Mount Sizes For Classic Stamps

I have been thinking of using mounts for classic stamps as I print out Steiner pages. I have seen mention of specific Vario pages that would work for most classic stamps.

Does anyone know which size mounts (Showgard/Scott) would be the most useful for stamps in the classic era? I am considering buying a set of Showgard strips containing a number of different sizes along with a guillotine.

Thanks in advance.

Dale

25mm/26mm is the most common size for definitive stamps (for example, Great Britain Penny Black). 30mm/33mm is needed for taller stamps (for example, US banknotes). Those two sizes will provide 90% or better coverage. Unless you also collect blocks of 4 or sheets.

also keep some 24 mm around, it is very useful. If you are interested in pre-cut mounts-cost a bit more, but they do save a lot of time when you have a lot of the same size material to go through-consider some 22 x 25 mm, and 22 x 26 mm.

If you have some world wide material, sometimes 27 mm is helpful.

Seems like a lot of minor differences, but I find that the right sized mount does make a long term difference in the visual attraction of the page.

Also, please note that the "sizes" being listed in mm in the responses are not the mount measurements in mm. For example, mount size 25 (strip) is for mounting stamps with vertical stamp measurement around 25 mm; the actual mount height is around 30 mm. The strip mounts are numbered by the stamp height they accommodate, not by the vertical mm measurement of the mount. And U. S. banknotes would be prone to slip around in a size 30 mount (vertical); size 27 or 28 mounts (vertical) are right for these.

Classic US stamps are mostly 27mm high. There's enough variation that a decent number will be 28mm. A few are shorter (pictorals mostly). You'll need a handful of other sizes for large-margin imperfs or stamps with selvage. The most useful sizes (19th century US) are 25, 27, 28, and 30.

I second Philazilla. I find 90 percent of the time 27mm is more than adequate for pre-1870 US classics. Sometimes 30mm is necessary for large-margined examples. For vertical multiples I use 25mm.

On rare occasion I get a banknote stamp that won't fit in a size 30 mount:

Just commenting on the guillotine; I bought one, and did not care for it. I find that a nice, heavy pair of Fiskar shears works quite well. That said, with expensive stamps; cut the mount without the stamp inside said mount!

My experience with the guillotine is different--I am a huge fan. With scissors there is the chance that they will slip. The guillotine makes one quick cut and it is always straight. I started with scissors and quickly realized I cannot cut a straight enough line every time. To each his own, but I thought I would give an alternate experience.

Mount sizes for US stamps by catalog number http://stampsmarter.com/features/Mo...USScott.html

But of course early classics can vary greater depending upon the stamp margins, but the above link gives you the typical size for US stamps.
Don

I've been using my Showgard guillotine since 1975. Thousands and thousands of cuts and still ticking.

Jack Kelley

I use 24mm for Great Britain definitives, gives a nice even 2mm margin around the stamp.

I also use a mount guillotine as I just don't trust myself with scissors :)