identifying individual stamps

Anything relating to British stamp books and booklets.
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jimusedcontrols
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:00 pm

identifying individual stamps

Post by jimusedcontrols »

hallo everyone,

at a group meeting yesterday (Great Britain and Commonwealth Philatelic Society Switzerland) a friend was talking about some research he has been doing into identification of individual stamps from booklet panes. His thoughts are that due to the method of separation by guillotine rather than tearing apart it is possible to identify 4 of the 6 individual stamps.
We wre wondering whether any research along these lines has been done and/or published in the past - obviously covers also EVII through EII booklets.
With the looked down on trimmed perforations it is presumably fairly proven that they are from booklets but was there a difference in the way of separating booklet sheets and coil sheets?
The only publication I have is William Ward's 1925 booklet which does not delve into this area any deeper the same as the SG Specialized.

We would be grateful for any thoughts.

regards

James
Bill
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Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:00 pm

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Post by Bill »

I believe it is possible if the booklets or coils are mechnically cut. The perforations that are machnically cut should be uniform with no trace of tearing. The sides not machine cut would be ragged by comparison. If you looked with a magnifier you should see irregular tears on the individual perf teeth.
Mike Jackson
Site Admin
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Post by Mike Jackson »

I agree it should be possible to identify the position of stamp which came from a booklet pane of six, by examining the perfs. But if the stamp is used off cover or piece, there's always the chance that scissors were used to clip the stamp from the envelope, producing a straight edge exactly like a booklet stamp.

I believe rolls were produced from large rolls (the early ones made by joining sheets, hence coil-join pairs) on slitting and reeling machines, the slitting producing parallel straight edges, either the left and right sides or the top and bottom, depending on whether the roll was destined for a sideways or lengthways feed affixing or vending machine.
jimusedcontrols
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Post by jimusedcontrols »

Thanks for the input. Seems to be a field not really looked into. On reading the Deegam handbook with the T and C differentiations we realised that there should be potential to identify single stamps with inverted watermarks as being from sheets (all 4 perforations torn rather than cut). SG talks of a substantial premium for sheet stamps against booklet stamps in this state.
That should keep me occupied for a few winter evenings!
cheers
James
robinT
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Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 6:00 pm

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Post by robinT »

95% of stamps can have their sources identified by reference to a - the direction of printing
b - cut or torn edges
Deegam covers this extensively

It can be applied to booklet stamps from all over the world
- the extra information you require is the way the primary sheet - from which the booklets was made up - was printed
Further stamps can be 'plated' ie placed in their correct position on the primary sheet, by reference to that sheet and the contained flaws
Unfortunately with litho. stamps and computor engrave stamps it gets almost impossible
You then have to turn to the typo. flaws on the booklets and/or interleaves
Now you have something for the long inter nights!1

RobinT
robinT
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Post by robinT »

this web site is as bad as anything else seen on the net
there is absolutely no point in someone spending hours 'producing and maintaining a site - if no one uses it.

Specialised collecting, esp. of stamps is on a huge downturn.
Where are the members of what was the GBSBSC?

Where are those who specialise in booklets within our Society?

I know that it is not possible to make members do anything but this is ridiculous.

Members must do something or close the Society officially
John
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Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:00 pm

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Post by John »

Would anyone know where I can obtain information / images etc in relation to the primary sheet layouts for the wilding series of booklets.

John
robinT
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Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 6:00 pm

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Post by robinT »

Hi john

If you are into stitched booklets per se - the Society publishes a series of Booklets about - youve guesed it booklets
Its called 'British Stamp Booklets, by Jean Alexander and leonard Newbery.

I have a second hand copy - well used you can have cheaply if you dont want to push the boat out.

Dont know of any other publication, other than SG that deals in part with primary sheets.

However if it is just flaws you are after - there are a number of differing lists.

Cheers
robinT
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Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 6:00 pm

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Post by robinT »

PS
If all else fails speak to Ian Harvey
robinT
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Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 6:00 pm

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Post by robinT »

I spent a long time studying the flaws on all (well as many as I could get hold of) booklet covers and interleaves.

Nobody was interested and the whole has been disposed of.

I have now done a similar study on the first issue of Guernsey booklets.

I am now able to identify all the stamps and covers from this issue. There are 48 covers and 144 stamps in the 2/- issue, with the same number of covers and a larger number of stamps for the 4/- and 6/- issues.

Does any one care?

There are a lot of interesting flaws on both covers and stamps to make a mudane collection different.

In addition this was probably the worst booklet issue Harrison's ever made!

Comments on this site would be interesting
robinT
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Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 6:00 pm

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Post by robinT »

For those who are interested in booklets;

a) Regional stamps have long formed part of a GB collection; they still should

b) the Channel Islands are a Region of the British Isles
Why is it that their independantly produced stamps are no longer of interest to the GB collector?

I can identify all 48 booklets in the first issue of Guernsey stamps - where both stamps and covers have many flaws.
Of course these carry the Machin head and thus should also be of interest to those few lonely souls who collect Machins in a specialist way - and to those even fewer collectors who take a special interest in GB Booklets.

Will any of them contact me for information - we will see
Barry_Smith
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Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:00 pm

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Post by Barry_Smith »

Robin, I have just joined the society and specialise in Booklets, I was a member of the GBDSBSC and am a member of the replacement MBPC. I hope to learn from and contribute to these pages.

Barry
Panned2307
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Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 3:11 pm

Re: identifying individual stamps

Post by Panned2307 »

I have been a collector of Wilding Stamps for many years and as such the source material from which many are obtained. I have to say that I have unstitched many a wilding booklet to obtain a quality pane as the panes themselves are stunning to look at when displayed. The different perf types and the varieties within each pane is staggering and I know a number of collectors who will search for each booklet pane by the perf type. Some of the illusive cylinder panes are also difficult to find in any condition. I can currently lay my hands on three complete sets of wilding booklet panes so if anyone is looking to study I have a few and have kept all the covers and interleaves should anyone be interested in those also. I have only recently joined this forum and look forward to sharing and receiving knowledge of the wilding issues. Best wishes Andrew
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