Gum Clarification Needed :)

Okay... I have a few stamps that are mint, never hinged. I can tell because they feel thicker / stiffer then other stamps. (stiffer lol) Plus they are shinny. So, very obvious that they have gum.

Here is where I need clarification...

I'm working on a bunch of stamps from Brazil. And I cannot tell if the gum was removed or not. Say I have 20 of a particular stamp.. all but 1 feel the same. 19 feel stiff BUT they are not shinny. Then I have 1 that is very very thin feeling just like paper - no gum.

Why do those 19 feel different?

Make sense enough to get some help on the subject!?? :-)

Thank you!

jeez forget it again. This is going to be tough for me. I'm just going to mark down the Scott image# for now...not the Scott#. I have no idea how to match them up correctly. Paper style and watermarks. wowzers.

Some gums are quite dull, others very thinly applied and some with very thinly applied dull gum.

Hi TravelBugAntiques,

The type of gum you are talking about is in essence a 'tropical' gum. I am not sure about other countries in tropical areas but that type of gum is prevalent in Central and South America.

I have bought stamps in the past that were Mint Never Hinged and wondered if it is really gummed. I once bought 2 stamps in Colombia and used one to prove it was gummed.

Jerry B