abctoo
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Post by abctoo on Sept 6, 2019 14:52:50 GMT
When I found the 1982 20¢ Library stamp imperforate sheets (Scott #2015 var.), a fellow collector showed me a sheet of the 20¢ Love stamp issued earlier that year. It had a dramatic printing error. Beginning at its left margin, light blue ink fully runs across the first column of 10 stamps, then partially into the next column of 10 stamps. That make three varieties of stamps on the same sheet. One is completely covered with blue ink and adjoins a second stamp with partial blue ink on its left side, which adjoins a third stamp which is a normal stamp. The error creates 10 strips three stamps, each with the different variety (two different errors and a normal stamp). Back then, my collector friend no longer wanted the 20¢ Love stamp sheet because he had unfortunately put it in a glassine sheet file that he had gotten a little wet in the rain. While parts of the sheet are stuck to the glassine, parts are not. I put the sheet file away to later figure out what to do. Now, nearly 40 years later, I relocated it while preparing some other material for sale. The 1982 20¢ Love stamp is known with missing color varieties, but not as an error with additional printing. Obviously, any error continues to be printed until the printers correct it. With this light blue printing error, apparently the printers corrected it by stopping the presses. That would have included stopping those units printing other colors. When the printing presses restarted, the missing color varieties would have evolved until all of the press units were in coordination. This light blue printing error sheet is the lower left pane of 50 stamps (these are really "panes" though we commonly call them "sheets") from the uncut full sheet of 200 stamps printed in 4 panes. The way the light blue ink covers the entire left margin implies that a similar light blue error sheet of 50 stamps should have been printed as the upper left pane, with no errors on either the upper or lower right panes of 50 (their left hand sides are actually printed in the middle of the full uncut sheet of 4 panes). The quality control checking after printing apparently caught all of the light blue printing errors except this one sheet, but also let slip a few of the sheets with the missing blue color varieties. I have posted the scans because I thought these errors might be of interest to stamp forum members. I also have questions about how to handle this sheet. Should it be removed from the glassine and if so, who are the people most experienced in doing so? I sold most of the 20¢ Library imperforate stamps to the Weill Bros. in the 1980s. I thought of contacting them until I just found out that both have passed and their stocks were sold in 1990s. Being 73 years old leads me to the question, what suggestions do any of you have as the best place to sell the sheet?    |
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de61
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Post by de61 on Sept 6, 2019 15:37:17 GMT
I also have questions about how to handle this sheet. Should it be removed from the glassine and if so, who are the people most experienced in doing so? I sold most of the 20¢ Library imperforate stamps to the Weill Bros. in the 1980s. I thought of contacting them until I just found out that both have passed and their stocks were sold in 1990s. Being 73 years old leads me to the question, what suggestions do any of you have as the best place to sell the sheet? Great sheet! I have never seen a similar one. I would not attempt to remove the pane from the glassine sheet. I have attempted to do so on much less valuable items with only mixed results. It tends to be very difficult at the locations where there is rippling of the sheet. Since a lot of the rippling is at the selvage edges, removing the glassine would probably result in torn perfs and thins.
Recommended auctioneers for consignment would be HR Harmer's or Daniel F. Kelleher. They regularly handle this type of material and have the customer-bases for the item to receive the most attention. Dutch Country Auctions is also an option.
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khj
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Post by khj on Sept 6, 2019 19:57:48 GMT
Based on the shape (large edge swath, uneven but generally straight color edge) and pattern (mottled), it looks like wet ink transfer from near the edges of the tagging mat. I've seen them before, but not such a large swath (ones I've seen were ~1" wide). Get a short-wavelength filtered UV lamp, and see if the texture of the blue matches the texture of the luminescence (i.e., tagging). This pane was block-tagged, so it may be a little tricky. The block tagging must be off significantly for the edge of the tagging mat to show up. If so, then either someone got a lot of blue ink over part of the tagging mat edges (either by spilling or ink transfer), and you got a very significant example similar but not identical to a tagging ghost. You have a vertical blue ridge evident in the bottom 5 stamps of the 2nd column. If it is a tagging ghost, then it happened very soon after the print run, not during the print run.
