Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I'm looking for some guidance. I've got a One Cent Franklin, Perf 12, Flat plate, double line watermark stamp, which I'd normally identify as Scott 331. The only thing that makes me second guess this is the color of the paper.
The color of the paper looks very brown—it is almost as dark as a craft paper. I've placed another Scott 331 on top of the stamp in question for comparison. Any thoughts or insights about this?
Thanks in advance,
Ben
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The paper has probably toned over the years from how it was stored.
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It is toned; aka acidification. Acids are formed from Lignin. Lignin is the ‘stuff' (organic substance) that binds cells and fibers in wood. Typically stamps are exposed to Lignin either while on an envelope or stored on album pages which were made with low quality paper. Toned paper is very common, for example, in old newspaper. The acidification and toning is so pronounced in old newspapers they can simply crumble in your hands.
A lot of folks will repeat the mantra of ‘do not soak the stamps off a cover, covers are postal history’. But they fail to tell anyone how to stop acidification. Below are some examples of toned stamps due from being kept on covers.
This is a very common problem but our hobby seems to be ignoring this critical issue. There are ways to neutralize acids in paper and anyone who collects postal history, advocates saving stamps on cover, or uses self-printed album pages ought to be well educated in the testing and prevention of acidification.
Don
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"There are ways to neutralize acids in paper and anyone who collects postal history, advocates saving stamps on cover, or uses self-printed album pages ought to be well educated in the testing and prevention of acidification."
Hi Don,
I have to admit I am not aware of these ways. Could you point me in the right direction so that I can educate myself?
Thanks,
Antonio
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There are sprays such as this one sold by Subway
http://www.subwaystamp.com/ARCHIVAL-MIST/productinfo/ZPTWATTAM/
Here is another
http://www.talasonline.com/deacidification
I have always been a bit hesitant in using a water soluble spray on some covers; ‘lightly’ misting them seems to be the best practice. I assume that you could also safely use dry baking soda, just sprinkling it lightly inside the cover and then shaking to try to get a coating across the paper surface.
For folks who ‘print-your-own’ album pages (especially if you also use sheet protectors) I would recommend periodically testing the paper to make sure it is not going acidic. There are inexpensive pens which use reagents to visually indicate the pH of paper. (These are permanent markers so do not use on any stamps.) But occasionally checking the pages (in an inconspicuous place) may save you from heartbreak one day.
https://www.amazon.com/Lineco-Testing-Paper-Paperboard-Products/dp/B000KNJCSS
Of course a key component of toning/acidification is the environment. Temperature and humidity changes are the enemy and will greatly accelerate the breakdown of Lignin into acidic compounds. Never assume that because you purchased ‘acid -free’ paper that it will not acidify. Unless you sprung for some high end archival paper (big bucks) there is a good chance that the paper can acidify.
Don
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With covers and stamps on piece problems are seldom going to be albums ( unless they are very old ) but contemporary envelopes, writing paper or other enclosures.
Modern paper, envelopes, stamp albums and even newspapers are much better made, durable and anti-contaminant than in the past, and apart from newspapers are likely to deteriorate at the same rate ( give or take a century or two ) as the stamp itself.
However old paper contains all sorts of harmful ( and not just to stamps !) nasties. So unless there is value in the cover or other marks on a piece ( ask an expert for advice ) stamps will survive better without. If you must keep stamps on a cover ( and I do -often ) they must be quarantined from other "stuff" to avoid cross-contamination.
I keep them in plastic ( open-ended ) slieves - and air them frequently. And those who say keep them in archival conditions, I say they will have fallen apart through their own deterioration long before they are affected by the plastic.
The secret is to treat every case on it's own merits, and take a wide overview of all the conditions and factors involved. Museums often sandwich valuable documents in an inert laminate plastic "sandwich" to arrest further decay. The flipside to this is that it is no longer "original", but often the context is more important than the item itself.
Malcolm
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Malcolm,
Just to be clear, people should never, EVER laminate any valuable old item they want to preserve. It is a sure way to absolutely ruin the item. I am only aware of 1-2 state/federal archives who tried this and they ended up running all the historical documents they had.
