The world is full of counterfeiters, you need to know an original stamp from a fake one.
Postal stamps are one of the worlds most collected items. Be warned, they are also considered to be the most faked, and counterfeited items. Wherever there is extreme value in a tiny peice of paper, the fakers will surely be nearby.
These basic tips and advice are to help you to identify which is fake and which is not.
Gummed or re-gummed, take a closer look. Firstly, what does it mean when a stamp has been regummed?
A regummed stamp no longer contains the original gum on its gum face. The value can be considerably affected by regumming, and the forgers are good.
A gum is original when the gum is produced at the time of printing, from the United States postal authority or any other official postal authority such as Great Britain or Canada. When a forger has applied their own gum blend to the stamp’s back is the time when the stamp is considered as officially regummed.
Why is regumming done?
Regumming is done to stamps to make their condition appear better and enhanced, thereby increasing the stamps value. Fraud occurs when a particular collector buys a stamp, as an original piece, was informed that the stamp has an original gum, but really buys a re-gummed one.
How to know which is which?
Simple like for like comparisons are the best way to spot regummed fakes.
Note the followin, a regummed stamp usually has a lumpy and matt appearance with tiny irregularities in the thickness of the gum, most noticable when it reflected in the light. But, there are stamps that have been regummed that appear to have a surface that is glossy. Chemical analysis will identify the fakes.
A stamp that contains a watermark can be easily seen on a stamp that has been regummed.
The stamp that was originally gummed may have had watermark that could only be seen when the stamp is dipped in a tray of watermarking fluid for watermark identification. With the absence of this fluid, the watermark in an original gum could also be seen when the stamp is held up to bright light.
Observe, try to spot if the watermark seems to have been impressed into the gum, if you find non conformities, be suspicious.
Another great tip to spot that a stamp that has been regummed is that a regummed imposter can curl if it is placed with its face on the palm of your hand, this is from the gums chemical reaction to the heat and vapours from your skin. An original stamp will not do that.
One sure sign that a stamp has been regummed is to check around the perforated edges, if the perforation feels sharp, it most likely has been regummed. Originals usually have a soft feel, and aged stamps very rarely have sharp edges.
Good forgers loosen the tips of the perforations to enhance the softness of the edges, these boys know all the tricks.
Expert identification can be achieved by use of a powerful magnifying glass, or even a microscope.
Gum that resides upon the edges of a perforation is a sure fire fake, the perforation process is carried out after the gumming when the issue was first printed, the gum can not reach the edges unless re-gumming has occurred.
The master forger will go to great lengths to fake a re-gumming, and will attempt to clean the edges of the perf, but some residue will usually be found.
Reperforated stamps.
Reperforated stamps are more prevalent than most collectors think. The process entails individuals re cutting the edges, in order to give a cleaner look to the stamp, thereby increasing its value, the process also cleans out any spilt gum.
Stamps that were perforated officially have holes that are shaped in oval form and are cut less cleanly than perforations done privately. When viewed through a microscope, the perforations that are originally performed have little fluffs of paper that gather around the holes.
Remain diligent, and you will be able to keep a collection of originals, but, bear in mind, that even the most careful stamp collectors, still end up with fakes sometimes.