If the texture/pattern is not the same as the taggant, then something else caused the blue ink pattern with relatively straight edge. Normally I would think something ink-absorbant got trapped between the plate and the pane, resulting in a large blue inkage. But you will see the rest of the blue ink on all the stamps and EFO stamps are all well-printed and color registration correct, so it is unlikely some well-defined gunk piece was there.
Please let us know if it matches the taggant.
Very interesting EFO, thanks for posting!
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abctoo
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Post by abctoo on Sept 8, 2019 1:34:23 GMT
"Get a short-wavelength filtered UV lamp, and see if the texture of the blue matches the texture of the luminescence (i.e., tagging)." Could not find the old UV lamp I used 30 years ago to check tagging on British and American stamps. I also could find no one locally who sells a short-wavelength bulb or lamp, though many have long-wavelength items. On-line, I could only find a 20 Watt 120 Volt Compact Germicidal Bulb that emits short-wave germicidal UV light. Wikipedia says germicidal UV light is 200-300 nm with an optimum of 264 nm, which is right about that used by the post office. I ordered it and it should be here by the end of the week. Hope it works unless you have another suggestion. To all, your comments and suggestions about this item are welcomed. |
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khj
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Post by khj on Sept 8, 2019 3:43:02 GMT
Sounds good. Hopefully it won't have too much long-wavelength component.
Even if it is from the tagging mat, it would still be very unusual because the blue ink had to come from somewhere.
I like to collect tagging EFOs when I come across them, and when I see something similar, most of the time it is taggant bleed, so what appears "blue" on your stamp is heavy taggant bleed that will glow a much stronger green than the rest of the normal tagging. It will literally bleed all the way across block tagging. It really looks almost exactly like what you have (including shape/texture) except it is nearly invisible taggant that glows extra bright green under UV light instead of the blue color.
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abctoo
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Post by abctoo on Sept 12, 2019 1:44:05 GMT
The so-called "short-wavelength" bulb arrived but does not actually emit much in short-wavelengths (under 300 nm) but rather intensely emits long-wavelengths over 300 nm. Thus any tagging is not disclosed. Decades ago I had a 5 1/2 inch short-wave length bulb that fit into a standard lightbulb socket and it was bright enough to cover the entire sheet. Those I have seen offered for "stamp use" do not provide a wide enough field of light to show the tagging on the entire sheet. Does anyone have an idea where I can locate an adequate short-wavelength UV bulb for sale, one with a optimum emission of about 264 nm to show the zinc-orthosilicate tagging which when exposed to strong shortwave UV light of about 264 nm causes tagged stamps glow a bright color that ranges from yellow-green to bluish green? I am even willing to pay for someone to loan me an adequate short-wavelength bulb.
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Post by feebletodix on Sept 12, 2019 9:53:53 GMT
The so-called "short-wavelength" bulb arrived but does not actually emit much in short-wavelengths (under 300 nm) but rather intensely emits long-wavelengths over 300 nm. Thus any tagging is not disclosed. Decades ago I had a 5 1/2 inch short-wave length bulb that fit into a standard lightbulb socket and it was bright enough to cover the entire sheet. Those I have seen offered for "stamp use" do not provide a wide enough field of light to show the tagging on the entire sheet. Does anyone have an idea where I can locate an adequate short-wavelength UV bulb for sale, one with a optimum emission of about 264 nm to show the zinc-orthosilicate tagging which when exposed to strong shortwave UV light of about 264 nm causes tagged stamps glow a bright color that ranges from yellow-green to bluish green? I am even willing to pay for someone to loan me an adequate short-wavelength bulb. If you are desperate I have found one of these to be reasonable for a hand held.:- britishstamps.co.uk/stamp-albums-accessories/ultra-violet-lights/our-favourite-short-wave-ultra-violet-lamp.htmlThere was also this topic about lamps on Stampboards with some examples of personal setups www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=8732I hope this helps |
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abctoo
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Post by abctoo on Sept 13, 2019 3:09:15 GMT
