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Post by purrfin on Mar 19, 2024 12:00:07 GMT
How can one tell if a stamp has been regummed?
Just a question that has been wondering around in my head for a little while.
And, if the stamp has been regummed, is it better to soak off the regum, and list as MNG? Or leave it alone stating in the description area of listing that it is regummed?
Thanks for your opinions
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Post by ClassicPhilatelist on Mar 19, 2024 13:54:21 GMT
Hi Luree, This is a subject that is one of THE toughest to tackle. There is no "short answer" or "one size fits all" answer either. First there are 2 types of regumming. 1 involves removing all the old gum first, and then applying a new coat of gum, through various methods, and there are different ways of detecting these. 2 involves moving "original gum" from one stamp onto another to "patch" small areas of gum loss or disturbance (particularly when someone is trying to conceal the presence of a previous hinge.
Some types of regumming are easier to detect than others. But I will say, the first step to understanding regumming is to understand original gum. I mention this because, different issues from different periods and from different countries (or even different purposes), are not the same. So a reference collection (it's usually difficult to do from just 1 example) that is known, and perhaps certed, will give you an example to compare to. This is particularly true for stamps that were issued prior to 1900. Time effects gum differently, and the older gum is impacted in different ways than more modern gums, or gums that haven't had 150+ years to transform into its current state. Some will try to fake this, but it's difficult to replace the impact of age to gum. One aspect to consider is the sheen of the gum. Is the example of the OG gum matt, or shiny? If the example you're comparing to then is different from your reference copies, then it's unlikely to be OG (unless you can detect some other issue, like glazing, where the gum has melted under heat and humidity while the stamp is contained in a container made of plastic (like a dealer card, or a stamp mount). But that is more obvious.
Another tell tale sign is to examine the perforation (or edge on imperf stamps) for excess glue between the perfs. Though some stamp mechanics have discovered that vulnerability, they try to cover for that by pressing the stamp into clay. The problem with that method is, some of the clay gets into the fringe of the paper, and can stain the paper. Look for grey or brown edges around perfs. Some stamps have very distinctive patters in the gum. Starting with liberty issues in the US stamps (Scott #551), there is a gum applicator that leaves "stripes" in the gum. Some of the higher values of these stamps which are generally considered by the Scott catalog, to only be valued as MNH, will have their gum replaced to keep the "value high". So knowing the patterns in these issues (and there are others from around the world, this is one example), can be easily identified by their gum pattern.
As you become more advance, examining the gum at higher magnifications will also provide some indication. One thing to watch for in pre-1900 stamps, are the appearance of the gum. If there is an absence of slight cracking in the gum, then it isn't OG. This isn't definitive (having cracks doesn't make it OG), but not having them makes them regummed. There are again, methods that some forgers have applied to give appearance of gum cracking.
In some cases, understanding the stamp, and how it was printed can also be an "indicator", though may not be definitive. In commemorative stamps, look for the presence of curling in the stamp when placed on a flat surface for a minute or two. The curling may be caused by regumming. The reason for this is, stamps are gummed while the paper is still damp. When the paper and the gum dry together, they are better at keeping their shape. When regummed as single stamps, the wet gum dries differently and as it shrinks causes the paper to curl. There are other natural reasons for this in OG stamps, but this is a sign that should warrant a deeper examination if it is suspect of regumming. (Generally speaking the higher the value the MNH stamp will be, the more likely it is to have been regummed).
Also, being "hinged" isn't a sign that the stamp is OG. This is another trick that's been applied to early stamps so fool collectors. The reason for this is the thought is "if the stamp has a hinge on it, if it was regummed, why would they bother"? The reason is, a hinged stamp is still usually far more valuable than a no-gum stamp. But some forgers will apply it as a means to indicate the stamp is OG. So watch out for this as well.
Unfortunately, I'm short on time this week, but I'll try to circle back with some examples in photos. Actually, I've been promising this article for a while, as it was #1 in my stamp poll a few weeks ago regarding what would be most useful for me to write about here. Hope this gets you started for now Luree. And if you have any "suspects" just post their photo here, and we can have a look at them, and help you determine if they are OG or not. Even I sometimes am on the fence, and will ask my other stamp experts to weigh in on the authenticity of a stamp.
