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...It seems clear enough that the size of the stamp would be different while wet, but it is not established that the stamp wouldn't return to its normal size once moisture content of the paper returns to normal...
If it is true that a stamp would not return to its 'dried' dimension then this would be a huge philatelic story. In other words, for decades hobbyists have been unintentionally and permanently altering stamps by soaking them. It would also explain why Amos/Scott has been publishing 'rounded off' the perf gauging numbers all these years (they needed to explain a delta between mint stamp and soaked used stamps).
I have to believe someone has already been established that the stamp would return to its normal size once moisture content of the paper returns to normal, just that on one who has posted here has done the test. Of course if the stamp doesn't dry flat it would be hard to measure and I wonder if a wet stamp were pressed too hard while drying if it wouldn't change size, but if stamps really changed size after normal soaking and drying, it would cause a serious problem telling used flat plate and use rotary plate stamps apart, and I don;t recalling hearing there is a problem with used examples.
Posted 04/11/2018 11:34 pm