See here https://www.npr.org/2017/02/21/515410087/an-attempt-to-save-south-carolinas-historical-documents-is-destroying-them
Ideally, do not enclose anything of value, let it breathe. The more you enclose it, the greater the risk.
Don
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Don
I wasn't suggesting that lamination in the domestic situation was possible or desirable.
I am quite surprised at the conclusions about lamination. I would have thought that if the material was "neutralised" beforehand, and the moisture content removed, that lamination in an inert material would work.
Parchment and hide-based written material ( as used in courtrooms and government circles) doesn't need such treatment but standard paper, used for vernacular purposes from the 19th and early 20th centuries, even in optimum archival conditions has a life of less than 150 years, because basically it is junk, and however you try to preserve it, it is what it is -so basically to keep it for posterity they have to take a copy and bin the original when it falls apart ?
Malcolm
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Yes, Malcolm, I share your views on paper from the 19th-20th centuries. The material I prefer to collect is from places/times that were under political turmoil. During those times, infrastructure (such as paper production) was under tremendous economic stress. Much of the paper produced under those conditions is of directly observable, extremely marginal quality - typically coarse, with lots of strange inclusions. It seems like a daunting task to prevent the (inevitable) outcome of deterioration of such material.
A study in paper-manufacturing constraints during those periods (let's say, 1920s Europe) would be fascinating, to me.
-Paul
By the way, I just approved a facility to ship (calf) skins to the EU. These are used to produce parchment. They are packed and shipped "fresh", deep frozen, with no additives of any kind. The market for such an export is very small.
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"Old paper" is not necessarily poor quality paper. If it were, we wouldn't have old stamps in our collections, and we all (probably) have many in pristine condition even though they are more than a century or more old. I've been told by a printer with a lifetime of experience that nearly all modern papers that we would use for albums are acid-free and nearly archival.
Bob
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Hi Bob,
"...I've been told by a printer with a lifetime of experience that nearly all modern papers that we would use for albums are acid-free..."
And my neighbor tells me that his wife his beautiful and his kids are smart!
The Society of American Archivists defines acid-free paper as "n. Paper with a pH of 7.0 or greater when manufactured."
Note the term ‘when manufactured’. When I go to the lumber store and buy a piece of pressure treat wood, I do not expect that it will never rot. Buying an ‘acid-free’ paper and expecting it will never tone or become acidic is folly. A paper that is considered acid-free at time of manufacture does not mean that it will remain acid free over time. If any wood is used in making of the paper pulp, the residual acid can continue to attack the paper fibers, making the paper brittle over time.
‘Acid-free’ paper is different than ‘archival’ paper and frankly both are applied by manufacturers without regard for standards , compliance mechanism, or oversight. But archival paper is generally meant to designate paper made from alpha cellulose and are lignin free. Archival paper may be made from cotton fibers, rags, esparto, jute, or virtually any other fiber other than wood.
But it is important to note that in today’s paper, acids might not only come from the wood pulp (lignin). No matter how free of acid the paper may be immediately after manufacture, modern paper often has a multitude of ‘additives’ including coatings for use with printers. Optical brighteners, residual chlorine from bleaching operations, or aluminum sulfate (alum) from sizing can lead to the formation of hydrochloric or sulfuric acid as the paper ages.
Whether or not the paper is buffered with enough alkaline (calcium carbonate) reserve to neutralize all of these acid sources over time is anyone’s guess. There has been some work in trying to set standards for ‘archival’ paper (but ‘acid-free’ remains a totally useless marketing term). The Library of Congress has published specifications for buffer (pH and alkaline reserve) requirements ensure that the paper is not acidic and will not become acidic over time, you can read them here https://www.loc.gov/preservation/resources/rt/perm/pp_x3.html.
These requirements are a far cry from the meaningless ‘acid-free’ term and represent paper that is not found in your local office supply store nor is it inexpensive.
Don
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Bob, my point is simply that, when the going gets tough (economically), the quality is likely to suffer. Just look at what came out of Eastern Europe in the 1920s-1940s. Or, North Vietnam in the 1950s-1970s.
Why, these stamps look like they were printed on kraft paper:
Doesn't detract from their collectibility, in my eye, but it's a fascinating reflection of the struggles of a government in peril.