Cheers, Scott
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Post by khj on Mar 19, 2024 18:25:22 GMT
Or leave it alone stating in the description area of listing that it is regummed? I would leave it alone. Why take the risk making the mistake of mis-identifying a genuine OG stamp as regummed, and soaking off the OG? While there are some general points to look for, as Scott mentioned it really varies with stamp era/issue. You are bound to run into an exception if you just strictly follow "general rules". So experience is a major factor. As you acquire or examine more and more unused gummed examples of a specific stamp, you get a better idea of what "original gum" should look like for that particular issue. That's why I say never wash off what you think may be a regummed stamp. If you are pretty sure it is regummed, I would list it as "unused regummed", not only in the description, but in the listing title as well. Some people don't bother or misread descriptions. If you only suspect it is regummed, you can put "possibly regummed" or "regummed(?)" in the listing title.
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Post by ClassicPhilatelist on Mar 21, 2024 1:21:22 GMT
I missed that part of the question. I will be a slightly dissenting voice to Kim's comment. When you KNOW that it is regummed, I would suggest removing the gum. If you're "iffy" I would, as suggested, leave it on. However, my other dissent is, if you don't know DON'T list it! Wait until you have it verified one way or another (and that may take years). If it's a very high value stamp, it is worth getting it certed. If it's not, then waiting to list it won't kill you. This gives you a "tough" example to work from over a period of time. But never never never never list material that you don't know "what it is", and by extension, what it's condition is. Why? Because a) you don't want to throw money away (list an OG stamp as RG, so that's what people pay for) and b) you don't sell a regummed stamp as OG. Nothing good comes from either of these. It is also reputationally questionable. When I see sellers that have (?) in their listings, I immediately run away. Because it demonstrates they don't have the time, effort, energy to bother with getting a proper ID (including condition) of their material. Those people are "sellers", not "dealers". Which do you want to be?
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Post by purrfin on Mar 21, 2024 12:44:08 GMT
Kim and Scott, thank you so much for this lesson. Appreciate all your help.
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Post by ClassicPhilatelist on Mar 22, 2024 4:47:31 GMT
Hi Luree, sorry my replies are in a hurry, as I'm swamped at the moment, but I realize, I wanted to add further to the "re-gum" removal, and why it's preferable. There are a number of reasons to remove re-gum glue: 1. It prevents someone else from being tricked into thinking it's OG (never know whos hands it falls into next). 2. You never know what the "gum" is made of. I have seen several that stain the paper over time. They contribute to the rapid aging and deterioration of the stamp. 3. You may notice there is no value for "RG" stamps in catalogs. That is because they really are No Gum stamps. Removing the gum just makes condition transparency all the clearer. 4. Regumming is often used to hide faults that have been "repaired", which may be undetectable without removing the fake gum. 5. Regumming isn't generally viewed as a "preservation" method, it is rather, a type of forgery (alteration) of a stamp, and stamps should (in most cases, see below for exceptions) remain in whatever their state is.
There is a case for leaving regumming in place, but it may still be viewed by some as an unethical alteration. Reasons to leave regumming on: 1. In the case of some issues, like "Private Die" in the US, where the stamps are generally in poor condition because of the type of packaging they were applied to, it may be preferable to leave regumming on when it is obvious that the stamp has other repairs (perfs added, margins added, holes filled, pieced together (maybe even from multiple different items), etc. These issues are very fragile in most cases, and almost all have faults. Private Die is also an area where gum condition isn't tracked by Scott (at least not yet). It's rather exceptional to find Private Die stamps with OG, Because the were a type of revenue stamp that, when the tax was repealed, the companies that had remainder stock (which they had already paid for), were able to sell the excess back to the Revenue Tax department, for the full amount of the remainders. So there was no incentive to keep them. In a few cases of course, a sheet or two, or more likely, partial sheets were kept and some will have OG then. But this is an extremely unusual (bordering on rare) case. There may be other issues that this kind of idea applies to globally, and some other tax stamps within the US may reasonably apply this rule as well. 2. You haven't been able to definitively determine the gum origin. Leave the gum alone then, until you get a definitive answer.
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Post by purrfin on Mar 24, 2024 17:10:59 GMT
So if I find any I will toss them into the look-at-much-later-book. Yes, I have one of them. I have gone through that book and I find what I was looking for now that time has passed. Crap, that means I'm learning something! What a concept!!! lol
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Post by ClassicPhilatelist on Mar 25, 2024 1:28:09 GMT
Luree, you are becoming a real philatelist. We ALL have one of those books! (Even me). And it is amazing over time how you circle back to it and realize that now with wisdom and experience, some of the "daunting" things now at least appear a little easier. It is a great way to progress. But do remember, we all make mistakes from time to time, even the best of the best do, as it's built into our adorable human nature.
But do remember, you can always post stuff up here too for us to look at, and provide some guidance. (Though sometimes that guidance will be "I can't really tell from a photo"). Great to see you back in full swing! Cheers, -S
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