Question about "no gum"

I am new to collecting and have been offered stamps sometimes that are
unused and have no gum. What are these stamp all about? Do they hold the
same value as the same stamp with gum? What causes a stamp to have no gum?
Any info will be appreciated.

1/15/2004 7:03 PM

I am new to collecting and have been offered stamps sometimes that are
unused and have no gum. What are these stamp all about? Do they hold the
same value as the same stamp with gum? What causes a stamp to have no gum?
Any info will be appreciated.

Stamps without gum are known as unused stamps (as opposed to mint stamps,
which have gum), and are sometimes identified simply as NG -- "No Gum."

NG stamps have been used and not cancelled, and subsequently been soaked off
the envelope, or the gum has been soaked off in an effort to save the stamps
from damage. This often happens when sheets of mint stamps are stacked
together, and become bonded because of excessive humidity. Sloppy mounting
of mint stamps (too much spit on the hinge) can cause them to adhere to the
album page, and the only way to remove them without damaging the paper is to
soak them off. Classic stamps may sometimes be in danger from cracking gum;
soaking the gum off is the only way to save them. Some gum is highly acidic
and will destroy the stamp in a relatively short time, although this is
rare.

My understanding is that ordinary "unused"/NG stamps generally have little
value as collectibles. No one seems to want them, except to use as postage,
which is questionable from an ethical standpoint if they are known to be
"skips." Gumless stamps of more than minimum catalogue value may still have
market value; I personally don't mind paying a small portion of catalogue
for an unused stamp that I cannot afford to buy in mint condition,
especially if the unused stamp is otherwise faultless. It is not uncommon
for collectors to spend a lot of money for uncommon or rare stamps that are
missing their gum.

Don't forget that some stamps of some countries were issued without gum,
especially the earliest issues or stamps issued in times of war. Many
postwar stamps of Japan and China, for example, were issued without gum.

Bob Ingraham

Very awesome reply! I really appreciate your time in answering. Thanks


"Bob Ingraham" wrote in message
...
1/15/2004 7:03 PM

I am new to collecting and have been offered stamps sometimes that are
unused and have no gum. What are these stamp all about? Do they hold the
same value as the same stamp with gum? What causes a stamp to have no
gum?
Any info will be appreciated.

Stamps without gum are known as unused stamps (as opposed to mint stamps,
which have gum), and are sometimes identified simply as NG -- "No Gum."

NG stamps have been used and not cancelled, and subsequently been soaked
off
the envelope, or the gum has been soaked off in an effort to save the
stamps
from damage. This often happens when sheets of mint stamps are stacked
together, and become bonded because of excessive humidity. Sloppy mounting
of mint stamps (too much spit on the hinge) can cause them to adhere to
the
album page, and the only way to remove them without damaging the paper is
to
soak them off. Classic stamps may sometimes be in danger from cracking
gum;
soaking the gum off is the only way to save them. Some gum is highly
acidic
and will destroy the stamp in a relatively short time, although this is
rare.

My understanding is that ordinary "unused"/NG stamps generally have little
value as collectibles. No one seems to want them, except to use as
postage,
which is questionable from an ethical standpoint if they are known to be
"skips." Gumless stamps of more than minimum catalogue value may still
have
market value; I personally don't mind paying a small portion of catalogue
for an unused stamp that I cannot afford to buy in mint condition,
especially if the unused stamp is otherwise faultless. It is not uncommon
for collectors to spend a lot of money for uncommon or rare stamps that
are
missing their gum.

Don't forget that some stamps of some countries were issued without gum,
especially the earliest issues or stamps issued in times of war. Many
postwar stamps of Japan and China, for example, were issued without gum.

Bob Ingraham

1/15/2004 8:52 PM

Very awesome reply! I really appreciate your time in answering. Thanks

Glad to help. It was a kind of Gumless Stamps 101 introduction. I was afraid
that perhaps I'd given you more information than you wanted, but I gather
that's not the case.

