Show Your US 1851-57 Imperforate Stamps

I've been trying to figure out how to mount these stamps as I plate them. I put together this page showing one quarter of one pane. Fits nicely on a 8.5x11 sheet with border. Only 103 more pages and I'll have the whole set. For this reason, I'm not sure its worth it though. It got me wondering how others are mounting them. Trying to assemble a whole plate together would require a very large page/card. Even a one pane is big but I guess you could use oversized pages and binders similar to those used for whole sheets. Looks like most examples online are showing half of a pane per page. Guessing the page is laid out in a landscape. How are you all mounting them?

Hi Harper1249 --

I always enjoy seeing how other collectors lay out and mount their plate reconstructions -- and that is a very nicely done album page you made up.

I have tried different mounting methods over the years -- and, after much experimentation with numerous different layouts, like you, I prefer using standard "3 ring binder sized" album pages -- which thus necessitates dividing each pane into 4 quadrants.

I have mounted all of my plates on 7 row Hagner pages -- using the top row for a header, the next 5 rows for the stamps, and the bottom row as a place to put notes and duplicates.

For me, the biggest drawback of not using a full-sized 10 x 10 grid of 100 is when you have a multiple that cuts across quadrants. However, on the rare occasions where that has happened, I just insert a little chit making reference to the multiple -- usually mounted separately on the next page. Still, I hate looking at holes in the plating -- so I usually will keep the applicable single positions on my want list to fill the hole.

As an aside, I have tried using 10 x 10 plating grids in the "Chase" format (i.e., where he had a border of open space surrounding each stamp) -- and also a 10 x 10 grid where there is no space surrounding each stamp (i.e., such that the completed reconstruction would most closely resemble an uncut post office pane). There are definitely pros and cons to each layout -- but in the end, like you, all things considered, I prefer standard 3 ring binder sized pages and dividing each pane into 4 quadrants.

I love the Hagner pages as they make it really easy to remove and replace the stamps. I have been using them for over 30 years now -- and while admittedly "unscientific", I have never had any of my stamps sulphurette on these pages, ever (and I cannot say the same for some of the other manufacturers of stock pages).

An example of one of my pages is below so that you can see my typical plate reconstruction layout.

Thanks again for showing your album page -- very nicely done.

Regards // ioagoa

ioagoa - Good to read what your experience has been with the Hagner stock pages. Not sure what you have experienced with Vario pages but my experience says to avoid them like the plague, especially for stamps sensitive to atmospheric pollutants. I am not sure of their composition at the moment but I will try to find out.

Harper, nice pages! I've been struggling trying to figure out how to organize. I have quite a few covers and have been using vario 2S pages for covers.

Ioagoa, nice solution with the Hagner pages. I have a similar arrangement with vario pages.

sinclair, please explain a little more about the differences between vario and Hagner pages. You've got my attention.

Thanks ya'll.

Ioagoa - Thanks for sharing your page layout. It looks very nice with clean lines and no mounts. I've been experimenting with clear Hawid mounts on the page. Im kind of concerned that the stamps might shift enough to come out if I ever dropped the binder. Perhaps I should go your route. I've been using Vario pages to hold my duplicates, but maybe I shouldn't. I'll have to look into Sinclair2010's concerns as well.

Thanks again - Harper1249

I got Hagner pages around 40 years ago and I have never had any issues over that time span with many different locations and different climates. All the while doing my best to maintain a favorable environment for the stamps.

All --

For some additional information regarding stamps and plastics -- please see the links below to a couple of articles I downloaded and saved many years ago. In my opinion -- both are well worth a read by any collector who is deciding how to mount / store their collection.