And, at the risk of straying from the topic of the thread, occasionally, stamps are intentionally sentenced to a short life. To wit:
(scanned in its mount)
-Paul
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this post
According to the North Vietnam Specialized Stamp Catalogue, those North Vietnam stamps picturing Ho Chi Minh were printed on "rough, handmade, brownish rice paper." They're the flimsiest stamps I've ever encountered.
51Studebaker is correct: much more than acid is involved in the deterioration of paper. At the same time, only once as an adult collector have I purchased true archival paper, for an arm and a leg, I might add. Otherwise, I've bought paper mostly from Staples, and in almost 40 years I've never seen the slightest damage to any of my stamps and covers caused by non-archival paper. Many of my stamps don't come in contact with paper because I use plastic mounts.
In wartime Britain, paper was in such critically short supply that slogan cancels urged paper conservation and people were admonished to reuse envelopes by carefully cutting them open and closing them with a folded label that covered the previous address and stamps. Paper was recycled several times, without benefit of bleach, which meant that the ink made the paper darker with each recycling. Here is an exhibit sheet from my exhibit, In a Time of Need: 1939-1949 — Wartime and Postwar Austerity in Great Britain:
Bob
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What about 102 cards?
Does anyone have a comment on their suitability to hold stamps for long periods?
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It is not stamp paper or even album leaves that are the major problem - kept in reasonable environments they are likely to last as long as we need them.
It is generally acknowledged that all paper, and items made from it, commences to deteriorate immediately it is produced ( a bit like us really !!),- when talking about documents I was meaning writing paper, envelopes, newspapers, ephemera etc which is usually made from less desirable and durable paper.
These are items which museums etc. need to spend their efforts on. However as we can now record all these on the internet perhaps they just need to be kept in archival storage - after all we don't have to see them "In the flesh" as it were.
Malcolm
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10:00:36pm
I'm looking for some guidance. I've got a One Cent Franklin, Perf 12, Flat plate, double line watermark stamp, which I'd normally identify as Scott 331. The only thing that makes me second guess this is the color of the paper.
The color of the paper looks very brown—it is almost as dark as a craft paper. I've placed another Scott 331 on top of the stamp in question for comparison. Any thoughts or insights about this?
Thanks in advance,
Ben
Login to Like
this post
10:55:29pm
re: Paper/Color Question
The paper has probably toned over the years from how it was stored.
Login to Like
this post
re: Paper/Color Question
It is toned; aka acidification. Acids are formed from Lignin. Lignin is the ‘stuff' (organic substance) that binds cells and fibers in wood. Typically stamps are exposed to Lignin either while on an envelope or stored on album pages which were made with low quality paper. Toned paper is very common, for example, in old newspaper. The acidification and toning is so pronounced in old newspapers they can simply crumble in your hands.
A lot of folks will repeat the mantra of ‘do not soak the stamps off a cover, covers are postal history’. But they fail to tell anyone how to stop acidification. Below are some examples of toned stamps due from being kept on covers.
This is a very common problem but our hobby seems to be ignoring this critical issue. There are ways to neutralize acids in paper and anyone who collects postal history, advocates saving stamps on cover, or uses self-printed album pages ought to be well educated in the testing and prevention of acidification.
Don
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Paper/Color Question
"There are ways to neutralize acids in paper and anyone who collects postal history, advocates saving stamps on cover, or uses self-printed album pages ought to be well educated in the testing and prevention of acidification."
Hi Don,
I have to admit I am not aware of these ways. Could you point me in the right direction so that I can educate myself?
Thanks,
Antonio
Login to Like
this post
re: Paper/Color Question
There are sprays such as this one sold by Subway
http://www.subwaystamp.com/ARCHIVAL-MIST/productinfo/ZPTWATTAM/
Here is another
http://www.talasonline.com/deacidification
I have always been a bit hesitant in using a water soluble spray on some covers; ‘lightly’ misting them seems to be the best practice. I assume that you could also safely use dry baking soda, just sprinkling it lightly inside the cover and then shaking to try to get a coating across the paper surface.
