Mint No Gum

When does it become acceptable to have a mint no gum Canadian stamp ....... where is the border. At the small queens ?

Linn's World Stamp Almanac (Fifth edition) defines Mint as:

"A stamp that has never been postally used or hinged. It is clean and has full, undisturbed original gum, if it was issued with gum."

Thus, the words "mint no gum" do not go together. That is, a "mint" stamp must have gum. An "unused" stamp may not have gum.

Since all regularly issued Canadian stamps (that I am aware of) had gum (not including some 'favour' imperfs), the latter part of the above definition does not apply.

Can you re-phrase your question?

----
Although I personally feel "mint" is full gum, as issued, I stand corrected. I've contacted a few well-known collectors/dealers and they note that "mint" simply means "not used". For the early Canada (Sc 1-33, which is up to the end of the Large Queens), the prices in the Unitrade are for mint stamps with no gum. The added premium indicators are given at the start of each group.

Since the Small Queens do not have such a premium indicator, the listings in the Unitrade from that point on are for stamps with gum. What is the price of a "mint" Small Queen with no gum? I don't know the answer to that.

Sure,

Older stamps with no gum are often listed and a premium is added for original gum. The large queens are like this for example as most stamps from british columbia, new brunswick etc. Does this apply to the small queens ?

Coriandre

This has been a sticky subject with me for years.

To me, ANY stamp w/o a cancellation but without gum to me is a stamp 'in limbo'. (Unless it is a stamp or S/S sheet issued w/o gum as some countries have done.) It should have been cancelled but it wasn't. Some dealers, not all, seem to want to cash in on a stamp from the QV era especially simply because the cancel isn't there. That doesn't mean that the stamp was never applied to a cover and sent through the mails.

For myself personally, I tend to keep away from these. If it does not have a cancel and w/o gum, I would rather buy a used stamp with a light cancellation.

My opinion of course <G>.

Chimo

Bujutsu

I also stay away from these as much as possible. When I see something like number 101 MNG, it is a used stamp for me. But in the older stamps, it is not as clear cut. For the large queens, Unitrade prices for mint is with no gum. You add 100% to the price if original gum is present. Same thing with the first small queens 31-32-33. They talk about gum for the rest of the small queens only to mention that pristine gum is extremely rare. But, what about a small queen with no gum ?

Now I am no stamp expert.

But does not "gum" indicate a pre adhesive applied to a stamp that needs liquid/moisture added to active the sticky gum surface....

NOW the newer stamps that have adhesive applied that do NOT need moisture/liquid to activate the stickiness of a stamp should maybe not be categorised as gum...???

Then again, maybe I don't know what I am talking about...???

Wert,

that's the big question on new stamps... I don't collect those because a number of reasons. But even expert blogs are confused as to what to do. For example, since as you mention they don't have gum but rather self-adhesive, you must keep the backing in place. However, say you have a strip of stamps. How do you separate them and keep the backing intact? Since the backing is not perforated and the stamps themselves have serpentine edges... Also, adding them to mounts is like putting two stamps stacked on the mount due to thickness.

And don't get me started on used and how to remove. So far, I'm keeping them on the paper (envelope) and just trimmed as close to the stamp as possible.

I've put a correction to my original response, back as the second item in this thread.

That would make sense studystamps...With coins, mint means never circulated/or used.

Used, not cancelled you mean?

I think, for selling purposes, it depends on the market and on the salesman's skills more or less.

For collecting, depends on the collector, the climate, the money available, etc.

For shows and display purposes, well it is nice to see a mint stamp in all it's glory and I suppose a mint no gum stamp without cancel does let you see the stamp's design but just knowing that there is no gum on a stamp devalues it in my opinion before I even look at it.

Personal question really.

Thank you for your thoughts and help. On older stamps, you can have examples that were never put on an envelloppe but have no gum. I have seen a full sheet of New Brunswick number 8 with no gum. My guess is humidity, dryness and gum quality used at the time. For the small queens all my mint examples have disturbed gum at best but have some nice gum on large queens. I had seen that Unitrade prices for mint large queen was with no gum but what they say about small queens is confusing as they state that pristine gum is extremely rare. I was wondering how to grade a small queen with no gum.

Anyway, stamps are printed, not minted. Coins are minted. I wonder when the term "mint" began with stamps?

An older stamp cannot be mint no gum unless it was issued without gum.
I would excuse some of the few items that were released with a gum that will destroy the stamp overt time due to the chemicals they contain.
A stamp without gum could also be a used one that got missed by the cancel so making it it less interesting for some people.
It isn't something I concern myself with but I wouldn't pay mint prices for MNG if it was more expensive.
Like Rod, mint hinged isn't an issue for me.