I mentioned stamps with acidic gum. Perhaps the best-known example is found
in Germany C57-C58, the Hindenburg zeppelin issue of 1936. Believe it or
not, the gum of these two stamps contains sulphuric acid. It is common to
find mint copies of these stamps, mint or on cover, which are badly toned by
the acid. On the other hand, if you find an uncancelled copy of either
stamp, it's a good bet that it was a mint stamp that was soaked to remove
the gum.

I have a Hindenburg Transatlantic cover which clearly shows acid damage to
both stamps. The cover is also franked with a copy of C52, which did not
have the same gum and is in perfect condition. It is uploaded on my web
site, at http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/hindenburgacid.jpg. Here's a image of
just the three stamps http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/hindenburgaciddetail.jpg,
and here's an even bigger enlargement of the two Hindenburg stamps
http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/hindenburgacidclose.jpg. I have wondered how
many more years this cover, or at least the stamps, will survive. I have
covers more than twice as old which are in fine shape.

I've wondered what the gum of the Hindenburg stamps tasted like, but I don't
wonder enough to lick one!

Another item in my collection is a 1954 Chinese cover franked with a stamp
that was issued without gum. The person who stuck the stamp onto the
envelope was very liberal with his or her use of glue. You can see it on
this web page: http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/mig15cover.html.

Good luck with your collecting. It's a great hobby.

Bob Ingraham

------------------------
There's philatelic stuff galore, and quite a lot more, on my non-commercial
"Ephemeral Treasures" website: http://www.ingraham.ca/bob
See Michael Mills's review of my website in his July, 2001
"Glassine Surfer" column in The American Philatelist:
http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/review.jpg
------------------------






"Bob Ingraham" wrote in message
...
1/15/2004 7:03 PM

I am new to collecting and have been offered stamps sometimes that are
unused and have no gum. What are these stamp all about? Do they hold the
same value as the same stamp with gum? What causes a stamp to have no
gum?
Any info will be appreciated.

Stamps without gum are known as unused stamps (as opposed to mint stamps,
which have gum), and are sometimes identified simply as NG -- "No Gum."

NG stamps have been used and not cancelled, and subsequently been soaked
off
the envelope, or the gum has been soaked off in an effort to save the
stamps
from damage. This often happens when sheets of mint stamps are stacked
together, and become bonded because of excessive humidity. Sloppy mounting
of mint stamps (too much spit on the hinge) can cause them to adhere to
the
album page, and the only way to remove them without damaging the paper is
to
soak them off. Classic stamps may sometimes be in danger from cracking
gum;
soaking the gum off is the only way to save them. Some gum is highly
acidic
and will destroy the stamp in a relatively short time, although this is
rare.

My understanding is that ordinary "unused"/NG stamps generally have little
value as collectibles. No one seems to want them, except to use as
postage,
which is questionable from an ethical standpoint if they are known to be
"skips." Gumless stamps of more than minimum catalogue value may still
have
market value; I personally don't mind paying a small portion of catalogue
for an unused stamp that I cannot afford to buy in mint condition,
especially if the unused stamp is otherwise faultless. It is not uncommon
for collectors to spend a lot of money for uncommon or rare stamps that
are
missing their gum.

Don't forget that some stamps of some countries were issued without gum,
especially the earliest issues or stamps issued in times of war. Many
postwar stamps of Japan and China, for example, were issued without gum.

Bob Ingraham

| Another item in my collection is a 1954 Chinese cover franked with a stamp
| that was issued without gum. The person who stuck the stamp onto the
| envelope was very liberal with his or her use of glue. You can see it on
| this web page: http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/mig15cover.html.

Another great page! Bravo.
and a good yarn to boot. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have just discovered another prolific Stamp journalist
a one L.N.Williams, who wrote some 30-40 articles
for the "Boys Own Page" a weekly periodical from
the 1920's to 1965
Naturally, will be looking out for "Boys Own" now
at the "Boot sales", Iv'e seen them before
but always passed over them.

