Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Any help in explaining this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jim
Login to Like
this post
I have read (somewhere) that the ink used for at least some of these stamps had an aniline component that was somewhat soluble in water. I think the stamps you soaked are often called pink backs which I assume is because they commonly bleed for probably a variety of reasons.
I generally don't think it is a good idea to soak stamps looking for a watermark. I use a touch of lighter fluid in a flat black tray.
Login to Like
this post
05:06:06pm
"I use a touch of lighter fluid in a flat black tray."
Surely this won't give much of a result if the stamp is on piece!
Maybe I'm wrong!!
Edit: I understand that they are an important part of the hobby, but I really hate checking watermarks!! It's almost like a phobia and I try to avoid it whenever possible. There are several people who post here who keep saying how easy it is to detect watermarks!! All I can say to that is PFFFFFT!!!
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
No you are not wrong. Sorry. Misread the original post. I thought he had stamps off paper.
Login to Like
this post
Newspapers stamps from the same time period also show this!
Are you soaking these in warm/hot water?
It might be better to use a sweat box.
Login to Like
this post
Thanks. These are helpful comments. I'll try a sweat box and see what happens. Yes, aniline was used. Given that I assume this dye was the go-to when creating red, carmine,etc., I will exercise caution going forward with reddish stamps of this era.
I've started reading Kenneth Diehl's exhaustive study of the 2 cent Washingtons of the First Bureau Issue and have just come to his discussion of how the printing ink was created. The BEP combined an organic analine with a metallic salt, precipitating what Diehl describes as "an organic metallic salt which is insoluble in water." That was then combined with some white base material, and adjusting the ratio adjusted the redness of the color. It seems evident that the water insoluble precipitate wasn't always completely insoluble.
Jim
Login to Like
this post
"...many of them left pink stains on the paper towels I transferred them to after removing them from water."
Quite often you find post-WWII stamps of Thailand with pink/red stains on the back. I always thought this was because coloured envelopes were popular at the time. Maybe there is a different reason? Unfortunately the stains often show on the front of the perforations.
Login to Like
this post
I have been working with a batch of First Bureau 2 cent Washington stamps on paper (but not covers, sadly). When I soaked a bunch of Type III Washingtons (mid-1890s), many of them left pink stains on the paper towels I transferred them to after removing them from water. None of the paper they were originally on was red or pink. The literature, as far as I have been able to determine, contains no warning about soaking these stamps nor any indication that water soluble inks were used at some point in their production. I soaked these stamps because some of the Type IIIs were printed on unwatermarked paper and most on watermarked paper. Soaking seemed like the right step.
Any help in explaining this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jim
Login to Like
this post
re: First Bureau 2 Cent Washingtons - Water Soluble Ink?
I have read (somewhere) that the ink used for at least some of these stamps had an aniline component that was somewhat soluble in water. I think the stamps you soaked are often called pink backs which I assume is because they commonly bleed for probably a variety of reasons.
I generally don't think it is a good idea to soak stamps looking for a watermark. I use a touch of lighter fluid in a flat black tray.
Login to Like
this post
This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
06 Dec 2022
05:06:06pm
re: First Bureau 2 Cent Washingtons - Water Soluble Ink?
"I use a touch of lighter fluid in a flat black tray."
Surely this won't give much of a result if the stamp is on piece!
Maybe I'm wrong!!
Edit: I understand that they are an important part of the hobby, but I really hate checking watermarks!! It's almost like a phobia and I try to avoid it whenever possible. There are several people who post here who keep saying how easy it is to detect watermarks!! All I can say to that is PFFFFFT!!!
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: First Bureau 2 Cent Washingtons - Water Soluble Ink?
No you are not wrong. Sorry. Misread the original post. I thought he had stamps off paper.
Login to Like
this post
05:12:29pm
re: First Bureau 2 Cent Washingtons - Water Soluble Ink?
Newspapers stamps from the same time period also show this!
Are you soaking these in warm/hot water?
It might be better to use a sweat box.
Login to Like
this post
re: First Bureau 2 Cent Washingtons - Water Soluble Ink?
Thanks. These are helpful comments. I'll try a sweat box and see what happens. Yes, aniline was used. Given that I assume this dye was the go-to when creating red, carmine,etc., I will exercise caution going forward with reddish stamps of this era.
I've started reading Kenneth Diehl's exhaustive study of the 2 cent Washingtons of the First Bureau Issue and have just come to his discussion of how the printing ink was created. The BEP combined an organic analine with a metallic salt, precipitating what Diehl describes as "an organic metallic salt which is insoluble in water." That was then combined with some white base material, and adjusting the ratio adjusted the redness of the color. It seems evident that the water insoluble precipitate wasn't always completely insoluble.
Jim
Login to Like
this post
re: First Bureau 2 Cent Washingtons - Water Soluble Ink?
"...many of them left pink stains on the paper towels I transferred them to after removing them from water."
Quite often you find post-WWII stamps of Thailand with pink/red stains on the back. I always thought this was because coloured envelopes were popular at the time. Maybe there is a different reason? Unfortunately the stains often show on the front of the perforations.
Login to Like
this post