Doug,
When I started organizing my perfins, I wanted to mount them so that the initials were visible. I briefly considered using acid free black paper but decided that was probably not a good idea.
I did not want to hinge them face down on any color of paper.
I ended up using Vario pages, turning the stamp over so the picture is facing down and the initials are easily seen. I place a small paper label next to the stamp with information from the perfin catalog. Seems to be working so far, and all are movable as needed.
Sally
I understand that some folks place a scan of all of the stamps on one page (against whatever background they choose, etc) facing the page of stamps (mounted in their usual fashion) in their album.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
I put them in a stock book, face side up.
I would suggest against hinging such stamps. The stamp paper is weakened by the perfin-making process. If you use a hinge, and one day you take the hinge off, the perfins could act as perforations and tear the stamp as you remove the hinge.
And if you get a batch of them with hinges already applied/not removed, soak them off.
Do not try to tear them or gently pull - the larger the perfin, the more likely it is to tear the stamp.
I'm interested in perfins because they became legal during the reign of my beloved Franklin stamp!
I try to obtain them on cover.. a bit more of a challenge.
I've been struggling with how to display perfins for decades. Finally arrived at a solution I like. It requires three products:
Vario Clear One-sided Stock Pages (e.g., 6C, 7C, 8C)
Vario ZWL Interleave Black Pages
Three-ring binder
Simply alternate the clear stock pages with the black interleaves. The "front" of each page clearly shows the perfin, and the "back" of each page clearly shows the face of the stamp.
I'll see if I can get some pictures...
-Steve
Steve - your method sounds great. The perfect solution! Thanks for sharing
Thank you everyone for your responses.
Steve I would love to see your pages.
Doug
I have a few covers with perfins in my dis organized U.S. covers...this one is P E i would imagine for Pacific Electric.
This one is a bit different big U small M inside !
Here's RT from 1909
UK London, Houses of Parliament, stamp perfin CH Ltd cds 19041207
'CH' is understood to be the Carlton Hotel.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
US NYC, Waldorf Astoria Hotel cds 19140925
S o // R Y = Southern Railway Company
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
US MI Marquette, Harlow's Wooden Man, cds Milwaukee 19091229, perfin WEM
WEM (suggested as) Wisconsin Electric Milwaulkee
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
They Perf'd The Queen!
UK General Maczek w Perfin QE2 stamp cds 19870331 perfin SM95
SM // 95 = Stanislaw Maczek (then) 95 years old
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
That definitely does not sound good - "they perf'd the Queen" - now if that had been Isabella when she was alive, she probably would have had them skinned alive.
The great celebration of when they could "stamp out her face" comes to mind.
Here are several pictures of my perfin album--an old White Ace three ring binder with the clear Vario pages and black interleaves.
I haven't really done anything with them as far as arrangement goes, other than to separate U.S. from rest of the world. I've put way more energy into finding ways to display perfins than in finding more perfins! At this point, I just needed to see what I've already got and to decide if I really want to spend all that time on research.
Not the greatest pictures, but I think you'll get the idea. The three paired photos show three pages--front and back.
-Steve
Geo. i have mine in a stock book...some order but not much...Argentina,Australia,Great Britain , Germany, not too much U.S. its a fun thng as they come along .
Chris wrote:
"are there any postal markings showing rejection of unauthorized use?"
That's a good question, I've never seen a cover like that. I don't know if the USPD ( or other country) was expected to monitor this or if the purpose was more to discourage the theft and sale of big quantities rather than an occasional personal use.
I have 1910 era use by salespeople on postal cards. Some of these appear to be setting appointments prior to telephones.
I also have two different post cards with railroad Perkins that appear to be private use. Maybe sold at train stations?
Unlike precancels, there was no requirement that mail bearing perfin'd stamps be posted in the city in which the owner was based.
And how could every postal employee be familiar with, and keep up to date with, the internal policies of every perfing business?
For example, maybe employees were allowed to use company perfin'd stamps on their personal Xmas & bDay cards?
Government agencies are an easier call, but not every perfer was a government agency.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
Steve,
Your albums display the stamps perfectly. Thank you for posting photos!
Sally
Thanks for sharing Steve. You have come up with the perfect answer.
Doug
Having perfins on company stamps should have deterred employees from stealing them for private use but I understand that the main reason for their use in Britain was to prevent employees stealing mint stamps and exchanging them for cash at a post office.
For many years British post offices would redeem mint stamps for cash but they would not accept mint stamps with perfins.
"... British post offices would redeem mint stamps for cash ..."
"... persons holding valid stamps will be afforded an opportunity for their redemption ..."
I doubt the USPS is interested in enforcing loss prevention for a private company. However, if an employee is caught with a significant amount of unused stamps, all perforated with the company's initials he would not be able to prove they belong to him without a paid receipt rom his employer..
Is there anyone who collects Stamps with Perforated initials?
If so how do you mount them?
Face up or face down?
Do you care to show a page from your collection?