In a most interesting development; I uncovered an 1861 letter sent by a
contractor of US stamps to a papermaker, and in it the gummed adhesive was
referred to as 'sizing'. Sizing is a paper making term used to describe the
process of brushing on a gelatinous mucilage that fills all the small gaps
in the paper giving it a smooth texture. More investigation is needed, but
it is very possible that the origins of stamp gumming is a process borrowed
from papermakers!

On to your question -- The NG listing has been a long time in coming and is
much appreciated by collectors of classical issues. In many cases the
antique gum can only be preserved only at the expense of the paper, and so
over time some tough choices have to be made. By including a NG category for
the classics it creates a market where none existed before, and puts the
hobby on better long term footing vis'a'vis' the balance between plague and
preservation.

-a


ck wrote in message ...
I am new to collecting and have been offered stamps sometimes that are
unused and have no gum. What are these stamp all about? Do they hold the
same value as the same stamp with gum? What causes a stamp to have no gum?
Any info will be appreciated.

Albumen wrote:
In a most interesting development; I uncovered an 1861 letter sent by a
contractor of US stamps to a papermaker, and in it the gummed adhesive was
referred to as 'sizing'. Sizing is a paper making term used to describe the
process of brushing on a gelatinous mucilage that fills all the small gaps
in the paper giving it a smooth texture. More investigation is needed, but
it is very possible that the origins of stamp gumming is a process borrowed
from papermakers!

On to your question -- The NG listing has been a long time in coming and is
much appreciated by collectors of classical issues. In many cases the
antique gum can only be preserved only at the expense of the paper, and so
over time some tough choices have to be made. By including a NG category for
the classics it creates a market where none existed before, and puts the
hobby on better long term footing vis'a'vis' the balance between plague and
preservation.

So should there also be a NP catagory, where the paper is basically
destroyed but the gum remains?

= Eric

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 16:31:55 +0800, "Rodney"
wrote:

| Another item in my collection is a 1954 Chinese cover franked with a stamp
| that was issued without gum. The person who stuck the stamp onto the
| envelope was very liberal with his or her use of glue. You can see it on
| this web page: http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/mig15cover.html.

Another great page! Bravo.
and a good yarn to boot. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have just discovered another prolific Stamp journalist
a one L.N.Williams, who wrote some 30-40 articles
for the "Boys Own Page" a weekly periodical from
the 1920's to 1965
Naturally, will be looking out for "Boys Own" now
at the "Boot sales", Iv'e seen them before
but always passed over them.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Leon Norman (born 1914) and Maurice Williams
(born 1905) were prolific stamp writers of
philatelic days gone by. They wrote both books
and articles for newspapers / magazines.

In the Encyclopedia Of Rare And Famous Stamps,
(publ. David Feldman SA, Geneva, Switzerland, 1993)
Leon Norman Williams tells the tale of how the Missionary
Issue burst into the European philatelic consciousness.

The chapter dealing with the Missionaries is entitled
"Hawaii" at pages 117-142. Williams and his late brother
Maurice authored many important books and articles on
stamps and their production. Several of their works
focused on the great rarities of philately and included
the 2¢ Missionary. Norman's more recent book does not
substitute for books such as Stamps of Fame but instead
takes a different approach. He has produced a significant
and fascinating study about the origins of the hobby
as well as the revelation of the Missionary Issue to
the European philatelic press.

