Stamps And Cancellations Off Envelope

Hi there. I'm just getting back into stamp collecting and came across stamps that have been torn off the envelope along with the cancellation. It's not the whole envelope. I'm wondering if I should soak the stamps off or if I should keep them as is because it shows the cancellation. Any suggestions?

First, welcome to the Forum!




The answer to your question will depend greatly upon the stamps themselves. If they are modern (1930's up) stamps, it's generally acceptable to soak them. Look at the cancellations first, though. Unusual cancellations may still make it worthwhile to keep them attached "on piece." Ideally, the entire envelope should have been saved.

For older stamps, it's on an individual basis. If you have some images, it would help to advise you.

Welcome



Don

Welcome!

The question of soak vs. leave on paper may be a bit more complicated for those whose collections include modern, self-adhesive stamps. I don't collect modern issues so I can't speak from experience but what I've read suggest a divide between collectors who cut around the stamp and mount it vs. those who remove the adhesive before mounting. The latter group seems to be driven by some evidence from early self-adhesive stamps that these adhesives may stain the stamps over time.

Here is a discussion from another stamp forum about the issue, including ways to remove the adhesive (https://stamporama.com/discboard/di...=20&id=17659). I'm sure the issues have been discussed here as well.

Dennis

If there's a complete, circular date stamp cancellation, it may be worth cutting around it in a neat square or other rectangle, although I'm not usually sufficiently interested in postmarks to do that. If it's just a set of wavy lines, soak it.