Early Coil Stamps

While reading through the book, United States Coil Issues 1906-1938, by Martin A. Armstrong, Quote: "The history of coil stamp(s) actually goes back as far as the mid 1880s. That is probably a startling revelation to many collectors since they never heard of a Bank Note or Columbian Coil issue. But they did exist and were used on a small scale by some of the larger postal users." elsewhere he further states they were "....actively dispensing (from vending machines) stamps on the fair grounds of the 1893 Columbian Exposition....". Does anyone know if any coil issues (prior to the 1902-03 bureau issues that started being made/used in 1908) survived? Does anyone have any additional information on earlier coils? I don't recall seeing any in auction catalogues nor hearing anything about these earlier coils. I thought this might make an interesting discussion topic, if there is other information available.

Al E Gator....
Interesting topic, first I have every heard of such a thing.
Makes me wonder?
Keep us posted.

I didn't know anything about them until I read the book. Apparently its not well know. By this posting, I'm hoping there are others that may be able to add more information about these early coils--I know I'd like to know more.

This is indeed an interesting subject, and Ken Lawrence has written about it in several different articles in different publications over the years. One was in the Nov., 1993 American Philatelist. Another which contained related info about early coiled stamps was his definitive article on the Farwell Brothers, and that article can be accessed on the PhilaMercury website of Richard Frajola.

Here is one portion of that article; the illustration showing the machine can not be copied (at least I do not know how....).

The Figure 3 cover with a Farwell's Steam Bag Manufactory imprint, canceled March 3, 1858, is
exceptional, foreshadowing an element of
Farwell's place in philatelic history. Vertical
cuts along the perforation rows suggest that the
3¢ George Washington stamp, Scott 26, was
affixed by an early coil stamp machine, possibly
the Figure 4 device invented by Robert Dick, a
Canadian whose U.S. patent was granted in
1859 and antedated to 1858.

Figure 3. Farwell's Steam Bag Manufactory mailed this envelope on March 3, 1858. The 3¢ George
Washington stamp appears to have been affixed by an early mailing machine.
Figure 4. Dick's Mailer, a device invented by Canadian
Robert Dick in 1858, affixed stamps to envelopes
mechanically, after the stamps had been cut into strips,
pasted together, rolled into coils, and loaded on a reel.

Here's the Farwell cover Bill Weiss referenced above:



It seems to me that someone would have to find a paste up to lend some credence.

This is Robert Dick's "addressing machine".



It seems it was patented as an address labeler, but based on how it works, it could be used for stamps as well. Here's a brief description I found:

"...individual columns of names and addresses were cut apart and glued together end to end to form a roll. The roll was put on a spool in the back end of the addressing machine (the end to the left in the first image in the column to the right). The paper was fed through a number of rollers, which moved the paper through a tank containing liquid adhesive, and then to a cutter at the front of the machine. The machine was placed on a stack of envelops, newspapers, or other items to be addressed. When the first name and address came out of the machine, it was cut off the roll and at the same time pressed onto the top envelope. That envelope was removed, and the process continued."

Bill,just read the Ken Lawrence article on Frajola's site that suggests the possibility of coils on the 1857-61 issues. I don't suppose any have been certified as such? Do you know of any other articles or publications regarding this possibility or about Bank Notes or Columbians used as coils? Its very interesting that there may be coil uses prior to what is generally know to have occurred in the early 20th. Century. I'm wondering where Armstrong may have gotten his information to support his assertion?

Al E Gator....can you please link to that article.
I looked there and could not find it.

Kevin,
http://www.rfrajola.com/mercury/mercury.html Then look nine topics down the list to "Ken Lawrence Sept. 2010 The Fallwell Brothers...."
That should get you there.

Sorry I didn't respond sooner---had to get some food into the house.

Dave

John V Farwell's company was involved in the private perforations of the early 20th century. Perhaps Armstrong or others looked back at earlier correspondence from his company and saw signs of stamp machine use. The trimmed perfs on a Farwell cover are interesting. If Robert Dick's addressing machine has certain cutter characteristics on all models, an expert could potentially say this machine was used.

This would be a completely private endeavor. The PO wouldn't be involved in any way as they were with the early 20th century coils.

Dave....link does not work.
I will search Frajola site again...

Should have worked? Try this:
www.rfrajola.com (that brings up the home page) >articles (down on the left side) >mercury projects (top left corner block). That should do it.

Rather seasonal error on that link. In the actual link at the end there is no "l." [i.e. .htm, not .html"]

OPPS! Sorry! Old Age keeps creeping up on me

Having read Ken's article I wish to comment on the statement by Armstrong as cited above.



Either Arstrong has overlooked the earlier experiments with affixing machines, or he does not regard them to be of the same class as what he claims came about in the 1880s. But in either case, we have to recognize that any coil stamps from the 19th century ought to be considered private affairs and were not intentionally produced in that form by the government. In other words, there were no Bank Note, Columbian, Pictorial, or other coil "issues." Various enterprises procured stamps as issued and made their own coils. As a matter of classification I think it ought to be obvious that stamps "issued" as coils are not in the same collecting category as coils privately produced from existing stamps.

In further reflection it appears to me that Armstrong was being a bit loose in his language and categories, and must be taken on this point with a grain of salt.

All that notwithstanding, as artifacts for postage stamp development, the privately modified stamps are crucial for an understanding of their various innovations, and deserve to be studied for what they are alongside government sanctioned experiments on stamps by the regular stamp producers.

To somewhat clarify.....I don't think Armstrong was trying to say coil stamps prior to the 1902-03 series, that was used to make coils by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in early 1908, were government produced and issued coils. He further stated, although I did not include it in the quote, that the distributor for the stamps used at the Columbia Exposition was the United States Vending Machine Company. I think he was just trying to point out that there was, or at least he's saying there was, some use of coil stamps prior to what most of us know about.

I don't know if he ment the United States Vending Machine Company distributed just the vending machines or if he ment that the company also created the coils (from Gov. produced issues). I'm guessing he ment that they did both?

Further into the book, he reports that the first government produced and issued coils were made in Early 1908 from the 1902-03 series. He also devotes chapters to each of the early 20th. century private coil makers, their machines, and their interactions with the Government in the process of developing coil manufacturing and dispensing.

My intent with the origonal post was just to see if there was any additional information regarding his statement about earlier coil efforts, those proir to 1908ish, and to see if any examples of such may exist. I thought the possibility of such to be interesting.