Perf Help On Franklin 20c Please!

I know I am new to this, but I have been reading, watching videos, and practicing with the perf gauge.

This stamp is supposed to be a 10, 11, or 12 perf.

On 10 or 11 the perfs shift either to the left or right. It lines up perfectly only on 10.5. Which would it be?

Tonya......


Try comparing this stamp with others to see if it has shrunk a little.

Tonya,
can you measure and advise how high the printed image of this
stamp is,in mm please?

Nr...Stamps shrink? Seriously? I understand they may contract and expand a little with humidity levels, but would that make that much of a difference?

Rod, it is less than a hair shy of being 22.5 mm high. It is 19mm wide in case you need to know that.

You are correct Tonya,
I make it (give or take a squidge)

10.66 and 10.52 using heighth and width respectively.

How it got like that, I'll leave to the experts

Thank you for your help. Now I will sit and wait for the experts.

Something is amiss. I am assuming you took this scan and the scan of the 2 #610 you showed in the other thread at the same settings. If so, then your stamp in this thread appears to measure about 19mmx22.25mm and is perf 11 (Scott #515). Maybe Mike can verify that the Cincinnati pre-cancel exists for #515 (and check #419, 438, and 476 to see if Cincinnati is on those).

Since you have both stamps in hand, put this stamp up against the #610 you have and see if the perfs line up. If they don't line up, then my preliminary calcs/comps were inaccurate, and yes, you may have a perf 10.5.

If they do line up, then we need to figure out why you were measuring 10.5 instead of 11. In that case, Tonya, can you make 2 scans? One showing your millimeter ruler along with the 20c stamp. Another scan with your perf 10/11 gauge along with the 20cn stamp. Please keep the stamp/gauge as parallel as possible. Thank you!

Try checking your perf gauge against a newer stamp that only came with one possible perf. I've found some gauges to be off a half before.

The stamp above is a #515, perf 11, with what appears to be a Style Type 205 or 209 precancel on it. I say without measuring, it's a 209, but to be sure, you should measure.
205 the letters are 3mm tall.
209 the letters are 2mm tall.

As far as the perfin goes, I can't ID it, since I have no guide for perfins.

Hope this helps!

Another possibility is if the Perf Gauge is very old and made of plastic. Some of the old perf gwuges are made of unstable plastic that can shrink a few mm over time.

The Perf Gauge I'm using is old, but it is metal. (A Perfectogauge)

The letters are 2mm tall.

I believe I have solved the great mystery. Taking into consideration that the weather here has been beautiful so I have had all the windows open and the fact that the back of this stamp is a bit more porous than the others.....I baked it.

I know, I should not go around willy nilly sticking stamps in the oven, but it worked! It now lines up perfectly on 11.

Now, the only confusing thing to me is I thought humidity=expansion. I would have thought that by removing the humidity the stamp would shrink? But that is how things work for me oppositeor down right wierd.

Any explanations or theorys on that? (The expanding instead of shrinking?)

Thank you all,
Tonya~Queen of Opposite World

Did you put icing on it?

I should! My disposition has not been so sweet today. Maybe that would help! ;)

Tonya.....


Stamp shinkage is not that uncommon.....case in point.....

Very cool article!

That is a great article. Thank you for posting it.

Ditto above.
Nice archived article with examples for clarity.
Thanks.