Coil Test Strips

I found a couple of really interesting threads when I searched these three words which showed a lot of amazing examples of "test stamps" of various sorts. When I ran across this example below in a recent lot, I was quite excited.
I mean, anytime that you find a gray and unappealing something that you had never seen before, isn't it always exciting?




However, upon searching for a reference, I found two threads, both by londonbus, I believe, that showed myriads of test stamps of all sorts and varieties from a multitude of countries. My little gray specimen becomes more and more pedestrian.

I am still a little unsure of what country issued it though I am guessing at the United States but what I would really like to know is, what on earth were they actually used for? Testing what? Production? Vending machines? Handling procedure? Just why were they printed in the first place.

They were used for testing Coil dispensers which have been forever changing.
They make a great sideline collection, some are very beautiful and dare I say, scarce.
Yes, the one you show is from the USA.

Glad you found my threads !

Londonbus1

They are listed in the Scott Specialized catalog, there are several dozen different for both coils and booklet panes.

I got these from a friend a while back.

The Scott Specialized Catalog of US Stamps has a section just for "Test Stamps".

Yours is either a TD107 or a TD112. I am guessing the latter, but the only way to know for sure is to check the perforations (are they perf. 9.5 or perf. 10) and the gum (whether shiny or dull) and the design (whether 19.5mm wide or 19.0mm wide). Assuming the latter, the value is $1.00 for a pair of the stamps (based on my 2011 Scott Specialized).

Backroads and All

You might want to try the following sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_stamp

http://www.usstamps.org/dssg.html

There is another whole new philatelic world out there with these stamps I believe the bottom url was in the SCF forum before (?)

Chimo

Bujutsu

US Test stamps are listed on pages 920-936 of the 2013 Scott Specialized. The introduction at the front of the listings on page 920 lists the various reasons they were produced.

It is certainly an interesting sideline and there have been a number of very good references given in the replies.

Now it remains for me to decide whether the topic itself is worthwhile following up as there are so many possible avenues that a collector can take. Myself, I tend to collect and copy information, then put the item into my collection along with the page or pages of information I may have found about it. It's all fun and appeals to the magpie in me.

They all go in my "Whatsit?" album eventually. There is some stuff in there that I have been looking for info on for years. Someday ...

I just came across a mint set of 11, glad to know what they are. Why 11, no idea. A strip of 11, why not 12?

Can you post a picture of your strip of 11?

Hi Walkman,

I took a fast shot of the 11 stamps, all mint and perfect. Sorry for the picture quality, old iphone4.

Barbara

I just scanned the front and back of these to try out my new scanner. Now I have to figure out how to get them out of PDF and onto here.

My test coil of 12 has original gum on the back. My uncle was 'in' with the post offices, I suspect he got a lot of this type of things from his buddies in the post offices he went to :)

If I can figure out how to get a scan on here, I will start putting my photos up as scans, not my less than adequate cell phone photos. This is all a huge learning curve for me, I appreciate your patience :)

Barbara

ifyouloveit

Test coil of 11, argh, I am tired, sorry :)

When you process the scan, check the jpeg box in the drop down tab of your editor's "Save As" menu.
Remember to crop.

Coils are collected in strips of odd amounts usually. This is because most collectors want a strip with the same amount of stamps on each side of the plate numbered stamp.
I do not know if your strip of test coils has a plate number on it - the flash is too bright to tell anything.

Peter

this test coil was issued long before they started putting plate numbers directly on coils. These are normally collected as singles, pairs and line pairs (although a few do line strips of 4 or 6)