Scott 3133 32c Linerless Flag Over Porch Coil

Sometimes when you store something away, you forget about it and it may come back to haunt you. So it is with the Scott 3133 32c linerless Flag Over Porch coil. I bought a roll of them from the USPS in a blue plastic dispenser when they were first issued. I know the stamps were supposed to be coated to keep them from sticking to each other. But I can't help thinking that after 25 years, that coating may no longer be effective and that I may have nothing more than a glob of non-detachable stamps to deal with. Before I unseal this roll, has anyone had any experience with this stamp in a roll? Thanks!

I don't have experience with this one, but do with the 33c linerless Berries and they did tend t o stick together - not everyone, but you'd get some where it would pull off the part of the surface of the stamp below it.

Stamp dealer Brian Engler St. of Pennsylvania reported adhesive problems on these stamps, which was reported by Linn's on 16 July 2019 in an article titled, Linerless coil stamps are starting to fuse together

Thanks for directing me to that article. I think I will open this roll and see what horrors await. :-)

I acquired three of these rolls in an auction box, and found that they
were stuck together. Any attempt to pull them apart resulted in
ruined stamps. I solved the problem with Pure Citrus and a lot
of patience. Little by little, the roll was eventually salvaged and
the stamps were usable (minus the adhesive of course). A glue
stick works fine to apply them to an envelope.

I just saw this thread, and it reminded me of a roll that I've had hanging around a long time. So I thought I would give it a try, after struggling with another roll a few years back. The roll was stuck solid, and after trying to roll it, to possibly loosen it up a little, and carefully trying to peel it, it still wouldn't budge. Then I thought maybe a little heat to loosen the adhesive. Sure enough after a few seconds, I think it was about 45 seconds before I could start peeling them (I did 15 seconds at a time). After carefully starting it and pulling them straight out and slow I had about a quarter of the roll separated in just a few minutes (with a couple of very quick reheats). You will want some type of backing paper to put them on as you go, I had some extra coil backing from a roll of the 1c bobcats. It does leave some adhesive residue on the face, I believe the warmer it was the more it left, but I could be wrong on that. I'm hoping Green Machines trick with the pure citrus will work to clean the faces, as I only had limited success with some soft soap and water that I had handy.
Below are the results.

Thank you to mike2006 for the great visual!

Thanks much for the advice. As expected, my roll was 100 stamps welded together. I will see if I can save any of these for postage.

mike2006,

What did you use to apply heat?

philatomic,

Whoops, thought I put that in there, the microwave oven

Thanks. I'll have to try that. I have rolls of the Flag Over Porch, Berries, and Snowmen to get unstuck.

Thank you for the tips on the microwave and to have backing paper ready. I hope this does not catch on fire, although it would make for a more exciting Friday evening.