Some other Williams works a

Articles in Boy's Own Paper by
WILLIAMS, L(eon) N(orman) [with Maurice] (chron.)
* Are Duplicates Your Problem? (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Oct 1953
* Be Your Own Stamp Expert (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Jun 1954
* British Plate Numbers (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Nov 1950
* Can You Recognise a Rare Stamp (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Feb 1957
* Curious Stamp Shapes (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Sep 1954
* Don’t Miss These Novelties (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Apr 1955
* Errors of Omission (with M. Williams), (ar) Boy’s Own Paper Oct 1950
* Farouks Stamps (with M. Williams), (ar) Boy’s Own Paper Feb 1954
* Follow the News Through Your Stamp Album (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Dec 1954
* Fun with New Zealand (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Mar 1955
* Is This Your Stamp Problem? (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Jan 1951
* Look Before you Buy! (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Oct 1954
* Modern Great Britain (Stamps) (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Jul 1954
* More New Issues (with M. Williams), (ar) Boy’s Own Paper Feb 1951
* New Bird Stamp from New Zealand (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Jan 1956
* New Elizabethans (with M. Williams), (ar) Boy’s Own Paper Jan 1954
* Phantom Stamps (with M. Williams), (ar) Boy’s Own Paper Dec 1950
* Pictorial Stamps for Britain (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Oct 1955
* Postage Dues (with M. Williams), (ar) Boy’s Own Paper Nov 1953
* Postmark Possibilities (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Mar 1951
* Round the Stamp World (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Nov 1955, Feb, Mar, Apr,
Oct, Nov, Dec 1956, Jan, Apr 1957
* Schoolboys Made Stamp History (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Mar 1954
* Stamp Feature (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Mar 1957
* Stamp of the Month (with M. Williams), (ar) B
oy’s Own Paper May, Jun, Jul, Aug 1955, May, Jun,
Jul, Aug, Sep 1956, May, Jun, Jul, Aug 1957
* Stampex Trophy is a Silver Mail Coach (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Dec 1955
* Stamps (with M. Williams), (ar) Boy’s Own Paper Sep 1957
* Stamps of East Africa (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper May 1954
* The Stamps of Egypt (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Dec 1953
* Stamps of the United Nations (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Aug 1954
* Watch out for these New Stamps (with M. Williams), (ar)
Boy’s Own Paper Nov 1954

Williams/Williams: The Postage Stamp Its History and Recognition.
1st Edition - 1956. S/B. £6.00
Williams: The Fundamentals of Philately (revised edition 1990). £45.00
Williams/Williams: Fundamentals of Philately. Section 5. £10.00
Williams: Encyclopaedia of Rare and Famous Stamps.
Volume 1 The Stories. £85.00
Williams: Encyclopaedia of Rare and Famous Stamps.
Volume 2 The Biographies. £85.00

AUSTRALIAN STATES - NORTHERN TERRITORIES.
Williams: Postal History of the Northern Territories. 1824-1988. £65

Williams LN 1967: Rare Stamps. Pleasures and Treasures. Hardback 120p

Blair



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"Bob Ingraham" wrote in message
...

snip

It is not uncommon
for collectors to spend a lot of money for uncommon or rare stamps that
are
missing their gum.


Often, especially with U.S. stamps, these are given the same catalog value
as for a mint, hinged stamp. A mint, never hinged (MNH) is usually valued
much higher.


Don't forget that some stamps of some countries were issued without gum,
especially the earliest issues or stamps issued in times of war. Many
postwar stamps of Japan and China, for example, were issued without gum.


Stamps such as these are often identified as NGAI (no gum as issued) in the
catalogs. This alerts collectors to the fact that the lack of gum is
normal, rather than a case of it having been removed.

Mike

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 06:55:12 GMT, Bob Ingraham
wrote:

1/15/2004 8:52 PM
snip

I mentioned stamps with acidic gum. Perhaps the best-known example is found
in Germany C57-C58, the Hindenburg zeppelin issue of 1936. Believe it or
not, the gum of these two stamps contains sulphuric acid. It is common to
find mint copies of these stamps, mint or on cover, which are badly toned by
the acid. On the other hand, if you find an uncancelled copy of either
stamp, it's a good bet that it was a mint stamp that was soaked to remove
the gum.
snip
++++++++++++++++++++
Bob, Sir:
The "toned" discoloration seems pretty obvious in your scans, but when
I look at the half-dozen C58s among my German air mail dupes, none of
them show any discoloration at all. They were part of a bulk lot from
a WWII vet which he sold to me about 1960, and they have always seemed
OK, so the acid note in Scott catalog never bothered me.
Now you have made me feel better about the gumless mint copies in my
album, though. B68 souvenir sheet is no problem, because I don't have
one and my album has no place to put that sheet if I did get one.
..
How many years have you owned that Zepp Cover?
Was it less discolored at the time you first got it?
S.