Daniel, the imprints are collectively referred to as Farley's Follies. James Farley was a political adviser to FDR who was given the cabinet post of Postmaster General. He transformed US stamp issuing policies and stamp collecting. Not all his decisions were sound, including one in which he rewarded his patrons with imperf copies of issued perfed stamps. when some recipients sold these rarities and the general collecting community found out, they were outraged, and, to deal, he reissued them all. Here's more specifics, but I thought i'd include some background, too: http://www.1847usa.com/FarleysFollies.htm
(Modified by Moderator on 2013-07-25 16:58:34)
Thanks for your interesting answer amsd! That's for the USA. However, It seems that other countries have also issued imperforated stamp sheets as you can see above: 2 same stamp sheets from the Islamic Republic of Iran. It's a religious dictatorship, so I suppose they sort of do what they want. The 2 others are from Colombia: but those one are older; and thus perhaps, perforation of stamps was not yet a rule.So other countries have also done the same thing.
I will have a look at the site you have just given me to learn more about it.Thanks a lot. Daniel.
Here's an interesting Wiki article on this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamp_separation
Cheers,
Peter
(Modified by Moderator on 2013-07-25 17:00:20)
I agree with Snowy to a degree. Surely someone makes profit from imperforates, but my guess is they started with Printers Proofs and Printers Waste. Sheets that were printed for a purpose and deemed not up to standard for issuance, and hence, not run through the perforation process. Some one grabbed the sheets out of the trash bin or dumpster and offered them for sale and "BAM" a whole new venue of stamp collecting started. A lot like the color progression stamps that are on the market which were just part of the printing process and someone pulled sheets at each stage of the printing process to check the ink and print quality and then trashed the sheets only to have some one pull them from the dumpster, separate them and market them. Now they do it intentionally to raise revenue, and the same goes for imperforates. However, I am sure there are some examples where valid sheets just did not get perforated for one reason or another and got distributed through the post office with no one noticing. These would be the real collectables, but how do you know they were a real mistake?????
There are various reasons that perforated stamps were also issued imperforate. Just US issues, you have the following:
1. Early issues were imperforate. The issue of 1851-57 was issued imperforate, then the same plates were used to created perforated stamps (1857-60). New plates were also made with the same designs (slightly altered), plus 3 more designs added, for perforated stamps.
2. Imperforate sheets were provided to 3rd party coil perforators (e.g. Schermack) to create coil stamps all the way from the 1st Bureau through the 3rd Bureau (Washington/Franklin) and slightly beyond.
3. Farley's Follies as previously explained.
4. Perforation Errors (missing perfs) - usually rare.
5. No die-cut press sheets (starting with 2012 Baseball issue) created "imperf" versions of several self-adhesive stamps. There were also no die-cut versions of all the Looney Tunes booklets.
to expand on Lars' comments, although they may not require it,
1 was waiting for technology
2 were done to facilitate a particular type of dispersal and affixing
3 done as political favors
4 errors
5 pure profit motives
thanks Lars, I'd completely forgotten about the Shermacks and their cousins
David
Imperforate varieties, to me, just make things more interesting for my collection.
I have several THAILAND souvenir sheets that were issued perforate and imperforate, I like seeing them side by side (or page by page for the larger ones!)
That Australia sheet is curious, by the way, seems like an EFO to me. Some stamps perfed, some not?!
Snowy, a strange one it is! Half/half! Is this considered as an error?
That was definitely not an error, but certainly a marketing ploy. In the Stamp Bulletin no. 284(July-Sept 2006) Australia Post said:
Red-back special edition miniature sheet pack. This exclusive Red-back miniature sheet, set in a semi-imperforate configuration, is only available in a special edition pack and will not be included in the 2006 Collection of Australian Stamps.
The Red-back, originally commissioned to be part of the Dangerous Australians stamp issue, was thought to be too realistic at stamp size. It was decided that it was ...NEVER TO BE RELEASED for general postage! The pack gives you the opportunity to obtain the original six stamps in their concept layout and configuration. The Red-back was replaced by the Yellow-bellied Sea Snake - another Dangerous Australian.
Red-back spider? I thought the funnel spider was supposed to be the bad boy of spiders Down Under. Am I mistaken?
The funnel-web and redback spiders are both dangerous to humans, but AP's designers and marketing would go for the distinctive red marking on the female redback as a more attractive stamp proposition.
Hi to all!
OK, if I take the 2 examples I've got above, one stamp block is perforated and the other imperforated.Now, why do you have imperforate stamp sheets? My lack of knowledge on stamps (and I hope it will change)make me think that the imperf one were not finished by the post office (or where ever it is produced)? I know it is a stupid question in a way.
