Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I'm looking at a Newfoundland #56. It appears to be mint and has pretty intact gum. I suppose it raises a lot of questions.
When did people start collecting stamps? Was this stamp part of a collection or inadvertently bought in 1887 and never used, to be discovered later. If it is in fact used why is the gum intact and then why are we so preoccupied with intact gum?
Finally, I wonder at what point, under the lure of profit from older stamps with intact gum, did people begin to coat the backs of stamps with gum?
I also wondered about the nature of gum used over time. Trying to soak older stamps from paper can be almost impossible. The gum resembles cement! The type of gum used on stamps has obviously changed over the years. I'd be curious as to the type of gum used on these 19th Century stamps.
This a somewhat rambling set of thoughts on gum, forgeries and priorities.............
Chris
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Actually I just read that the first gum used on early Great Britain stamps was called 'cement' and was a mixture of potato starch, wheat starch and acacia gum.........Wikipedia
Chris
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Sheila Brennen has recently completed a dissertation (2010) at George Mason University on the history of American stamp collecting. Chapters of her dissertation are available online at:
http://chnm.gmu.edu/staff/sheila/lot49/
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Anyone that has early US Columbians with smooth gum, they have been re gummed. The backs should be cracked, as I doubt that there are any OG examples still around.
Richaard
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08:21:36pm
In Roland Hill's proposal to Parliament that became the birth certificate of postage stamps he described the small pieces of paper as having as "Glutinous Mixture" that would allow the stamps to be affixed to the envelope.
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Sheila Brennan's dissertation looks fascinating......good to see someone approaching the history of stamp collecting from an academic perspective.....look forward to reading the chapters.
I found it interesting that stamp collecting began almost as soon as the first stamp was issued and quickly gained popularity. Those early Queen Victorian heads are extraordinary pieces of art.
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I love the idea that someone wrote their dissertation on the history of stamp collecting.
I feel pretty certain most stamp issuing authorities used gummed stamps, pretty much from the beginning. The gum was primitive (by our standards) as others have mentioned, sometimes horse hide glue or fish bone/scale glue. I'm guessing early stamps were probably difficult to affix, as it would take a while for wetness to dissolve the adhesive sufficiently for the stamp to actually stick to the paper... and THEN it would be almost impossible to remove, once it dried again.
For me, "old gum" more often is about the notion of "never hinged." Collectors used hinges or little flaps of paper-- or even a dab of glue-- to mount their stamps in albums until... when? the 1930's? 1940's? My expectation is that a pre-1900 stamp have lots-- or at least ONE-- hinge remnant of some kind, and "NH" is automatically suspect.
In some ways, it's one of the reasons I only collect postally used stamps and covers.
Cheers,
~Peter
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02:45:40pm
"..."NH" is automatically suspect. ... "
You can post that in bold capitals over your stamp desk.
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I'm curious as to what other people think of older stamps with intact gum.
I'm looking at a Newfoundland #56. It appears to be mint and has pretty intact gum. I suppose it raises a lot of questions.
When did people start collecting stamps? Was this stamp part of a collection or inadvertently bought in 1887 and never used, to be discovered later. If it is in fact used why is the gum intact and then why are we so preoccupied with intact gum?
Finally, I wonder at what point, under the lure of profit from older stamps with intact gum, did people begin to coat the backs of stamps with gum?
I also wondered about the nature of gum used over time. Trying to soak older stamps from paper can be almost impossible. The gum resembles cement! The type of gum used on stamps has obviously changed over the years. I'd be curious as to the type of gum used on these 19th Century stamps.
This a somewhat rambling set of thoughts on gum, forgeries and priorities.............
Chris
Login to Like
this post
re: intact gum on older stamps
Actually I just read that the first gum used on early Great Britain stamps was called 'cement' and was a mixture of potato starch, wheat starch and acacia gum.........Wikipedia
Chris
Login to Like
this post
re: intact gum on older stamps
Sheila Brennen has recently completed a dissertation (2010) at George Mason University on the history of American stamp collecting. Chapters of her dissertation are available online at:
http://chnm.gmu.edu/staff/sheila/lot49/
Login to Like
this post
re: intact gum on older stamps
Anyone that has early US Columbians with smooth gum, they have been re gummed. The backs should be cracked, as I doubt that there are any OG examples still around.
Richaard
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this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
22 Oct 2011
08:21:36pm
re: intact gum on older stamps
In Roland Hill's proposal to Parliament that became the birth certificate of postage stamps he described the small pieces of paper as having as "Glutinous Mixture" that would allow the stamps to be affixed to the envelope.
Login to Like
this post
re: intact gum on older stamps
Sheila Brennan's dissertation looks fascinating......good to see someone approaching the history of stamp collecting from an academic perspective.....look forward to reading the chapters.
I found it interesting that stamp collecting began almost as soon as the first stamp was issued and quickly gained popularity. Those early Queen Victorian heads are extraordinary pieces of art.
Login to Like
this post
re: intact gum on older stamps
I love the idea that someone wrote their dissertation on the history of stamp collecting.
I feel pretty certain most stamp issuing authorities used gummed stamps, pretty much from the beginning. The gum was primitive (by our standards) as others have mentioned, sometimes horse hide glue or fish bone/scale glue. I'm guessing early stamps were probably difficult to affix, as it would take a while for wetness to dissolve the adhesive sufficiently for the stamp to actually stick to the paper... and THEN it would be almost impossible to remove, once it dried again.
For me, "old gum" more often is about the notion of "never hinged." Collectors used hinges or little flaps of paper-- or even a dab of glue-- to mount their stamps in albums until... when? the 1930's? 1940's? My expectation is that a pre-1900 stamp have lots-- or at least ONE-- hinge remnant of some kind, and "NH" is automatically suspect.
In some ways, it's one of the reasons I only collect postally used stamps and covers.
Cheers,
~Peter
Login to Like
this post
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
23 Oct 2011
02:45:40pm
re: intact gum on older stamps
"..."NH" is automatically suspect. ... "
You can post that in bold capitals over your stamp desk.
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