Black Lights (Ultra Violet)

What kind of Black Lite does one need to see the Tagging on QE stamps of 1954 & 1962 ? The new Black Lite I have doesn't show anything.

You can find some on the Unitrade website: http://www.unitradeassoc.com/Stampacc.htm#uv

Peter

Well, you can see it, if you concentrate but it certainly doesn't jump out at you

I think you use the wrong category to look for. black light is purely recreational andd won't work on tagging. Look for "UV light" and you get the results you want.
Also, in my opinion the best lights are those that plug into AC , not the small batttery ones

Peter

rootiepatootie...I use these 2 lights...works for me as you can see from my stamp pair below.

Robert

wert:
Does the handheld one work all the time? And if so, why do you also use the big (expensive) one?

rootiepatootie..Handheld does work for me inside, not out in sun light..That expensive one was purchased at a price that would surprise you..But works fantastic.

The small handheld one works fine as long as one uses fresh batteries and does not wok very well when using recharchables.
If you use it at a show to just look for tagging it is great, but for more serious work a higher wattage unit is way better.
The higher wattage units are all AC units


Peter

Thanks guys, really good help. I had a Hand Held one and yes, does not work too good with rechargeable batteries. So, I've got a bigger a/c power one. What I have found, if I leave the stamps under the UV lite for a while, 5 min. or so, then with careful study it becomes more obvious what is Tagged and not Tagged and where it's Tagged. Oh yeah, ok, I used Black Lite and UV lite in the same term, yes, I realize that is wrong.

Oh yeah, WERT, like the example you gave, you can forward that to me anytime, I'll say thanks in advance but, that example it of the newer stuff, show me the same thing with QE II stamps of 1954 and 1962

I will look when I get a couple of free moments...

Robert

Rootiepatootie, the tagging you are referring to is not the standard general yellow or green tagging you see in the images shown.

The early issues of Canadian stamps originally used a winnipeg tag which glows for a brief moment after the light is removed. It is most essential to look at it in a very darkend area to see the afterglow. In 1972 the second type was op2 and op4 but the op4 is migratory. The op2 looks similar to the tagging used today. The type of tagging you are trying to see is the first types that only glow momentarily.

This information is available on Robin Harris website adminware.ca to see about what was mentioned.

Edit: wrote this as you and Robert were exchanging info, but it may be of use.

No1: That is very good info. about Robin Harris and the WEB Site. Exactly where I am, right now with my collection. I've sorted thru my Canadian stamps. 1851 to present and decided to make a Definitive section, from 1953 to present. I've done all the 1972 to present but now working on 1953 to 1972 and it's almost a disaster, well, not quite but it certainly is a chore.

I do have two handheld battery operated lamps - one long wave, the other short wave, that can help when at a show are if I am travelling. They are fine for picking up on tagging - even the Winnipeg tagging. They are not as good though for discerning various degrees of fluorescence in stamps - particularly in that they do not have a steady power source.

So if you just want to pick up tagging on stamps, I think you are fine with those battery ones.

Should you wish to delve deeper into analyzing papers, I would suggest a AC model. Raytech is quite popular amongst stamp collectors. Mine fell apart a few years ago and I managed to pick up a Spectroline light, which I believe is superior in everyway to the Raytech. As you can see in the picture above in this thread, the Raytech has filters sitting loosely in the casing. Over time, they move and light leaks out, which makes comparison difficult. The Raytech also only has the one tube, but uses filters to offer long and short wave band light. The Spectroline, on the other hand, uses a standard filter and has two light tubes inside - one long and one short. I found that it was much more accurate, sturdy, and professional. You can read more about Spectroline lights here:

www.spectroline.com


However, they are not cheap, but you can find deals on ebay from time to time. I notice one on ebay right now (see below). If you are going to invest in one, ensure that it provides light on both the long and the short wave. A good one, can also be used for a plethora of different things beyond just stamps.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Spectroline...AOSwT-JdXw9x

rootiepatootie...

Brad905 is correct, they are not cheap...I got lucky and bought my A/C powered Raytech at a stamp club auction for $5.00....Very cheap.

Robert

rootiepatootie,

Try uvtools www.ultraviolet-tools.com They offer a sw/lw light which I use with great success for my GB Machins. After a year of switching out the LW and SW bulbs, I decided to buy a second lamp. Now I have both without having to switch out the bulbs. I really like this lamp although it does not have an AC adapter. It is exclusively "D" battery driven.

Jack Kelley