I Need Some Advice

Hello to all Stamp maniacs over here. I am only a newly registered member I just need some advice about these stamps from USSR/RUSSIA. Do the color of this stamp is only normal and the ink of these stamps are "fugitive"? Do they considered as damaged and needed to throw away? because there are some tiny white spots and the paint on the part of the denomination is having some discoloration. I really feel irritated when one of my stamps is having a large/tiny creases and I just throw them away but now I need help about the color of these stamps.

Any Ideas? thanks,
John

Welcome Loannes,
Yes indeed, some Russian stamps whilst not having "fugitive"
ink, do lose their pigments when soaked.
I do not like gum on my stamps, and wash them where possible
and found Russian stamps (mid 70's perhaps?) partially lost
their pigments, so I gave up soaking any Russian stamps.

To the purist they are damaged, but I wouldn't throw them away.

So you are left with a quandry, some russian stamps have thick yellow gum that cracks readily if not kept in good conditions, and
a loss of pigment if you soak them.

I am not a specialist, I do wonder if Russian gum is different
on the initially produced examples and those used as CTO's.

Hello, John and welcome to SCF!

Are the 2 stamps you show postally used or CTO? In the former case, all the discussion about fugitive inks would make sense, in the later case, we might have to look for alternative explanations (for example, adherence of the surface of the stamp to the back of another stamp or to some other surface).

In your second (blue) stamp, what is it that makes you consider it as "damaged"? Are you comparing it with another copy in your collection? Is it the whitish appearance of the blue background?

Below is my MNH copy of that stamp for comparison:

Thanks for all the greetings! @vasia both of the stamps are postally used and I am wondering that the second stamp (blue) is damaged because of the big white spot on the lower right corner of the stamps it seems abnormal compared to the whitish background of the stamp. Is it already damaged or I can still kept them?
best regards,
John

John,

if my intention was to build-up a used collection of USSR stamps, I would keep the second stamp. It does not appear to be damaged - even the white spot that you mention at lower right might have been a printing flaw, rather than a result of fugitive inks.

Incidentally, do you collect USSR/Russia? If you need help in this field, do not hesitate to ask. This is my principal collecting field.

@vasia thanks for the advice, I will keep the second stamp. How about the first stamp? do you consider it damaged because of the discoloration on the part of the denomination? I am wondering because it is having a whitish color and I am thinking that is because of soaking.
thanks,
John

John.

I can see the sources of your irritation on the first stamp, but I am not sure about the causes of the "defects". Here is my copy of the stamp:



Several observations can be made:

1. Many of the white spots on the green portions of the design appear to be present on my mint stamp as well, exactly on the same positions as on your used stamp. Therefore, they do not appear to have been caused by soaking.

2. The red color (tree trunk and branches, numerals "6" and 150") appears to be a darker shade on my stamp. It is possible that the red color on your stamp has faded by soaking, although (alternatively) different shades of ink might have been used in different parts of the printing.

3. The biggest "problem" on your stamp appears to exist on the black background to the tree, which looks spotted all over, rather than solid as on my stamp. Interestingly, the black inscription at the bottom of your stamp looks solid.

I would say keep the stamp, until you find a better one. Anyway, postally used USSR stamps are found much less frequently than CTO ones. You might even call it "sky with stars" variety.

I thought members of SCF would enjoy this: the Arbutus Andrachne aka Strawberry Tree pictured on the stamp, as it stands today in the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens (in Yalta, Crimea):



Notice the characteristic red peeling bark of the tree.

The 150th anniversary of the founding of the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens was being celebrated in 1962 with the issuance of a set of 4 stamps.

Thanks vasia, now I know different stuffs about USSR/Russia stamps. By the way I mainly collect Philippines stamps I only post the two stamps because I am really irritated when I saw some creases or some fading colors on my stamps. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
regards,
John