When A Hole In A Stamp Is Not Considered "Defective"

To a philatelist, of course, it is damaged. However, in the Japanese classic Dragon and Cherry Blosssom Issues, the pin holes are not considered faults in the stamps. The pin holes are an integral part of the stamp production. The pins were used to line up a few sheets of stamps and to hold them in place prior to trimming off the the excess selvedge, so the final sheets are the same size. The pin holes are found in specific positions in the sheet; therefore, they are valuable in plating or reconstruction of the sheet. We sometimes find them in auctions and descrived as "a hole in the stamp" and the valuation is lowered as damaged stamp. Used 2 Sen yellow Cherry Blossom stamps are very common, but the unused example are rarities. There is an unused 2 Sen stamp cataloged at $4500 with the pin hole and was bought at less than 20% of its value.

Interesting information ,never knew that the pin holes was part of the production process in Japan .

Thanks for sharing.

Another thing I never knew. I seem to learn something almost everyday from this site.
Tom

There is also a cancellation machine that leaves pin-holes on the right hand side. I believe it's Doremus type "E" machine or maybe the Barry machine? I forget off hand but it's a similar circumstance none-the-less.

The pin holes in the Japanese hand-engraved stamps is not the only case that pin hole is acceptable in philately. The grills in the US classics where we find great rarities just because the tiny holes are arranged in certain patterns. The Afganistan Tiger heads is another example where the postal clerk tore off a corner or part of the stamp to indicate that the stamp had already done her postal service. So, those Tiger Heads with part of the stamps torned off are used stamps.

Question: Why the spelling check does not work as before?

And of course there are control perfins like this one I have



We had thread about these here...
https://goscf.com/t/31542

don

The Schermack Control Perf Census referenced in the above post has been closed as of 11/5/2013.

With over 3000 items reported, this is far and away the greatest number ever reported. Analysis has been done and a series of articles reviewing the results has began with the February issue of The United States Specialist.

Another article including the final results will appear in the March issue of The Perfins Bulletin.

Thanks to all members of SCF that reported items for this Census.

Another possible purpose of the pinholes of Japanese classics are to bundle the sheets by threading the pinholes with paper strings (thin paper twisted to form strings) as could be seen in the image (taken from the web site of Takahashi Stamp Co., Tokyo); this is a part of unused sheet of 1/2 sen brown, Matsuda print, native paper, position 40, with pinhole type F.



- unechan

In the early 1920s, Hungary punched three small holes in current definitive issues. The SCF discussion can be read here: https://goscf.com/t/29722

These varieties are listed in the Scott Classic Specialized catalog.

Also, I learned that Hungary 3-hole punched an airmail stamp from 1957. I do not recall the reason for this, but it is not a cancellation.

Robert