Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Perfin refers to a design made in a stamp by punching holes in it. The example below has the letters "TRAV" spelled out with punched holes.
Most perfins are used as a security device by private companies, and these are the kind that I collect.
Here is a reversed image of the back of the same stamp showing the letters more clearly.
The TRAV perfin was created and used by the Travelers Insurance Company, Hartford, CT, USA.
I think it is also fair to mention that perfins were used for control of the use of Schermack vending machine stamps in 1909. These are referred to as control perfins. For those interested in Schermack control perfins, see: Control Perfins
I will be posting and identifying a different perfin from time to time. Please feel welcome to ask about your own United States perfin stamps as well.
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@smauggie
Thank you, interesting subject. Something new for my "Learn something new" file.
1898
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i hadn't known perfins relationship to Shermack.
with the Shermack, were they dispensed after payment? or just ask for six stamps and out they come?
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They were used for inventory control. I am not sure how often they were applied.
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I collect perfins on US airmail stamps and Americana Definitive Series stamps.
David Giles
Ottawa, Canada
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U . S M C
United States Marne Corps?
Is there a reference source for prefins?
Would the Military use prefins?
1898
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04:35:07pm
The first thing I thought was U. S. Military College.
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Unless you are referring to the U.S. Military Academy, I've never heard of U. S. Military College!
1898
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Hi Paul,
USMC is the United Shoe Machinery Corporation based out of Saint Louis, MO.
I am using a reference provided by The Perfins Club called the US Perfin Covers It is not an exhaustive list, but quite helpful.
I also found this helpful website on Pefins of the USA.
This is a short list but it may have some unique entries: https://inkspotantiques.com/index.php?ma ...
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05:42:38pm
Great one Smauggie, not military at all! And I apologize to US military vets for not using the proper reference to the Military Academy, my bad!
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Here is a perfin that reads top to bottom on this Scott# 569. In this case it has the initials MLI. The orientation of the perfin can vary from case to case.
Here is the back of the stamp, re-oriented.
MLI stands for Metropolitan Life International based in New York, NY.
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Thank you.
1898
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This perfin was set up with the spacing of definitive stamps but was applied to to a sheet of commemorative stamps, in this case US Scott# 922 celebratingthe 75th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinenal Railroad.
StP stands for the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railway Company of Chicago, IL.
Railway perfins are a particularly popular collecting subject. Here is a link to display of Railroad Perfins
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Here is another perfin set up to impress upon definitive stamps but this time used for special delivery postage on this US Scott# E21.
SFE stands for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company based in Topeka, KS.
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Just an FYI to smauggie's excellent thread -
Many perfin catalogs are available free as PDF's if you do a search for "perfin catalogs"....
...and it will show many different countries as well.
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Today is a US Scott E709 Washington Bicentennial four cent stamp with a misplaced perfin.
Misplaced perfins are not particularly rare and it is not as if the stamps are not still good for postage. Here is a flipped picture of the back.
I played around with the image and tried to reconstruct what it would look like all together.
CML was used by the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company based in Hartfort, CT.
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I thought I would post this stamp as well this morning, and it represents one of the challenges facing perfin collectors. The problem here is often referred to as "missing pins", the pins being the hollow metal tubes used to stamp out the holes of the perfin design. This doesn't necessarily mean that the pin was completely missing but simply worn down enough that it does not pierce all of the stamps being perfinned at once.
This US Scott# E13 sporting a partial Stratford, WI box cancel shows evidence of having a perfin, but there are so many missing pins that it I cannot make out what the original perfin was supposed to be.
A flipped image of the back does not help much.
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SMAuggie..great posting..i will keep you and DBSGiles in mind with perfins...i have quite a few British Commonwealth perfins.
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Here is a US Scott# 638 with a mute double oval cancel (usually used for registered mail) that has a perfin.
US/F&G is the United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company based in Washington, DC.
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I could not help but notice that my American Indian accumulation contains quite a few perfins. here are a couple.
