Absolutely no question that this stamp has very significantly altered original gum -your observations about this $3 jub are spot on Glen. Every experienced BNA stamp dealer in Canada would agree.
In this view of the back the lower right area and top center area the gum is altered and enhanced for sure. The top area is most certainly a 'sweated off' hinge remnant.
The second image the lines point to some of the obvious 'gum saturated paper edges' The green dots are adjacent to the some of the more obvious 're-cut' perf holes (gum enhancers/regummers do this to remove the gum-saturated edges) The whole right side is somewhat suspect.

This stamp is IN FACT 100% being misrepresented by Winters. He has PROVEN himself on this forum alone as being either one or other of the following:
1) Uneducated about Canada stamps, + obviously ignorant about grading of ALL stamps + inexperienced.
OR
2) experienced in philatelic crookedness & INTENTIONAL in his deceit to RIP off stamp collectors. He is providing better than average pics here at least which will keep the experienced collectors away but enticing the bunnies who 'Trust' his word description.
All the evidence points to the latter with my long experience as a professional philatelist.
That the $3 jub back has gum altered and enhanced is a FACT. It is unlikely you will find ANY experienced dealer (even less experienced ones) in Canadian stamps that would not agree.
It is very well known to Canadian stamp dealers that a state of altered gum is something to watch out for. We especially watch the period Small queens scott #34 to the Admiral period ending with Scott #140. The altered gum for this period involves primarily the sweating/removal of stamp hinges + enhancing and altering the gum that results from hinge removal.
Those of us with long experience as dealers are so familiar with the gum characteristics (texture colour sheen etc) of the stamps manufactured in this period. High value stamps of this period with original gum that has been altered ABOUND (hinge remnants removed /hinge marks blended)
Altered and enhanced gum is especially prevalent for the 1897 Jubilees higher values #50, 55, 57-65; small queens all values but notably #40, 45, 46, 47; Edwards 10, 20, 50 cents (sc#93-5); QV leaf and Numeral all values, but notably 8 cents 10cents, 20cents 1898 (sc#72,73,82,83,84); 1908 Quebecs (#100-103); higher value admirals esp 5cents blue, 7c straw, 7c sage green, 10c plum, 20c all printings, 50c black brown all printings, $1 ( sc# 111, 113a, 113b,116, 119, 120, 122)
For the earlier periods, Pence, 1859 cents, & the large queens up to scott #28: NH stamps are so rare that they are almost non-existent. Few would disagree that 95 or 99% of all the Large queens offered as 'mint' on the market are either significantly heavily hinged/gum disturbed or re-gummed. Among the remaining 1% to 5% are the decent full original gum LH and the rare NH.
Collectors should be very very very cautious when considering any sort of a premium for NH stamps for Canada scott #28 or earlier.
For the early Canada a good rule of thumb is this:
ALWAYS ASSUME that any Canada Large Queens stamp offerred as ' Mint NH' is
NOT NH + of course always question ‘original gum’ claims. It is likely 60-75% of all large queens (other than the 15 cents) being offered mint/unused anywhere, are more or less re-gummed or have only very partial original gum.
This ‘IS NOT NH’ assumption for Large Queens will be correct at least 95% of the time. The only exception to the 95% rule is perhaps the offerings of the handful of major floor auctions (most do tend to accurately grade) which are primarily located in Canada, California & New York. The major experienced dealers of Canada BNA: again the there are just a handful of very experienced dealers.
Large Queens and earlier: these stamps are rare – a tiny fraction, if any, of the unused/mint large queens offered in any given major floor auction or dealer’s stock will be NH.
Does anyone think the offerings on ebay which regularly feature ‘MNH’ large queens is any different? The above assumption should extend to 99-100% for any
Canada Large Queen offered by winter-storm It all looks very very suspect.
In Canada most trustworthy dealers will be members of the CSDA- but that is no guarantee online or off-line. There indeed are a few CSDA members (not to even mention ASDA!) who do not know their early Canada and could use a refresher course in 'stamp grading 101' or 'ethics 101'
A further caveat: For Large queens stamps and earlier, offered as mint/ unused or legitimately re-gummed the #1 grading rule: ALWAYS check under ultraviolet light for a faded or chemically removed pen cancel. This is usually an X in the centre of the stamp- and don’t expect it to jump out at you like fluorescent tagging. It may be subtle or very obvious.
‘Pencancel removed’ make up a significant percentage of early Canada stamps which are regularly offered as Mint/Unused. These stamps abound just as in early USA material. In Canada it was normal for many pre-1875 Canada smaller post offices to use a pen for cancelling. While almost all Canada post offices were issued a postmark hammer dater, many smaller ones did not have obliterators and it was against PO guidelines to use the dater for cancelling.
In short: if one is really seeking ‘NH’ for early Canada you are entering a minefield populated by many deceptive dealers who will blow out your wallet.