Do imperf have also more value than perfs?
Thanks for your ever interesting answers,
Daniel.
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
Daniel, the imprints are collectively referred to as Farley's Follies. James Farley was a political adviser to FDR who was given the cabinet post of Postmaster General. He transformed US stamp issuing policies and stamp collecting. Not all his decisions were sound, including one in which he rewarded his patrons with imperf copies of issued perfed stamps. when some recipients sold these rarities and the general collecting community found out, they were outraged, and, to deal, he reissued them all. Here's more specifics, but I thought i'd include some background, too: http://www.1847usa.com/FarleysFollies.htm
(Modified by Moderator on 2013-07-25 16:58:34)
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
Thanks for your interesting answer amsd! That's for the USA. However, It seems that other countries have also issued imperforated stamp sheets as you can see above: 2 same stamp sheets from the Islamic Republic of Iran. It's a religious dictatorship, so I suppose they sort of do what they want. The 2 others are from Colombia: but those one are older; and thus perhaps, perforation of stamps was not yet a rule.So other countries have also done the same thing.
I will have a look at the site you have just given me to learn more about it.Thanks a lot. Daniel.
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
Here's an interesting Wiki article on this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamp_separation
Cheers,
Peter
(Modified by Moderator on 2013-07-25 17:00:20)
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
I agree with Snowy to a degree. Surely someone makes profit from imperforates, but my guess is they started with Printers Proofs and Printers Waste. Sheets that were printed for a purpose and deemed not up to standard for issuance, and hence, not run through the perforation process. Some one grabbed the sheets out of the trash bin or dumpster and offered them for sale and "BAM" a whole new venue of stamp collecting started. A lot like the color progression stamps that are on the market which were just part of the printing process and someone pulled sheets at each stage of the printing process to check the ink and print quality and then trashed the sheets only to have some one pull them from the dumpster, separate them and market them. Now they do it intentionally to raise revenue, and the same goes for imperforates. However, I am sure there are some examples where valid sheets just did not get perforated for one reason or another and got distributed through the post office with no one noticing. These would be the real collectables, but how do you know they were a real mistake?????
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
There are various reasons that perforated stamps were also issued imperforate. Just US issues, you have the following:
1. Early issues were imperforate. The issue of 1851-57 was issued imperforate, then the same plates were used to created perforated stamps (1857-60). New plates were also made with the same designs (slightly altered), plus 3 more designs added, for perforated stamps.
2. Imperforate sheets were provided to 3rd party coil perforators (e.g. Schermack) to create coil stamps all the way from the 1st Bureau through the 3rd Bureau (Washington/Franklin) and slightly beyond.
3. Farley's Follies as previously explained.
4. Perforation Errors (missing perfs) - usually rare.
5. No die-cut press sheets (starting with 2012 Baseball issue) created "imperf" versions of several self-adhesive stamps. There were also no die-cut versions of all the Looney Tunes booklets.
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
to expand on Lars' comments, although they may not require it,
1 was waiting for technology
2 were done to facilitate a particular type of dispersal and affixing
3 done as political favors
4 errors
5 pure profit motives
thanks Lars, I'd completely forgotten about the Shermacks and their cousins
David
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
Imperforate varieties, to me, just make things more interesting for my collection.
I have several THAILAND souvenir sheets that were issued perforate and imperforate, I like seeing them side by side (or page by page for the larger ones!)
That Australia sheet is curious, by the way, seems like an EFO to me. Some stamps perfed, some not?!
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
Snowy, a strange one it is! Half/half! Is this considered as an error?
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
That was definitely not an error, but certainly a marketing ploy. In the Stamp Bulletin no. 284(July-Sept 2006) Australia Post said:
Red-back special edition miniature sheet pack. This exclusive Red-back miniature sheet, set in a semi-imperforate configuration, is only available in a special edition pack and will not be included in the 2006 Collection of Australian Stamps.
The Red-back, originally commissioned to be part of the Dangerous Australians stamp issue, was thought to be too realistic at stamp size. It was decided that it was ...NEVER TO BE RELEASED for general postage! The pack gives you the opportunity to obtain the original six stamps in their concept layout and configuration. The Red-back was replaced by the Yellow-bellied Sea Snake - another Dangerous Australian.
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
Red-back spider? I thought the funnel spider was supposed to be the bad boy of spiders Down Under. Am I mistaken?
re: Why are there perforate and imperforate stamps?
The funnel-web and redback spiders are both dangerous to humans, but AP's designers and marketing would go for the distinctive red marking on the female redback as a more attractive stamp proposition.