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i flipped them ..one looks like 2B or B2
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2B was used by Federal Reserve Bank of New York, NY.
ML/CI is Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York in New York, NY.
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smauggie, thanks, the good old life insurance folks !
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Here is a US Scott# 814, likely used for registered mail.
UW stands for the University of Wisconsin based in Madison, WI.
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Here is a US Scott# 311 with a duplex killer cancel.
G{E} stands for General Electric based in New York, NY.
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@smauggie
Good morning my time, and thank you for your posting of Scott # 311 with "G(E)".
I've copied the reverse image and added an arrow pointing to one of the holes. I expect it's just my eyes, but one of the holes look larger than all the other holes, do you see this?
1898
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@1898
It could be the case that it is larger. The pins used to punch the holes are made of metal, and their repeated use can cause metal fatigue, causing the pin to deform in a variety of interesting ways, one of which could be widening of the hole punch.
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@smauggie
Sir, thank you!
1898
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US Scott# 637 with partial four bar cancel.
CBQ stands for Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company based in Chicago, IL.
The top pin is missing from the letter Q.
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A US Scott# 638 with a partial slogan cancel.
AM stands for American Mutual Insurance Companies based in Brockton, MA.
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US Scott# 810 with a machine cancel killer.
TCS is Trussed Concrete Steel Company based in Detroit, MI.
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Here we have a US Scott #518 plate number single with a partial cancel.
FRB refers to the Federa Reserve Bank of Boston, MA.
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The purpose of this discussion is to share perfinned stamps from the United States.
Perfin refers to a design made in a stamp by punching holes in it. The example below has the letters "TRAV" spelled out with punched holes.
Most perfins are used as a security device by private companies, and these are the kind that I collect.
Here is a reversed image of the back of the same stamp showing the letters more clearly.
The TRAV perfin was created and used by the Travelers Insurance Company, Hartford, CT, USA.
I think it is also fair to mention that perfins were used for control of the use of Schermack vending machine stamps in 1909. These are referred to as control perfins. For those interested in Schermack control perfins, see: Control Perfins
I will be posting and identifying a different perfin from time to time. Please feel welcome to ask about your own United States perfin stamps as well.
2 Members
like this post.
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11:39:27am
re: United States Perfins
@smauggie
Thank you, interesting subject. Something new for my "Learn something new" file.
1898
Login to Like
this post
re: United States Perfins
i hadn't known perfins relationship to Shermack.
with the Shermack, were they dispensed after payment? or just ask for six stamps and out they come?
Login to Like
this post
re: United States Perfins
They were used for inventory control. I am not sure how often they were applied.
Login to Like
this post
re: United States Perfins
I collect perfins on US airmail stamps and Americana Definitive Series stamps.
David Giles
Ottawa, Canada
Login to Like
this post
04:28:02pm
re: United States Perfins
U . S M C
United States Marne Corps?
Is there a reference source for prefins?
Would the Military use prefins?
1898
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
23 Aug 2023
04:35:07pm
re: United States Perfins
The first thing I thought was U. S. Military College.
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04:43:51pm
re: United States Perfins
Unless you are referring to the U.S. Military Academy, I've never heard of U. S. Military College!
1898
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this post
re: United States Perfins
Hi Paul,
USMC is the United Shoe Machinery Corporation based out of Saint Louis, MO.
I am using a reference provided by The Perfins Club called the US Perfin Covers It is not an exhaustive list, but quite helpful.
I also found this helpful website on Pefins of the USA.
This is a short list but it may have some unique entries: https://inkspotantiques.com/index.php?ma ...
4 Members
like this post.
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
23 Aug 2023
05:42:38pm
re: United States Perfins
Great one Smauggie, not military at all! And I apologize to US military vets for not using the proper reference to the Military Academy, my bad!
Login to Like
this post
re: United States Perfins
Here is a perfin that reads top to bottom on this Scott# 569. In this case it has the initials MLI. The orientation of the perfin can vary from case to case.
