Did you try removing the quotes around the file name variable? Run the following, verbatim, and post the results, verbatim. Where I have the ???, fill in the path and name of one of your files.

use strict;
use warnings;
use File::stat;
use Time::localtime;

my $file = ???;
printf "%s: %s\n", $file, ctime(stat($file)->mtime);
[download]

Your going to love this.

Below is a result files from the examination of 12 files (base directory) with a similar file in a different (staging) directory. I ran this after I put your diagnostic suggestion in. The code is basically the same.

I was excited because all the 1st and 2nd dates were different. However all the 2nd date time stamps are wrong. The date portion is right on one. I don't know were it got the 2nd dates. They make no sense.

I'm not doing the copy in these tests, just examining the dates.

When I reran this test, the file dates of each of the pairs were the same again. This is strange.

Note: All first date time stamps are right.

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/KY2.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/KY2.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:52:00 2014
Wed Nov  5 13:09:08 2014 wrong??? 11/4/2014
2014115195200
2014115130908

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/ef.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/ef.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:34:36 2014
Mon Nov  3 10:49:15 2014 wrong??? actually 8/25/2012
2014115193436
2014113104915

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/KYfv.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/KYfv.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:54:05 2014
Wed Nov  5 13:09:41 2014 wrong??? 8/25/2012
2014115195405
2014115130941

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY//cprofs.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/cprofs.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:58:00 2014
Tue Sep 30 07:32:58 2014 Date is right.  Time is wrong.  
2014115195800
2014930073258

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/Ideals/Health/Healthfv.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/Healthfv.gif
Wed Nov  5 18:18:20 2014
Thu May 24 13:36:42 2012 wrong??? 8/25/2012
2014115181820
2012524133642

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/KY.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/KY.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:51:52 2014
Wed Nov  5 13:08:57 2014 wrong??? 11/4/2014
2014115195152
2014115130857

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/kyseal.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/kyseal.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:54:15 2014
Fri Aug 17 10:35:10 2012 wrong??? 8/25/2012
2014115195415
2012817103510

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/kyflag.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/kyflag.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:52:19 2014
Tue Nov  4 17:03:34 2014 wrong??? 8/25/2012
2014115195219
2014114170334

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/oldkyhome.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/oldkyhome.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:58:17 2014
Fri Aug 17 10:35:11 2012 wrong??? 8/25/2012
2014115195817
2012817103511

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/kybird.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/kybird.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:52:08 2014
Wed Nov  5 13:09:25 2014 wrong??? 8/25/2012
2014115195208
2014115130925

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/kyflower.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/kyflower.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:53:56 2014
Fri Aug 17 10:35:10 2012 wrong??? 8/25/2012
2014115195356
2012817103510

C:/Steep/USA Data/State/KY/kytree.gif
C:/usr/www/steepusa/stage/KY/kytree.gif
Wed Nov  5 19:54:26 2014
Mon Nov  3 10:46:31 2014 wrong??? 8/25/2012
2014115195426
2014113104631

Hmm, ctime again, stop using ctime , ok? All you've proved is some mystery version of Time::localtime ain't working to your satisfaction ... compare the raw number cause they're easily comparable they're raw numbers

I think that work. I have to do some more testing. I thought I tried ctime and got the same result. Thanks for prodding me again.