For folks who ‘print-your-own’ album pages (especially if you also use sheet protectors) I would recommend periodically testing the paper to make sure it is not going acidic. There are inexpensive pens which use reagents to visually indicate the pH of paper. (These are permanent markers so do not use on any stamps.) But occasionally checking the pages (in an inconspicuous place) may save you from heartbreak one day.
https://www.amazon.com/Lineco-Testing-Paper-Paperboard-Products/dp/B000KNJCSS
Of course a key component of toning/acidification is the environment. Temperature and humidity changes are the enemy and will greatly accelerate the breakdown of Lignin into acidic compounds. Never assume that because you purchased ‘acid -free’ paper that it will not acidify. Unless you sprung for some high end archival paper (big bucks) there is a good chance that the paper can acidify.
Don
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like this post.
Login to Like.
09:28:45am
re: Paper/Color Question
With covers and stamps on piece problems are seldom going to be albums ( unless they are very old ) but contemporary envelopes, writing paper or other enclosures.
Modern paper, envelopes, stamp albums and even newspapers are much better made, durable and anti-contaminant than in the past, and apart from newspapers are likely to deteriorate at the same rate ( give or take a century or two ) as the stamp itself.
However old paper contains all sorts of harmful ( and not just to stamps !) nasties. So unless there is value in the cover or other marks on a piece ( ask an expert for advice ) stamps will survive better without. If you must keep stamps on a cover ( and I do -often ) they must be quarantined from other "stuff" to avoid cross-contamination.
I keep them in plastic ( open-ended ) slieves - and air them frequently. And those who say keep them in archival conditions, I say they will have fallen apart through their own deterioration long before they are affected by the plastic.
The secret is to treat every case on it's own merits, and take a wide overview of all the conditions and factors involved. Museums often sandwich valuable documents in an inert laminate plastic "sandwich" to arrest further decay. The flipside to this is that it is no longer "original", but often the context is more important than the item itself.
Malcolm
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this post
re: Paper/Color Question
Malcolm,
Just to be clear, people should never, EVER laminate any valuable old item they want to preserve. It is a sure way to absolutely ruin the item. I am only aware of 1-2 state/federal archives who tried this and they ended up running all the historical documents they had.
See here https://www.npr.org/2017/02/21/515410087/an-attempt-to-save-south-carolinas-historical-documents-is-destroying-them
Ideally, do not enclose anything of value, let it breathe. The more you enclose it, the greater the risk.
Don
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10:21:34am
re: Paper/Color Question
Don
I wasn't suggesting that lamination in the domestic situation was possible or desirable.
I am quite surprised at the conclusions about lamination. I would have thought that if the material was "neutralised" beforehand, and the moisture content removed, that lamination in an inert material would work.
Parchment and hide-based written material ( as used in courtrooms and government circles) doesn't need such treatment but standard paper, used for vernacular purposes from the 19th and early 20th centuries, even in optimum archival conditions has a life of less than 150 years, because basically it is junk, and however you try to preserve it, it is what it is -so basically to keep it for posterity they have to take a copy and bin the original when it falls apart ?
Malcolm
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11:00:27am
re: Paper/Color Question
Yes, Malcolm, I share your views on paper from the 19th-20th centuries. The material I prefer to collect is from places/times that were under political turmoil. During those times, infrastructure (such as paper production) was under tremendous economic stress. Much of the paper produced under those conditions is of directly observable, extremely marginal quality - typically coarse, with lots of strange inclusions. It seems like a daunting task to prevent the (inevitable) outcome of deterioration of such material.
A study in paper-manufacturing constraints during those periods (let's say, 1920s Europe) would be fascinating, to me.
-Paul
By the way, I just approved a facility to ship (calf) skins to the EU. These are used to produce parchment. They are packed and shipped "fresh", deep frozen, with no additives of any kind. The market for such an export is very small.
Login to Like
this post
re: Paper/Color Question
"Old paper" is not necessarily poor quality paper. If it were, we wouldn't have old stamps in our collections, and we all (probably) have many in pristine condition even though they are more than a century or more old. I've been told by a printer with a lifetime of experience that nearly all modern papers that we would use for albums are acid-free and nearly archival.
Bob
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this post
re: Paper/Color Question
Hi Bob,
"...I've been told by a printer with a lifetime of experience that nearly all modern papers that we would use for albums are acid-free..."
And my neighbor tells me that his wife his beautiful and his kids are smart!
