Help on this stamp?

[JohnnyO]

Hey fellow stampers , can anyone help me with this stamp/photo of Gandhi , and yes its a photograph stamp, or something ,with cracking , not sure what to make of it I know there was a stamp similar to it made with perfs , I think there was a essay of this stamp in the Stanley Gibbons catalogue , but iam not sure , it could be a bogus stamp too. 



 

[khj]

Not sure what it is. The "stamp" would be part of the Gandhi Memorial set of 1948: Scott India #203-206(15Aug1948). However, the actual smaller 12 anna stamp that was issued has a different picture of Gandhi (1½a, 3½a, and 12a all same picture and small size). Oddly enough, the picture in the 12 anna that you show is the actual design for the larger 10 rupee stamp.

I don't see any postal cards for that issue.

It might very well be an essay. Need someone else more familiar with the area to chime in...

You said it was a photograph? Or is it just simply laminated?

[khj]

The set in question is Scott India #203-206(15Aug1948) -- Gandhi Memorial issue.

However, the item you show was never issued.

Photographic proofs are known for the 1½a, 10r, and an unissued 12a (that is what you show, it is same design as the larger 10r stamp; the actual 12a stamp that was issued is of the same design as the smaller 1½a stamp).

Bogus photographic proofs were sold by online seller "echobangla" (aka gandhiphilately). Yours does not appear to be that bogus proof, which is of low quality and has the "streaked/smeared" appearance.

The original proofs were in monocolor, but I've never seen the photographic proofs so not sure if they were grayscale or monocolor.

There is an article on this issue, including info on the original photographic proofs in November 2014 issue of GSM (Gibbons Stamp Monthly).

[JohnnyO]

The stamp is a monochrome photo with iridescent appearance to it when you look at it to an slight angle , like an old photograph. maybe its just an old photo of the stamp, it was in an album i bought over the weekend.   

[khj]

The stamp was never issued, so it could not be just a simple photograph someone took of their stamp.

The bogus photographic proofs I've seen are obvious fakes, as they have streaks and are of poor quality, but they are also grayscale.

The key is whether the photographic proof is monocolor or grayscale (as yours appears to be). I don't have GSM November 2014.

The photographic proof has been published before, so there is a possibility someone made a fake photographic proof (originals are easily $100++ each).

I don't like the fact that it has no large border. It's too easy to print multiple fake photographic proofs on a sheet and slice them up. The key is comparing to a genuine photographic proof...

Either way, it is a keeper, as it was planned but never produced/issued.