feebletodix cited one of the stampboards' threads .. . The stampboards' thread led me to cool.conservation-us.org/waac/wn/wn23/wn23-2/wn23-205.html which had several articles on photographing fluorescence. One useful one was "Photographing Ultra-Violet Fluorescence with Digital Cameras " by Michelle Facini, and others. They flanked items they were examining by two long-wavelength UV lights, took pictures with a digital camera through Kodak CC40R and E2 filters (they made a lens hood with the filters cut from the normal sheets as issued) With the camera attached to a computer they had instant pictures. The article noted: "Due to the low light levels of the UV lamps, focusing and framing of the object was done under normal light, the filters were then added over the lens, and the exposures made under UV."" Before I attempt such a setup, I need to find out if the stamps actually have tagging. So I am still looking for a short-wavelength UV light of sufficient strength to see. The problem with the article referenced above is that it was written in 2002. While I need a short-wavelength bulb, such bulbs should have been made by the manufacturers of the long-wavelength bulbs they used. It appears that all of them are no longer in the UV marketplace. Any suggestions? |
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abctoo
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Post by abctoo on Sept 13, 2019 14:09:57 GMT
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khj
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Post by khj on Sept 14, 2019 8:32:35 GMT
There's a little bit more involved that buying the bulb. As noted, filters play an important role. While you can get a bulb that has a peak centered at shorter wavelengths, you will still need to filter out the non-trivial long-wavelength component -- else your "glow" will still be partially masked by the white glow of the paper surface rather than the tagging glow.
The portable battery-operated UV lamps, even philatelic ones, will not be suitable for what you want to do. They are great for quickly detecting tagging & different taggant colors (green,red,white...), but you pretty much have to do it with lights off or hand shading the stamp. If you want see the finer details of tagging type/texture/intensity... you really need the larger bulbs found in "plugged" UV lamps. Unfortunately, you lose the convenience/portability of a "pocket-lamp".
I happen to have a research grade dual-wavelength UV lamp that I traded 5+ years worth of about half a dozen science journals for, when I got out of the research racket. It's definitely overkill for stamps, but it's really great to see a whole pane of stamps glowing green or red, or to see the finer details of luminescence. The filtered long-wavelength part is also great for detecting stamp damage/alterations as well as early stages of mildew/mold (before they become visible to the unaided eye).
The brick-sized mounted lamps used by rock enthusiasts will work fine. While more expensive than the philatelic lamps, they are still cheaper than the research grade lamps. If one really wants to get into looking for tagging EFOs or fly-specking with tagging, it's worth considering getting something like the RayTechs. The online world has brought the price of these a good notch below $100. The cheapest research grade lamps probably still run $200+ (so glad I made the trade!!!). So comparatively speaking, the RayTechs are a pretty good deal. If you want to really get into tagging, make sure you get the dual-wavelength lamp.
And just another note -- these types of lamps do not work well with detecting the some of the earliest GB phosphors (c1960s). The only thing that matters is that the tagging is visible to the automated machine, not the human eye. So you will always find a few tagging varieties may be difficult for the human eye to see, even with the best UV lamps. On the early GB phosphors, sometimes it's easier to see the taggant by holding the stamp at an angle under normal light -- often easier to spot on the white margins and a lot easier to see if you got selvage on the correct side.
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angore
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Post by angore on Sept 14, 2019 10:18:52 GMT
I have been into tagging for some time and have taken many images of stamps under UV.
My latest UV light acquisition is an 11W lamp - not your typical 4W lamp! It will illuminate a stamp at a much farther difference than the 4W. I usually do most work in the dark (especially photography).
Some lights have filters that do not have a narrow enough spectrum filter range so you can get luminescence effects too under shortwave. Illumination at an angle works best (sometimes too much is bad) so not getting reflections and wash out what you want to see.
Yes, GB stamps can be very tough. I have to use a magnifier under UV to see details.