The Society of American Archivists defines acid-free paper as "n. Paper with a pH of 7.0 or greater when manufactured."
Note the term ‘when manufactured’. When I go to the lumber store and buy a piece of pressure treat wood, I do not expect that it will never rot. Buying an ‘acid-free’ paper and expecting it will never tone or become acidic is folly. A paper that is considered acid-free at time of manufacture does not mean that it will remain acid free over time. If any wood is used in making of the paper pulp, the residual acid can continue to attack the paper fibers, making the paper brittle over time.
‘Acid-free’ paper is different than ‘archival’ paper and frankly both are applied by manufacturers without regard for standards , compliance mechanism, or oversight. But archival paper is generally meant to designate paper made from alpha cellulose and are lignin free. Archival paper may be made from cotton fibers, rags, esparto, jute, or virtually any other fiber other than wood.
But it is important to note that in today’s paper, acids might not only come from the wood pulp (lignin). No matter how free of acid the paper may be immediately after manufacture, modern paper often has a multitude of ‘additives’ including coatings for use with printers. Optical brighteners, residual chlorine from bleaching operations, or aluminum sulfate (alum) from sizing can lead to the formation of hydrochloric or sulfuric acid as the paper ages.
Whether or not the paper is buffered with enough alkaline (calcium carbonate) reserve to neutralize all of these acid sources over time is anyone’s guess. There has been some work in trying to set standards for ‘archival’ paper (but ‘acid-free’ remains a totally useless marketing term). The Library of Congress has published specifications for buffer (pH and alkaline reserve) requirements ensure that the paper is not acidic and will not become acidic over time, you can read them here https://www.loc.gov/preservation/resources/rt/perm/pp_x3.html.
These requirements are a far cry from the meaningless ‘acid-free’ term and represent paper that is not found in your local office supply store nor is it inexpensive.
Don
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this post
07:21:34am
re: Paper/Color Question
Bob, my point is simply that, when the going gets tough (economically), the quality is likely to suffer. Just look at what came out of Eastern Europe in the 1920s-1940s. Or, North Vietnam in the 1950s-1970s.
Why, these stamps look like they were printed on kraft paper:
Doesn't detract from their collectibility, in my eye, but it's a fascinating reflection of the struggles of a government in peril.
And, at the risk of straying from the topic of the thread, occasionally, stamps are intentionally sentenced to a short life. To wit:
(scanned in its mount)
-Paul
Login to Like
this post
re: Paper/Color Question
According to the North Vietnam Specialized Stamp Catalogue, those North Vietnam stamps picturing Ho Chi Minh were printed on "rough, handmade, brownish rice paper." They're the flimsiest stamps I've ever encountered.
51Studebaker is correct: much more than acid is involved in the deterioration of paper. At the same time, only once as an adult collector have I purchased true archival paper, for an arm and a leg, I might add. Otherwise, I've bought paper mostly from Staples, and in almost 40 years I've never seen the slightest damage to any of my stamps and covers caused by non-archival paper. Many of my stamps don't come in contact with paper because I use plastic mounts.
In wartime Britain, paper was in such critically short supply that slogan cancels urged paper conservation and people were admonished to reuse envelopes by carefully cutting them open and closing them with a folded label that covered the previous address and stamps. Paper was recycled several times, without benefit of bleach, which meant that the ink made the paper darker with each recycling. Here is an exhibit sheet from my exhibit, In a Time of Need: 1939-1949 — Wartime and Postwar Austerity in Great Britain:
Bob
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04:16:27pm
re: Paper/Color Question
What about 102 cards?
Does anyone have a comment on their suitability to hold stamps for long periods?
1 Member
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01:25:46am
re: Paper/Color Question
It is not stamp paper or even album leaves that are the major problem - kept in reasonable environments they are likely to last as long as we need them.
It is generally acknowledged that all paper, and items made from it, commences to deteriorate immediately it is produced ( a bit like us really !!),- when talking about documents I was meaning writing paper, envelopes, newspapers, ephemera etc which is usually made from less desirable and durable paper.
These are items which museums etc. need to spend their efforts on. However as we can now record all these on the internet perhaps they just need to be kept in archival storage - after all we don't have to see them "In the flesh" as it were.
Malcolm
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