Doug
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Doug,
When I started organizing my perfins, I wanted to mount them so that the initials were visible. I briefly considered using acid free black paper but decided that was probably not a good idea.
I did not want to hinge them face down on any color of paper.
I ended up using Vario pages, turning the stamp over so the picture is facing down and the initials are easily seen. I place a small paper label next to the stamp with information from the perfin catalog. Seems to be working so far, and all are movable as needed.
Sally
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
I understand that some folks place a scan of all of the stamps on one page (against whatever background they choose, etc) facing the page of stamps (mounted in their usual fashion) in their album.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
I put them in a stock book, face side up.
I would suggest against hinging such stamps. The stamp paper is weakened by the perfin-making process. If you use a hinge, and one day you take the hinge off, the perfins could act as perforations and tear the stamp as you remove the hinge.
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
And if you get a batch of them with hinges already applied/not removed, soak them off.
Do not try to tear them or gently pull - the larger the perfin, the more likely it is to tear the stamp.
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
I'm interested in perfins because they became legal during the reign of my beloved Franklin stamp!
I try to obtain them on cover.. a bit more of a challenge.
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
I've been struggling with how to display perfins for decades. Finally arrived at a solution I like. It requires three products:
Vario Clear One-sided Stock Pages (e.g., 6C, 7C, 8C)
Vario ZWL Interleave Black Pages
Three-ring binder
Simply alternate the clear stock pages with the black interleaves. The "front" of each page clearly shows the perfin, and the "back" of each page clearly shows the face of the stamp.
I'll see if I can get some pictures...
-Steve
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Steve - your method sounds great. The perfect solution! Thanks for sharing
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Thank you everyone for your responses.
Steve I would love to see your pages.
Doug
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
I have a few covers with perfins in my dis organized U.S. covers...this one is P E i would imagine for Pacific Electric.
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
This one is a bit different big U small M inside !
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Here's RT from 1909
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
UK London, Houses of Parliament, stamp perfin CH Ltd cds 19041207
'CH' is understood to be the Carlton Hotel.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
US NYC, Waldorf Astoria Hotel cds 19140925
S o // R Y = Southern Railway Company
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
US MI Marquette, Harlow's Wooden Man, cds Milwaukee 19091229, perfin WEM
WEM (suggested as) Wisconsin Electric Milwaulkee
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
They Perf'd The Queen!
UK General Maczek w Perfin QE2 stamp cds 19870331 perfin SM95
SM // 95 = Stanislaw Maczek (then) 95 years old
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
That definitely does not sound good - "they perf'd the Queen" - now if that had been Isabella when she was alive, she probably would have had them skinned alive.
The great celebration of when they could "stamp out her face" comes to mind.
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Here are several pictures of my perfin album--an old White Ace three ring binder with the clear Vario pages and black interleaves.
I haven't really done anything with them as far as arrangement goes, other than to separate U.S. from rest of the world. I've put way more energy into finding ways to display perfins than in finding more perfins! At this point, I just needed to see what I've already got and to decide if I really want to spend all that time on research.
Not the greatest pictures, but I think you'll get the idea. The three paired photos show three pages--front and back.
-Steve
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Geo. i have mine in a stock book...some order but not much...Argentina,Australia,Great Britain , Germany, not too much U.S. its a fun thng as they come along .
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Chris wrote:
"are there any postal markings showing rejection of unauthorized use?"
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
That's a good question, I've never seen a cover like that. I don't know if the USPD ( or other country) was expected to monitor this or if the purpose was more to discourage the theft and sale of big quantities rather than an occasional personal use.
I have 1910 era use by salespeople on postal cards. Some of these appear to be setting appointments prior to telephones.
I also have two different post cards with railroad Perkins that appear to be private use. Maybe sold at train stations?
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Unlike precancels, there was no requirement that mail bearing perfin'd stamps be posted in the city in which the owner was based.
And how could every postal employee be familiar with, and keep up to date with, the internal policies of every perfing business?
For example, maybe employees were allowed to use company perfin'd stamps on their personal Xmas & bDay cards?
Government agencies are an easier call, but not every perfer was a government agency.
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Steve,
Your albums display the stamps perfectly. Thank you for posting photos!
Sally
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Thanks for sharing Steve. You have come up with the perfect answer.
Doug
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
Having perfins on company stamps should have deterred employees from stealing them for private use but I understand that the main reason for their use in Britain was to prevent employees stealing mint stamps and exchanging them for cash at a post office.
For many years British post offices would redeem mint stamps for cash but they would not accept mint stamps with perfins.
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
"... British post offices would redeem mint stamps for cash ..."
"... persons holding valid stamps will be afforded an opportunity for their redemption ..."
re: Stamps with Perforated initials
I doubt the USPS is interested in enforcing loss prevention for a private company. However, if an employee is caught with a significant amount of unused stamps, all perforated with the company's initials he would not be able to prove they belong to him without a paid receipt rom his employer..