Here is the back of the stamp, re-oriented.
MLI stands for Metropolitan Life International based in New York, NY.
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: United States Perfins
This perfin was set up with the spacing of definitive stamps but was applied to to a sheet of commemorative stamps, in this case US Scott# 922 celebratingthe 75th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinenal Railroad.
StP stands for the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railway Company of Chicago, IL.
Railway perfins are a particularly popular collecting subject. Here is a link to display of Railroad Perfins
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: United States Perfins
Here is another perfin set up to impress upon definitive stamps but this time used for special delivery postage on this US Scott# E21.
SFE stands for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company based in Topeka, KS.
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: United States Perfins
Just an FYI to smauggie's excellent thread -
Many perfin catalogs are available free as PDF's if you do a search for "perfin catalogs"....
...and it will show many different countries as well.
5 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: United States Perfins
Today is a US Scott E709 Washington Bicentennial four cent stamp with a misplaced perfin.
Misplaced perfins are not particularly rare and it is not as if the stamps are not still good for postage. Here is a flipped picture of the back.
I played around with the image and tried to reconstruct what it would look like all together.
CML was used by the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company based in Hartfort, CT.
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: United States Perfins
I thought I would post this stamp as well this morning, and it represents one of the challenges facing perfin collectors. The problem here is often referred to as "missing pins", the pins being the hollow metal tubes used to stamp out the holes of the perfin design. This doesn't necessarily mean that the pin was completely missing but simply worn down enough that it does not pierce all of the stamps being perfinned at once.
This US Scott# E13 sporting a partial Stratford, WI box cancel shows evidence of having a perfin, but there are so many missing pins that it I cannot make out what the original perfin was supposed to be.
A flipped image of the back does not help much.
Login to Like
this post
re: United States Perfins
SMAuggie..great posting..i will keep you and DBSGiles in mind with perfins...i have quite a few British Commonwealth perfins.
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: United States Perfins
Here is a US Scott# 638 with a mute double oval cancel (usually used for registered mail) that has a perfin.
US/F&G is the United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company based in Washington, DC.
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: United States Perfins
I could not help but notice that my American Indian accumulation contains quite a few perfins. here are a couple.
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: United States Perfins
i flipped them ..one looks like 2B or B2
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re: United States Perfins
2B was used by Federal Reserve Bank of New York, NY.
ML/CI is Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York in New York, NY.
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re: United States Perfins
smauggie, thanks, the good old life insurance folks !
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re: United States Perfins
Here is a US Scott# 814, likely used for registered mail.
UW stands for the University of Wisconsin based in Madison, WI.
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re: United States Perfins
Here is a US Scott# 311 with a duplex killer cancel.
G{E} stands for General Electric based in New York, NY.
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08:55:27am
re: United States Perfins
@smauggie
Good morning my time, and thank you for your posting of Scott # 311 with "G(E)".
I've copied the reverse image and added an arrow pointing to one of the holes. I expect it's just my eyes, but one of the holes look larger than all the other holes, do you see this?
1898
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this post
re: United States Perfins
@1898
It could be the case that it is larger. The pins used to punch the holes are made of metal, and their repeated use can cause metal fatigue, causing the pin to deform in a variety of interesting ways, one of which could be widening of the hole punch.
Login to Like
this post
09:24:41am
re: United States Perfins
@smauggie
Sir, thank you!
1898
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re: United States Perfins
US Scott# 637 with partial four bar cancel.
CBQ stands for Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company based in Chicago, IL.
The top pin is missing from the letter Q.
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re: United States Perfins
A US Scott# 638 with a partial slogan cancel.
AM stands for American Mutual Insurance Companies based in Brockton, MA.
1 Member
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re: United States Perfins
US Scott# 810 with a machine cancel killer.
TCS is Trussed Concrete Steel Company based in Detroit, MI.
1 Member
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re: United States Perfins
Here we have a US Scott #518 plate number single with a partial cancel.
FRB refers to the Federa Reserve Bank of Boston, MA.
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