Start Of Self Adhesive Stamps ???

The first self adhesive stamps were issued in 1963 by Tonga, the gold coin issues, and by Sierra Leone in 1964. The GB first issues were the octagonal Machins February 1974 and the USA first self adhesive was the 10 cent dove weathervane issue at Christmas 1974. Of all, Tonga could be said to be the first country to issue self adhesives for general use as there were several different issues between 1963 and 1970. The USA and GB were only trying them out in 1974.

Terry

scotzm: the 1993 UK 1st class stamp of which you posted a scan was soakable, though.

I am trying to work out when the self-adhesives stopped being soakable in GB. I tested a few from around 2006-2008 and had luck with some, but not all. Some I pulled back out of the water (on the paper still), dried and am now pressing. But the paper is wrinkly and it's not an ideal way to work it out.

So, I would like to work out which GB self-adhesives are NOT soakable before I have to risk ruining them by dunking them.

Anyone?

Agreed, JanS... the stamp I posted is soakable. The thread is Start of Self-Adhesives so the stamp was the first Royal Mail self-adhesive trial stamp. A connected sub-thread from TinMan is how to identify US self-adhesives. My reply was do indicate that the new Scott US catalog has a sign against all self-adhesives that are "deemed unsafe to soak"... a list that would seem to cover nearly two thirds of self-adhesives.
I suspect that S.G. will follow and indicate the problem GB self-adhesives. I don't soak any self-adhesives these days, only clip.

I now just only soke non-selfadhesives...saves the trouble of second guessing...best hint...if it looks serpentine, its self adhesive. if it looks like it has perfs that have the tear apart ragged edge, they aresoakable...at least US..not sure WW. I do have a sheet and partial sheets of the US weathervane 1st self adhesive...I'll try and get a pic of it

"if it looks like it has perfs that have the tear apart ragged edge, they are soakable...at least US..not sure WW."...
That is also true of GB stamps. The "torn" or "cut" perforations also helps identify booklet stamps as they will have a combination. Occasionally some varieties of GB stamps are only available in booklets.

Terry,

The first self-adhesive stamps in the world were not the Tonga Gold Coins issue of 1963; that honour went to Sierra Leone on 10 February 1964.

See my article on the special water-activated DAVAC gumming developed in England by Samuel Jones for use by Walsall Lithographic on the Tonga stamps in my Dummy Stamps newsletter issue 32 to be found at www.stampprinters.info/ds32.pdf

Incidentally, all 33 issues of Dummy Stamps and their supplements may be found by going to www.stampprinters.info/dummystamps.htm The latest issue comprises 22 A4 pages of information about British dummy stamp material created by the stamp printers and associated companies in the printing industry.

GLENN

I'll try to watch the perfs to see if I can tell the difference. Some are easy but some? I have a sheet of the U.S. weather vanes. The last time I looked at it. That was a couple years ago the stamps were starting to slide off the sheet. The glue was drying up. I know they changed the formula for the glue several times. Trying different formulas. Trying to perfect it.

Yes it's pretty easy to tell the difference in the perfs. If I can just remember to look.

Hi 65170,

According to Stanley Gibbons, and the Philatelic Database there were two issues in 1963, 4th June and 17th June, of embossed gold foil paper backed stamps which were self adhesive. Further issues at intervals up to 1970. All are listed in SG's Commonwealth and British Empire catalogue. I would say that was regular issue long before GB and USA started their try-outs. There are several other sources which confirm this. Are you saying these were not self adhesive?

Terry

Here is my weather-vane S/A stamps. Both panes.

Jeff the pane on the bottom scan is the same pane I have. Same plate numbers. I just checked mine and the stamps all seem to be sticking. The colors are still good too. Discoloration was a problem with these stamps.

You ask when s/a stamps first came out as everyday postage.

From what I remember, in the U.S. it seems to be about the time stickers and sticker books were a rage with the kids. I even remember the kids bringing things home from school with stickers on them.

As that trend ended with the youngsters, the the USPS stepped it up with their stamp issues.

The 1980's stickers became the 1990's stamps.

I remember something I got as a kid was a product called wacky packages. These were stickers that came with some gum with a look a like product.

Larry and Vacuum man Read the thread.

I remember those. They were a fad for a while. "Hostage Cupcakes" and "Chock Full'O Nuts and Bolts" were some of the ones I remember.

But generally, the advent of the self-adhesive stamp was an ominous sign to me as a young collector. Or maybe it was just that fact that the 1974 dove weather vane stamp was and probably still is the ugliest US stamp ever. It didn't help that it yellowed, but at least it bought another 15 years of freedom from self-adhesives (but not poor taste unfortunately).