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abctoo
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Post by abctoo on Sept 14, 2019 20:54:39 GMT
The Love stamp is a U.S. stamp with which the tagging is read by short-wavelength UV light. As I understand it, most G.B. stamps are tagged with material that reacts to long-wavelength UV light. Long-wave light does not show short-wave tagging. At best, long-wavelength UV light is useable on U.S. stamps to determine whether the paper is some form of a hibrite paper (has optional whiteness enhancers). I have ordered two short-wave bulbs that are supposed to emit only short-wave light. Hopefully that is what they do when they arrive next week. If not, I may have to get the appropriate filters to mask out other light. I am also looking into the suggestions about UV manufacturers that those above have graciously disclosed. Ultimately, I may need to contact a local museum to see if they already have a setup to take pictures under UV light. That's more to do on this project if the UV lights coming do not work. Thank you everybody for your replies. Any other suggestions are always quite welcomed. |
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khj
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Post by khj on Sept 14, 2019 21:08:46 GMT
I had also heard that long-wavelength UV lamp was better for the early GB, and even got a store-front dealer to pull out a Lighthouse long-wavelength UV lamp to test it because he had heard the same thing. Almost nothing. In fact, the short-wavelength part of my UV lamp shows the tagging on both early and modern GB phosphors better than the Lighthouse or my long-wavelength lamp. I'm assuming it is because my lamp has higher power output, although not as much as Al's.
It is probably correct the UK sorting machines are using long-wavelength UV excitation, but not being familiar with the UK machine, the detector is probably looking at a photoluminescence band that our eyes don't pick up well. Nobody has been able to tell me, so far, the excitation wavelength and detector wavelength used in the UK sorting machines. I use my short-wavelength lamp on modern GB, and it works much better than using the long-wavelength band -- the glow ranges from exceptionally clearer to slightly clearer, depending on the taggant and the production era/method.
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cjoprey
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What I collect: Belgium (predominantly), British Commonwealth (older ones), WW (whatever comes my way...)
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Post by cjoprey on Sept 14, 2019 21:39:15 GMT
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angore
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Post by angore on Sept 14, 2019 22:03:35 GMT
Here is the definitions with typical lamp wavelengths in parentheses. Long wave UV - UV-A 315 to 400 nm (351 to 368) Short wave UV - UV-C – 160 to 280 nm (254 nm) If you illuminate the stamp with a UV light the re-emitted light can be in the visible range (yellow, green). The color depends on the tagging mineral material. In fluorescence, when you turn off the lamp the new wavelength reflected light ceases. Long wave works well to see this. In phosphorescence, the light will continue to be emitted for some period of time. Short wave is usually needed to see this.
You see luminescence even in normal light - used as brighteners in papers, clothing, etc. Sunlight has UV but any phosphor effects gets washed out due to all the other light.
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abctoo
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Post by abctoo on Sept 25, 2019 16:48:04 GMT
Have not forgotten you all. The two new short-wavelength UV bulbs arrived. While the ad showed they were a screw-in type, it did not say they were of the "intermediate" type and not the standard "medium" type like with a normal light bulb that fits into most lamps. So I went to obtain an adapter that screws into a regular lamp with a "medium" base that converts to an "intermediate" base opening. The adapters my local Ace hardware had were only for going to or from the "candelabra" and some other popular types of bases. They could not order the needed adapter as it is not in the Ace catalog. As HomeDepot, Target, etc. also did not have it, the Ace manager was kind enough to send me to a long established, local wholesale electrical supply place and it had a much greater variety of adapters, but no "medium" base to "intermediate" base ones. Ultimately with the correct terminology to describe what was needed improved upon by the wholesaler, I found the correct adapter on-line and have ordered some. Will keep you informed as to what happens after they arrive.
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abctoo
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Post by abctoo on Oct 31, 2019 7:13:09 GMT
Thanks for your input khj , feebletodix , cjoprey , de61 , angore . Better scans are coming eventually, but it looks like the blue inking error is under the tagging. Please comment. Mike   |
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abctoo
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Post by abctoo on Nov 3, 2019 3:41:54 GMT
Here is a better image taken under shortwave UV light. I tried to put a piece of glass over it to get a flatter picture. The glass blocked the shortwave UV light, so had to take the picture without the glass. The green tagging shows on each stamp, while the areas without tagging are dark. The tagged areas with white underneath are a more brighter green than the tagged areas over the blue inking error. Again, note that the blue inking area covers one complete column of stamps and spills over onto the adjoining stamps, while the third column to the other end of the pane are normal stamps. I am not familiar with any other U.S. stamps that have such a triptych of different stamps including errors.  |
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