Speaking for myself -- and again, admittedly 100% unscientific -- over the years, all of the plastic approval cards and stock sheets made by manufacturers such as Lighthouse (i.e., Vario's), Lindner and SAFE have caused damage (i.e., sulphuretting) to a good many of my 1851-1857 3-cent colors -- whereas I have NEVER had a problem with stamps mounted on Hagner brand stock sheets. Same goes for most US stamps with yellow, red, or orange inks -- the worst being stamps like C1, the 6c and 10c Washington Franklin's, the 6c Garfield, and even on some of the BEP deeper carmines, etc. Again, unscientific and based solely on my own experience -- but -- over an almost 30 year time span -- so the proof is in the end result as far as I am concerned.

As an aside, years ago I trashed all of my plastic approval cards, cover sleeves, and stock pages manufactured by the known culprits. I make my own "2-row" approval cards by cutting down 6 row single sided Hagner stock sheets -- and I have my cover sleeves made from Mylar (or Melinex) by Atlantic Protective Pouches. The cost is probably a bit more expensive, but well worth it to me. I tried to see if Hagner would manufacture standard sized 1 row and 2 row approval cards to save me the cost and the labor, but unless I was willing to order a minimum quantity of 10,000 -- they had no interest.

Anyway -- I hope the attached articles are of interest -- and that they are not something most of you have already seen.

Regards // ioagoa

Stamps and Plastics – the Good and the Bad


Can Plastic Films Damage My Stamps?

Echoing Mr. Sinclair's statement I think my biggest regret in my collection was not using Hagners instead of opting to save a few bucks with Vario pages, I don't like them. They are cheap and although I house them in binders in slipcovers I swear a couple of stamps are worse than the day they were inserted. Great looking layout Ioagoa, love the layout of the Hagner pages.

Interesting! I've never experienced any issues using Vario pages. But I keep my stamp room at a constant humidity and keep the UV exposure to a minimum... My wife keeps opening the shades, she gets tired of me saying NO,NO,NO! =)

I've ordered some Hagner pages for my own experiment and I've looked at the Atlantic Protective Pouches web site. When I figure out how to order from them I think I might.

Thanks all for the information.

My printer is not working atm so I took a photo of my left pane of plate 1 late for the 1c Franklins. I have all my stamps for this issue in showgard mounts then in the pages so I can tag each stamp and the tag stays with it if moved. I use 7 row pages and put 50 per page. This means at least 1 row must squeeze in 8 stamps. But that works good if you have a triple strip. I still have a lot of holes to fill. It is not the neatest setup but it keeps the panes in two sheets, side by side for each pane and I am the only one that sees them. The photo has distortions due to the lighting. I know the photos are not the best but you will get the idea.

Nice work, jaxom!

Looking good jaxom100. Never thought of putting them in mounts, then in the stock page. I'm always learning new ideas here.

I tried something similar to jaxom. I'm not thrilled with the outcome. I think I'll revisit the drawing board.

Stamps are in individual Showgard mounts with acid free card stock, all in the Vario 4S stock page. Except for the 2 pair on the top row. I got lazy and displayed them the way they were received.

There may need to be another thread discussing ways to preserve and present 3 cent Washingtons and 1 cent Jefferson's.

Hi Jaxom and Moyock --

Thanks for showing examples of how you mount your platings -- as I thoroughly enjoy looking at how others mount and display their stamps -- plus, I like looking at the stamps. From the perspective of a plater, an assemblage of plated stamps laid out on an album page always makes for a nice showing.

Moyock -- I am thinking that the reason you might have never had an issue with the Vario pages sulphuretting your 3c stamps is because the Showgard mount is in contact with your stamp, not the plastic from the Vario page? Just a guess?

Jaxom -- I am pretty sure that the 1c blues do not have an ink formulation that is succeptible to sulphuretting -- plus your stamps are also protected from the Vario plastic by a Showgard mount -- although I could be wrong on that as I have never really specialized in the issue. Curious if you have found the 1 cent blues to be susceptible to any other type of color changeling from contact with plastics -- and if so to what extent?

Regards to All // ioagoa

I have never had any discoloring issues with the 1c blues.