Original Gum

Family,

I hope I won't be chased off this forum for asking this question. Here goes: Does a stamp advertised as original gum never hinged positively mean that the stamp is MNH? Is it always a stamp that is unused? Or put another way, can a stamp advertised as original gum never hinged be actually a USED stamp?

Thanks,
Jack Kelley

Yes, it can be a CTO "Cancelled To Order". Very usual on East Europe stamps from the 50's, 60's and 70's.

Some stamps, were even printed cancelled! Which is not exactly the same as "used". But, quite often, both cathegories get confused.

Jack, if you look out your castle window, the villagers are already lighting their torches.

Well, CTO's, yes, and precancels, as well. But I doubt that is what the original question was about.

The problem is that there is no absolute standard in this terminology that I can tell. "MNH" doesn't tell us whether it has original gum or not, hence some sellers will add "OG." The question, then, is whether failing to mention "mint" means "used." I don't think so. But if I had any doubts, I'd ask the seller to clarify.

Care to post the URL to a specific example so we can get a better idea of the context?

Edit: Rereading the OP, nothing can be said positively in the matter. I just looked on ebay and found several hundred listings that say original gum, never hinged and do not say mint or MNH, but everyone I paid any attention to certainly looked mint. So a lot of sellers just don't use the mint or MNH terminology, for whatever reason. Again, to if in doubt, ask the seller specifically. No one on this forum will be able to answer the question as well as the seller can.

So many supposely NH classic stamps have been regummed and regummers have gotten so good that a hinge mark is probably the best indicator that the gum is actually original. This is obviously not a concern on common stamps - just those that are expensive enough in NH condition to justify the efforts of regumming.

OG NH send up a flag in my view. It could be never hinged with other gum faults, e.g. a gum skip, disturbed gum, fingerprint, etc.

JACK -----Today we have advanced in the area of stamp repairs . I would be happy to sell you original gum on mint never hinged stamps with a guarantee certificate . You find and buy any high value stamp which has no gum and after sending it to me ,I will buy a low value stamp from the same set . The gum is dampen and transferred to the high value stamp ......bingo ......we have original gum on the high value mint never hinge .
I will take the issue to court to slap any clown who questions my certificate that it is not original gum and makes a issue of it not being MNH . -----Yes the business of stamp repair has gotten that good ,there is even a firm in Canada that does this for about $40.00 a stamp and advertises the fact .

Wow. Great responses.

To Blcjr; I did question the seller by asking: Is this a MINT Never Hinged stamp? How does the back look? What is the condition of the back? ANSWER: It's OG and definitely is NH. I still don't know what to think and there is still no picture of the back. I'm staying away.

To Artful Hinger; I'm beginning to think NH is really regummed.

To Jarnick; I suppose what I'm really looking for is MINT, NH, OG. That would do it for me.

To Floortrader; Now that is really, really scary.

E. Caveat Emptor and Thanks Again to All.
Jack Kelley

To

as long as sellers want to get as much as they can for their stamp, you can never be sure. I watch a lot of TV and havent seen any commercials for " This is the worse car you can buy"

jim6092252,

I once owned a Pontiac Phoenix. It was voted THE car least likely to be stolen in the City of Boston.

Jack Kelley

"Mint" is not a proper philatelic term. Original gum never hinged or full original gum is appropriate technology. I avoid using the term mint because it is a coin, not a stamp term.

Clark

Thank you Clark. I'm still learning.

Jack Kelley

Sorry, but that horse has long left the barn. Lots of words originate somewhere, and then become used elsewhere. That it is used in Scott's catalog invalidates your argument that it is "not a proper philatelic term." To wit:

So, if I understand this, MINT means no gum disturbance. OG means some disturbance. Hinged means hinged or previously hinged.

Going back to my 342 example, it appears that the back of the stamp must have some gum disturbance; which may be why there was no picture of it in the listing. The seller avoided any reference to MINT even when directly questioned if it was MINT.

Jack Kelley

For must collectors, NH means mint, original gum, never hinged and unless stated explicitly even means pristine gum. But as posters have commented there are no real rules. There is one stamp that keeps coming up on an ebay search I follow listed as NG/NH - meaning no gum, never hinged. It is a ridiculous use of the letters NH, but people will do what people will do.

The most important point I think is that any claim of NH is suspect these days due to the number of "professionally" regummed stamps. In my opinion NH stamps should only be bought from a dealer you know and trust or have a cert.

Blcjr,

That was good information you provided. I went to my own Specialized Catalog (2012) to see if I had a matrix like that and sure enough - there it was!

Jack Kelley