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Glen Stephens
Monthly "Stamp
News"
Market Tipster Column
April 2009
Perforation variations on recent issues
Check the perforations Stampboards.com reported the new find, and
David Mallen fellow "Stamp News" columnist and Australia Post new
issue variety guru advised he had noted this a couple of months
back.
Soaking modern stamps.
Collectors
of used
stamps
in many
countries
have had
a tough
time in
recent
years,
as I
reported
a few
months
back.
In the
USA
nearly
EVERY
self-adhesive
stamp
printed
during
2008 and
2009 has
been
impossible
to soak
off the
paper
they
were
affixed
to.
The
United
States
Postal
Service
in
recent
times
advised
their
three
commercial
stamp
printers
they
could
dispense
with the
once
required
water
soluble
gum
layer
Old Faithful - FOREVER
GB Permanent Adhesive
New “Slitted” Machins
Anti-Forgery Device
New security overprint
I recently got an email from Sam Seigel, Max Stern & Co Manager - who are by far the largest new issue dealer here in Australia.
Sam outlined an important new discovery, that is sure to be SG and Scott listed etc.
I know Hugh Jefferies, the Editor of SG, generally reads these columns, so hopefully these can be noted.
It is a major perforation variety on the Australia September 2008 "Tourist Precincts" issue.
Sam advises the stamps are found with differing perforations.
The stamps in the presentation pack are perf 14 x 14¾, and the sheet stamps generally have perforation gauge 14 x 13¾.
I have no idea which is harder to find ... but the PO pack version is my strong guess.
Mallen stated he had even heard some of them were placed in the
annual albums. He says the $2.75 value so far has only been seen in
one perforation.
That stamp appears to be heavily used, judging from how many I see
on parcel mail, so an appearance in a new perf may occur at any
time.
Mallen says the perforation measurement more precisely are 14 x 14.4
and 14 x 13.7 – he has not seen the $1.10 in both perfs, but
believes it certainly exists.
Now is a great time for readers to buy up a few sets, and who knows
- they might be worth 5 or 10 times face down the track.
And if they are not ... you can always use them up on mail!
Disclaimer - I have none for sale, but most larger new issue dealers
like Max Stern will have these, and David Mallen also has most
modern perf errors for sale on his website.
All three companies took up the
offer as it saved them money on the
special paper - and saved USPS money
at the same time of course.
In the past, the stamp paper used
had a water soluble layer between
the gum and the stamp. This meant
stamp mail snippings would float off
in water.
Not always perfectly as we all know
- but with patience and care, they
DID all soak free.
Not any more - current USA stamps no
more neatly come off ant more than
descriptor labels from the cello
overlay on packs of steak from
supermarkets will soak off
And speaking of supermarkets, Great
Britain adopted another supermarket
label tactic to their stamps from
February this year.
Royal Mail also decided that near all of
the definitive "Machin" head design
stamps sold at PO’s will be
self-adhesive – permanent gum.
And from now on they are releasing most
new Machins in a new style - each with
two or four “U” shape slits in each
stamp as illustrated nearby.
The idea is, it will be impossible to peel these off an envelope that has not been cancelled, and re-use them again on the mail.
The official reason is this will: "act in the same way as retail price stickers, causing a stamp to rip if you try to pull it off an envelope."
Royal Mail also says these stamps are overprinted with: "an iridescent ink, with a security pattern on the darker background color around the Queen's head
The above overprint is an anti forgery device. The photo nearby shows a photo-shopped image of a "2nd Class" issue to exaggerate the overprint.
You can also see this wording in normal scan setting on the pair of “1st” Machin stamps illustrated elsewhere here.
The 'ROYAL MAIL' overprint is in a semi-visible layer, more obvious as the stamp is slanted against the light - as with phosphor bands.
The semi-visible layer is an 'all-over' print, with the words ROYAL MAIL 'reversed out' of the part which is over the dark background (i.e. in ‘negative’.)
However on the Queen's head, the words are smaller, and are 'positive', i.e. there is an area over the head which has a clear background, with the words printed in it.
These new "SLITTED" stamps were released in the UK on February 17, 2009.
stampboards.com member "norvic" raise the discussion, and showed the photo of the slits in large size.
"norvic" is well known UK new issue dealer Ian Billings, from Norvic Philatelics, and his detailed discussion can be found here - www.ughaj.notlong.com - for any Machin fans who want more info and photos.
All Machins affected
|
Billings says the heavily used non denominated Machin heads have received these slits, as have the 50p to £5. Ten denominations in all so far. |
How to soak?
|
Of course with large countries like the USA, GB, Australia and NZ now using mostly self adhesive stamps, the question is often asked of me – HOW can these be soaked?
In the cases like the USA stamps, soaking in water is totally useless in most cases. The simple answer of WHAT to use seems to be a low tech and old-fashioned one – Lighter Fluid. |
Ronson to the rescue!
|
This decades old method for checking watermarks on stamps now seems to have a valuable extra use!
