Question about "no gum"

1/17/2004 7:06 PM

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.

I suppose that varying storage conditions could cause varying rates of
deterioration of these stamps. Perhaps some batches of gum had more or less
acid in them? I really don't know.

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.

Obviously, not a complete album nor a complete collection! (I don't recall
ever seeing that s/s, nor would I have enough money for one. Although, you
know, it's surprising how often you can items like that for a smallish
fraction of catalogue value. I went to a small auction this afternoon, and
not a single lot went for anywhere near catalogue value.
.
How many years have you owned that Zepp Cover?
Was it less discolored at the time you first got it?

I don't recall when I got the cover, but I don't think that it was more than
a couple of years ago. I scanned it August of last year. I'll try to
remember to dig it out and check, but I rather doubt much change has
occurred yet. It will be interesting to check in a few years to see whether
more discoloration has occurred.

I'm curious about something: I don't know where I first learned about the
sulphuric-acid content of the gum if C57 and C58, but it's not mentioned in
Scott! Not, at least, in my elderly (1986) edition. Is it mentioned in newer
editions? I did find mention of it on Linn's "Refresher Course" web page at
http://www.linns.com/howto/refresher/gum_20030217/refreshercourse.asp.

Bob