Franklin A155

And the "81" in the diespace of the machine cancel denotes it was run through the Wellesley, Mass Universal machine - part of the Boston zone number system instituted in 1920 and a direct forerunner of today's Zip codes. One of Wellesley's current zip codes, 02481, still ends in "81"

There is no guarantee that any sheet of stamps was dry when it was perforated. They didn't have the technology in those days to do anything about environmental control (or temperature and humidity) during any process of manufacturing a stamp, or even the manufacturing of the paper.

Not only that but you have to consider the environment you're measuring the stamp in.

I am like Peter. I have that same old fashioned gauge where you line up the circles with the holes, but I have never been unable to identify a stamp. Perforation gauges with words like "specialty" and "precision" in their names are a waste of time and money for US stamps.

Show me in a Scott's Specialized catalog for US Stamps where it shows a stamp which has been perforated 9-3/4 x 10-3/4.


-IBFS

OK I'm convinced I agree it's a 581

to: I Brake for Stamps




Balderdash! Stamps were gummed before they were perforated. Even small amounts of moisture would have caused sheets of stamps to stick together. Gum formulations were different in the summer and winter to compensate for expected humidity and temperature levels.




Is posting here a waste of time? I am beginning to wonder after I read this. Not being able to conveniently measure stamps in the original units used during production is a sure way to make errors and get fleeced at the local stamp bourse. Understanding how production machinery actually might affect stamps is important to expertizers.

Making up facts as we go is how we got to China Clay paper and other philatelic urban legends. Yes, space had to be filled in each issue of McKeel's in 1915. We don't need to do that now.

Are all of tha articles in the US Specialist wrong? Isn't it better to aim before shooting?

Clark

Balderdash!?!? Clark, you make me miss my grandpa!

IBFS - Sorry, stamps are dry when perforated. Don't think so? Try this at home...
Wet down a normal piece of printer paper and attempt to cut a simple design into it with an x-acto knife. No tearing accepted.

Printed. Dried. Gummed. Perforated.

And you are wrong about Scott listings. I just now randomly opened my 2016 Specialized, ended up on page 338/339 - didn't even need to flip through it. Go check out #4987 and let me know what gauge is listed there. (hint: it's 10-3/4). Besides, we all know listed perfs are rounded in Scott.

Another chuckle I drew from this thread (and pretty much any perf-related thread), is how the use of a basic metal gauge is "inaccurate" and the Kiusalas is held in high regard. Ummm.... Last time I used it, my fifty year old Kiusalas was still baked ink on brushed aluminum.

Finally circling back to the OPQ...
Bob - Save your European gauges for your European stamps. That inch vs centimeter stuff makes them inaccurate when used on American stamps. I use a Scott multigauge for US, Gibbons Instanta for UK and I absolutely do not care that some stamp lines up at 10.9 rather than 11.0 because it's still a "perf 11" for cataloging!

As for the super-spiffy fancy-schmantzy gauge linked to above? I might go buy one, if only for the grill info!

51studebaker Thanks Don, I was thinking about that one - exactly and couldn't remember the link - THANK YOU!! (My mind is going! Thanks again, Don

Hal