Help Iding US Perfin & Stamp (Likely Wi) - James K Polk 32â¢

Could anyone help Identify the year of these stamps , where the perfin is from and/or any other info?

Today, I removed a part of the inside of my desk drawer to discover where all my missing post it notes went... it seems through out the years, I'm not the only one who's items were eaten by this desk. Among items dated as far back as 1985, I found a group of stamps.

I'm guessing the perfin is from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (where I work) or somewhere else in Madison, WI. My best guess is that the perfin image is representing the state capitol with and "M" in the center for Madison or upside down it could be "UW" for University of Wisconsin. Also, a google search returned that the stamp is of 1995, but I have no way to comfirm that.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks ahead of time.

Jessica

Welcome to SCF!

As for your question, I can help you with part of it. The stamp you have scanned is a Scott #2587, with the image of President James K. Polk, issued on November 2, 1995. The stamp is relatively common and is worth nothing above its face value. In fact, stamps with perfins are generally considered less desirable to most stamp collectors, except, of course, to perfin specialists who have a distinct interest in the various perfin designs in (or formerly in) use.

The idea that the perfin may be connected with the University of Wisconsin is certainly quite likely, although I cannot confirm it. There are other members on this site that have more extensive information on perfins than I do and I'm sure you can anticipate someone else responding to you about that question.

The use of perfins on modern-day stamps is relatively unusual, although not unheard of. The practice was intended as a security measure to insure that stamps owned by a company or institution did not get stolen or applied to personal mail. Generally the use of perfins were discontinued with the arrival of postage meters, however, in some instances stamps were still preferred for certain mailings and as long as the company had the old equipment to perfin the stamps, there is no prohibition against doing so.

I hope this information is helpful.

Yes, thank you. I don't know anything about stamps so it's nice to have a confirmation on the few peices of information I could find. Also, thank you for the scott #.

Do you think that anyone would want to have these in their collection or are they worthless (I don't have any use for them and would just use them or throw them away)

Your perfin is indeed University of Wisconsin (1985 to current). This is pattern U104.5. It is very common and the university still uses this pattern.
As far as value, face value of the stamp is about as much as you are going to get for it, uless you can find a University of Wisconsin collector that really wants it.
You have 2 choices, use the stamps or save the stamps. Your call.
Hope this helps.

Never encountered this before so I thought I'd ask. Can anyone use a perfin stamp for postage, even if they are not using it for the business or company in which the perfin was applied?

In other words, if Pink Chocobo chose to apply them to a letter for first class postage, would the post office raise a red flag about it not being used on University of Wisconsin mail? If not, what is the point of applying a perfin on those stamps in the first place?

Just curious...

Yes, There are no regulations against using perfins. MAny people use up their gummed items this way.

Forgot, the issue is ethics. Is it ethical for one to do so. I used to know an individual that purchased a perforation device at an estate sale. He began to perfin newer stamps with this older machine. He got in somewhat of a ethics problem with members of the Perfins Club over this practice.

The ruling, if I remember correctly, was that it is NOT unethical to use perfins of older stamps that were originally perfinned by a particular company, whereas, it IS unethical to use a perfin machine, no longer used by a company to perfin newer stamps.

Since one can still purchase perfin machines, and set up ones own pattern, the newer items, other than a handfull of government (state) agencies that still have and use them, become what is known as a personal
perfins pattern.

Precancels, on the other hand, unless you have a precancel use permit are a No-No with the postoffice.

Hope this helps?

Interesting.

I guess what I'm really asking is what was the point of the University of Wisconsin applying a perfin to the stamps originally shown if anyone can simply use them on personal mail? After all, the whole idea of perfins were to discourage theft, right?

Not that I'm saying the stamps shown were necessarily stolen, and I realize we're only talking about less than $2 worth of stamps at face value, it's just that if (1) they were (or did at one time) belong to the University of Wisconsin; and (2) they are still an active user of that perfin; and (3) the USPS is not going to red flag those stamps if applied to personal mail, is it just the ethical question as to whether one would feel comfortable or not with using the stamps outside of University of Wisconsin mail?

The organizations that still use perfins/stamps do so because it has been shown with some research, that mail with stamps affixed gets noticed and or opened more frequently, than letters that use meters. These organizations opted to use stamps instead of meters on their mail.

I talked to the ladies at the State of Illinois (University of) not long ago. They have a certain amount of stamps issued to them, from their supply
section, for use on maiiled items. If, for some reason they have a unusually
large usage, someone in the state will investigate why. The taking of one or two stamps would not be noticed. The taking fo several sheets would.

The stamps shown, would likely fall into this catagory (small taking), however I know firsthand that if you talk to the right people, you can pretty much get any stamp cancelled with the perfin machine, as an example of what it does, and if you supply the stamps.

In the state I live (New Mexico) the state government still has their old perfin machines, which they are using as paper weights. They won't part with them however, but were kind enough to perfin some stamps as a favor for me. The stamps were newer items, so it falls into the ethical thing whether I use them or not (which I won't).

Does this help?

Interesting discussion. What is meant by "University of Wisconsin mail"? I included some information below that may (or may not) help (these are only thoughts or observations, I do not have an expert opinion on the subject).

The building that this desk has been passed around in is full of alumni & researchers for the UW hospital. As far as I know there isn't much mail that is passed around campus besides inter-departmental which doesn't get sent through the actual mail and does not require a stamp. The only other mail that I can think of that would be "University of Wisconsin mail" that requires a stamp would be from departments such as payroll or HR or maybe mail that goes to patients. I couldn't imagine that they would stamp each envelope individually using these types of stamps, even in 1995.

I am aware that stamps are sold in the hospital's public areas to anyone who wishes to purchase and use them (I purchased some a few years ago - they did not have a perfin, I used them on a personal envelope). I guess I assumed that an employee did the same in 1995 and left them in his/her desk - but I maybe completely wrong.

As a former, and still recovering, bureaucrat, let me make an argument why perfins would make sense in a large organization such as UW. -- Accounting.
Let's say you have a small research or some other type of project that is funded by an agency, a grant or some other specific money source. At the end of the project you need to account for every dime. The project doesn't anticipate a large mail volume or is of short duration. How do you account for the postage? The mail room isn't going to do it and a new postage meter doesn't make sense if the mail volume is tiny. So what do you do? Give 'em stamps. Put a perfin on them "to prevent employee misuse" (Gotta keep the auditors happy!) and you are good to go.
As you can see, the system is flawless.

Dan

That makes sense! Thanks everyone, I'm not sure what to do with them still but at least I have some information.

If anyone is actually interested these 5 stamps, you can have them. Send me an e-mail and I'll mail them to you (USA only unless you pay for any shipping cost). I don't have a use for them and I'd love if someone could enjoy them.

Hi pink chocobo and welcome. It's nice to have you join up with us. The rules prohibit us from trading with someone with less than 50 posts, but if any more of you stamps are as interesting as this one was, I am sure you will have your fifty posts in no time at all. Great Polk stamps. What else do you have out there? - Jeff

Is it possible the perfin was applied not for accounting but for promotional purposes? Is it possible that say, student services offices, or a campus bookstore, or some similar office has applied perfins to keep track of stamps that are then sold to students/employees/visitors?