It's a Belgian (see the 'B' top centre) Railway Parcels stamp from 1949, SG no.P1279. Gibbons further adds that the locomotive depicted is an "1875", which will mean much to railway enthusiasts, as will the significance of "T.29". Our experts will no doubt tell you all about the cancel, and once again apologies for not having a Scott number.
Belgian parcel post stamps often have heavy cancels like that. What is probably making it look like it was "burned" into the stamp is the acid in the cancellation ink that is reacting with the paper.
I've always assumed that such stains surrounding elements of cancellations were the result of oils in the ink, not acids. Acids certainly do damage stamps My understanding is that the gum of the Hindenburg stamps on this German cover contained sulphuric acid which almost immediately began to oxidize the paper of the stamps and the paper to which they were attached:
Certainly the damage to the Hindenburg stamps is of a different character than the stains coming from the Belgian cancellation.
Bob
@NL1947:
The Scott catalogue listing for Germany C57-8 refers the collector to this note in the listing for B68:
"Because the gum on No. B68 contains fulfuric acid and tends to damage the sheet, most collectors prefer to remove it. Catalogue unused values are for sheet and singles without gum."
It's rare to see C57-8 in mint condition or on cover without significant toning; the same stamps on cover have often damaged the envelope as well.
Bob
Interesting
I had not come upon this notation
I knew of 19th century Austrian stamps having certain chemicals in the gum that discolored the stamps.
Older stamps printed in reds have an oxidation issue.
The sulphuric acid may be left over from the manufacture of dextrin (a common component with gum arabic).
It is usually neutralized but may not have been in these few cases. The Germans were pretty good chemists so I doubt this was done on purpose.
Sulfuric acid loves to remove the moisture so eventually the stamp itself would break down if enough acid is present.
To return to the stamp, here is the Wikipedia reference to Ans where it was so thoroughly cancelled:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ans
(I had thought it was an abbreviation for 'Anvers', or Antwerp as we call it in the UK.)
"Older stamps printed in reds have an oxidation issue."
""Older stamps printed in reds have an oxidation issue.""
""It is sulphurization, not oxidation. The ink pigments are not metal-based."
Sulfur does not oxidize, and there is not enough iron in the inks to oxide enough to cause a change in color. It is the sulfur in the ink that reacts to atmospheric elements like cigarette smoke and other airborne pollutants that cause the sulfurization.
Thanks for the information Guthrum and others, as well as the link to Ans. The "B" at the top of the stamp had escaped my notice. For some reason I thought it might have been a stylized number '8', partly hidden by the cancellation. Then Railroad Parcel Post never occurred to me either. I thought it was some type of railway or train commemorative.
I learn so much here! Thanks,
Paul.
Not a commemorative, but it definitely fits in a railroad topical. Belgium has many stamps just like that with all sorts of different locomotives. Makes a very nice display.
I went online and had a look for the SG stamp number Guthrum had mentioned earlier on. Funny thing, is the one that came up on the Stanley Gibbons' website has a much cleaner cancellation than mine. See below:
I see it was cancelled in Bruxelles (Brussels) though, so perhaps different ink was used in different locations?
Paul.
The amount of ink on the canceller will have an affect on how heavy the cancel is.
Good to know Anglophile. Thanks,
Paul.
Various Belgium Cancels on Railway Parcel Postst Stamps
I don't see any there cancelled in "Ans". Maybe mine is one in a million!
Paul
Greetings All. I was sorting out some more of my collection tonight when I came across the following stamp. It has a strange cancel mark on it, almost like the cancel was burned in to the stamp. It has made the stamp hard to read underneath and so I am not really sure what it is I am looking at.
As usual, any help anybody can offer is greatly appreciated! On to the stamp:
Thanks,
Paul.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
It's a Belgian (see the 'B' top centre) Railway Parcels stamp from 1949, SG no.P1279. Gibbons further adds that the locomotive depicted is an "1875", which will mean much to railway enthusiasts, as will the significance of "T.29". Our experts will no doubt tell you all about the cancel, and once again apologies for not having a Scott number.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
Belgian parcel post stamps often have heavy cancels like that. What is probably making it look like it was "burned" into the stamp is the acid in the cancellation ink that is reacting with the paper.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
I've always assumed that such stains surrounding elements of cancellations were the result of oils in the ink, not acids. Acids certainly do damage stamps My understanding is that the gum of the Hindenburg stamps on this German cover contained sulphuric acid which almost immediately began to oxidize the paper of the stamps and the paper to which they were attached:
Certainly the damage to the Hindenburg stamps is of a different character than the stains coming from the Belgian cancellation.
Bob
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
@NL1947:
The Scott catalogue listing for Germany C57-8 refers the collector to this note in the listing for B68:
"Because the gum on No. B68 contains fulfuric acid and tends to damage the sheet, most collectors prefer to remove it. Catalogue unused values are for sheet and singles without gum."
It's rare to see C57-8 in mint condition or on cover without significant toning; the same stamps on cover have often damaged the envelope as well.
Bob
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
Interesting
I had not come upon this notation
I knew of 19th century Austrian stamps having certain chemicals in the gum that discolored the stamps.
Older stamps printed in reds have an oxidation issue.
The sulphuric acid may be left over from the manufacture of dextrin (a common component with gum arabic).
It is usually neutralized but may not have been in these few cases. The Germans were pretty good chemists so I doubt this was done on purpose.
Sulfuric acid loves to remove the moisture so eventually the stamp itself would break down if enough acid is present.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
To return to the stamp, here is the Wikipedia reference to Ans where it was so thoroughly cancelled:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ans
(I had thought it was an abbreviation for 'Anvers', or Antwerp as we call it in the UK.)
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
"Older stamps printed in reds have an oxidation issue."
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
""Older stamps printed in reds have an oxidation issue.""
""It is sulphurization, not oxidation. The ink pigments are not metal-based."
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
Sulfur does not oxidize, and there is not enough iron in the inks to oxide enough to cause a change in color. It is the sulfur in the ink that reacts to atmospheric elements like cigarette smoke and other airborne pollutants that cause the sulfurization.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
Thanks for the information Guthrum and others, as well as the link to Ans. The "B" at the top of the stamp had escaped my notice. For some reason I thought it might have been a stylized number '8', partly hidden by the cancellation. Then Railroad Parcel Post never occurred to me either. I thought it was some type of railway or train commemorative.
I learn so much here! Thanks,
Paul.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
Not a commemorative, but it definitely fits in a railroad topical. Belgium has many stamps just like that with all sorts of different locomotives. Makes a very nice display.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
I went online and had a look for the SG stamp number Guthrum had mentioned earlier on. Funny thing, is the one that came up on the Stanley Gibbons' website has a much cleaner cancellation than mine. See below:
I see it was cancelled in Bruxelles (Brussels) though, so perhaps different ink was used in different locations?
Paul.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
The amount of ink on the canceller will have an affect on how heavy the cancel is.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
Good to know Anglophile. Thanks,
Paul.
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
Various Belgium Cancels on Railway Parcel Postst Stamps
re: Strange Cancel Mark On An Unknown Stamp
I don't see any there cancelled in "Ans". Maybe mine is one in a million!
Paul