Should Imperfs Always Be Mounted As Pairs?

I recently posted my 1923 Tryzub Ukrainian Stamp Album Supplement here:

https://goscf.com/t/23902&whichpage=14

User Timm pointed out that I should have made the imperfs pairs, since any perforated or die-cut stamp can be trimmed to look like an imperf.

I began to think about this, and am now wondering whether, any time you mount an imperf that has a perf/die-cut variety also, should the stamp be mounted as a pair to prove it's the true imperf?

I am not familiar with this issue, but in general while it would be best to have a pair, if a stamp has large enough margins then one can be pretty sure that it is a legitimate imperf.

Scott lists the stamps as impereforate pairs. I really need to get a Michel Ukraine and see what it says.

You've bumped right up against the issue with preprinted pages. Sure, all things being equal, the best assurance that your imperf is truly an imperf is to have a pair (or more). Is that the only valid way to collect, and mount, the issue? Each person makes that decision for him/herself.

Since you've boxed the mounting area, you probably can't lay out the page to allow for either without looking awkward? What about making up both? The person uses the page they want?

One other comment. Michel seems to say that the 20+20 watermarked is compound perfed, with the perfs exactly opposite the others (i.e., 13.5 x 14 instead of 14 x 13.5).

I didn't check Scott to see what they had to say on the matter...

Has this exercise given you any more sympathy for album editors?

It has. It's impossible to please everyone.

I'll check Scott on that issue. I really need to buy a Michel.

For what it's worth, I've noticed that if an imperf stamp is a variation from a perf listing, then Scott often only prices them in pairs.

-- Dave

[edited for clarity]

I should add that, although I didn't start out doing this, for the last few years I've been trying to collect both imperfs and coils in pairs.

-- Dave

And to add to those last 2 posts, I think the problem is that album makers (at least US album makers) made the decision to just show imperf singles, and coil singles, "back in the day", but the market has over time valued pairs, because they do prove that it's not a stamp that's been trimmed down.

In the same vein, I notice that, even through the 1980's or so, Scott (at least in its Japan album) often shows separated stamps which were issued as attached pairs. For items from the 1950's or so, there's a pretty significant premium for the stamps attached, compared to separated.

-- Dave

There is actually a method to this format madness.

For a stamp that was ONLY issued imperforate, then a single is sufficient -- of course you can always collect them in pairs or blocks if you want.

For a stamp that exists both imperforate and perforate (or part perforate), AND has no other distinguishing features other than the perforation (or lack of), then the imperforate stamp should be collected in at least a pair, as that would be the only way to prove you had a genuine imperforate and not a trimmed perforate stamp.

Certain stamps were issued in both sheet format and coils, and both formats might exist with imperforate errors. Then the general rule for the correct format of the imperforate pair will depend on the coil direction. For example, in horizontal coils, the imperforate pair must be horizontal pairs; then the imperforate sheet stamp must be collected as a vertical imperforate pair to show it came from the sheet and not from the horizontal coil.

This is not a trivial matter, because when they exist in both formats, coil imperforates usually out-number sheet imperforates by a significant margin. Therefore, the imperforate from the sheet will have a higher premium than the imperforate from the coil.

In many cases, other distinguishing features can be used -- design sign/differences, paper type, tagging, gum type... But there are a few cases where there is no other way to prove an imperforate error pair from a sheet other than the direction of the pair.

I should note that there are a few collectors who like to collect all coils as pairs, imperforate or not. I assume this is a habit from the days of coil line pairs. In these collections, I see all the coil stamps in pairs.

Collect in the format that seems most aesthetically pleasing to you.