This fluid is available worldwide and is quite inexpensive. The Ronsonol can shown nearby will be familiar to readers in most countries. The Diggers “Shellite” brand is widely available in Australia for about $A6 per litre bottle in hardware stores. Larger 4 litre containers are sold for about $A20 if you have serious soaking to do. |
Read the instructions!
Both of course are flammable, and should be used in
a ventilated area etc, as per usage instructions on
their packaging.
The good news is that both seem to work extremely
well with assisting in removing these self-stick
stamps ... even the USA ones that otherwise do not
soak off at all in water.
Stampboards.com had a long discussion on this
removal method.
www.meyien.notlong.com is the direct link, for
those interested in reading more on this.
It seems that stamps of some collector value are
quite easily removed via a short soaking in this
fluid.
|
In some cases, they come
away cleanly from the
envelope paper. In other
cases a little effort and
technique is needed, as
outlined with photos on the
stampboards thread.
Rinse in water and you are done. Short issue stamps like the USA $17.50 “Old Faithfull” illustrated nearby are worth near face value when neatly cancelled used, so taking a moment to remove it carefully is well worth the effort. Try this method out and let me know if it works for you. I also think that Eucalyptus Oil may work too to remove these stamps. Billings reports for British readers, that “Sticky Stuff Remover” sold in the UK by Bettaware works wonderfully well. |
French President Collector
|
We all realise that
having high profile
people as active stamp
collectors is GREAT for
the hobby.
When King George V, King Farouk, and President Roosevelt were active collectors, it bought in countless millions of followers. The current French President Nicolas Sarkozy is said to have taken to stamps in a huge way, and this is attracting worldwide media coverage. Nicolas Sarkozy has apparently become an obsessive stamp collector, in order to cultivate a less controversial image as French President. This is the latest bizarre insight into the 54 year old’s private life. It has been stated that fellow heads of state including Queen Elizabeth 2 help him fill up his albums. |
Private Stamp Club
|
Mr Sarkozy sponsors the newly formed Élysée Philatelist’s Club, named after the famous Paris Palace where he lives with glamorous third wife Carla Bruni.
Controversial Sarkozy, pictured nearby with younger new wife Carla Bruni, has apparently become obsessed with stamp collecting. |
Carla and Nicolas Sarkozy
|
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (41) is an Italian-born songwriter, singer, and former model. In April 2008, a 1993 nude photograph of Bruni sold at auction for US$91,000 - more than 60 times the estimated price.
It has been claimed that Bruni was romantically involved with Louis Bertignac, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Léos Carax, Charles Berling, Arno Klarsfeld, Vincent Perez - and even the former French Prime Minister, Laurent Fabius. Bruni has said she is easily "bored with monogamy". Bruni met Sarkozy in November 2007 and they married very soon after on 2 February 2008 at the Élysée Palace in Paris. Among the items which have pride of place in the Sarkozy stamp collection is a 2 stamp set issued by Royal Mail in 2004 to celebrate the “Entente Cordiale” – shown nearby. |
Sarkozy’s Favourites
|
The stamps were a gift from Her Majesty when the Sarkozys stayed at Windsor Castle on a state visit in March 2008 - see nearby photo from that visit. They are stated to be his favourite stamp set. |
Schwarzenegger gift
|
Mr Sarkozy was also given a leather album full of stamps by California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Mr Sarkozy’s collection is slowly growing into one of the most impressive in the world because of all the international leaders he is in regular contact with” claimed a stamp club source. “Being French president is a perfect job for a keen philatelist.” Paris-based Gala magazine revealed the existence of the stamp-collecting club, describing it as: “an independent association based at the presidential residence.” Mr Sarkozy is said to pursue his hobby most evenings, regularly allowing his wife Carla to inspect his albums. |
Royal Stamp Gift
|
Carla has confided to friends that she is glad he no longer spends his evenings karaoke singing, as he used to in his bachelor days.
Before marrying Ms Bruni about a year back, the so-called “hyper-president” was notorious for inviting young woman back to the palace for “singalongs” - which lasted well into the night. Carla has since taken credit for calming Mr Sarkozy down, finding him a personal trainer and getting him to give up once favourite high-sugar snacks like chocolate. However despite his more relaxed philatelist image, Mr Sarkozy’s popularity rating is in freefall, as France suffers one of the worst recessions in the country’s history. Commenting on the stamp collecting at the Elysée Palace, Voici magazine sneered: “we don’t know how the stamp club meetings are going, but they ought to be easier than the management of the financial crisis and the economy” |
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GLEN $TEPHEN$ Full Time Stamp Dealer in Australia for over 25 years.
Life Member - American Stamp
Dealers' Association. (New York)
Also Member - Philatelic Traders' Society. (London) ANDA. (Melbourne) American Philatelic Society, etc
"Lothlórien4 The
Tor Walk, CASTLECRAG (Sydney), N.S.W. 2068 |
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