Part I

This is in regards to India 1948 Gandhi Service Provisionals and Specimen set with/without the folder. I do get a query once in a while as to "Why" and "how" one would go about gettting it done.

I will break this up in two parts due to constraints on my personal time.

What exactly is "expertising"?
Expertising is a process in which the expertising agency or individual will examine, investigate and authenticate your philatelic material. If found genuine, they will issue something called "Certificate Of Authenticity" with a serial number.

What purpose does it serve?
For one, if you are doing this as an investment, it will increase the value of the collection and second if you are planning to purchase one and if the stamp is not certified genuine, then you could put this as a pre-condition for sale to go through. Most dealers will oblige. Also if you plan to sell your high catalog value stamps it's always a "no brainer" to have one done.

What's Gandhi stamps got to do with expertising?
There are quite a few forgeries of India 1948 Service Provisionals in existance. The service provisionals are stamps with the word "Service" overprinted on 1948 Gandhi stamps. These were printed in such low numbers that they have become the most valuable Gandhi Philatelic material to have in one's collection.

In the case of India's 1948 Rs10 Gandhi Service Overprint, it's in the top 30 rarest stamps of british common wealth. It currently is at number 4 position. It's practically unobtainable for an average collector. Follow the price below or click here.

http://www.stanleygibbons.com/investments/invest-in-stamps/commonwealth-rarities-index.aspx

To review the forgeries and authentic stamps, review my exhibit on expoent or click on the links below.
Page 10 One Half Anna Examples
Page 11 There Half Annas and Twelve Annas Example

General notes on buying Service Provisionals
1. First rule of the thumb is never buy any Gandhi Service Provisionals without a so called certificate of autheniticity. Especially for "3 half anna" and "12 anna" stamps.

2. A total of 16,500 stamps of "One Half Anna" were overprinted with "Service". You could buy "used on paper" for less than $100 USD on ebay. They are widely available, if you are a true Gandhi collector then get your hands on a copy today. Do not remove the stamp from the paper, you will in most certainty not only damage it but at the same time reduce the value of the stamp.

More next time.