2d Blue Beyond The Point Of Saving?

Hello experts :)
I have a plate 1 2d blue which gives the impression it has been through a few washing machine cycles. I was wondering if anyone had any restorative suggestions as, if it was clean (I know that's a big if haha) it would be a nice stamp. It'll go in the book either way but I just wanted to know if it looked like it was gone beyond the point of redemption before I do.
Thanks
Paul


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It looks very nice to me. What does the back look like? It's 4 margins! You could try soaking it in clean, cool water. Definitely a keeper.

Hi Germania, thanks, the back isn't too bád except for a reddish brown mark I'm taking a look at. Might take your advice and give it a little bath. I've never tried to clean up anything quite as old before so I was just a bit wary

add a drop of dish washing soap to the initial soak. using an artists brush swirl the mix around to loosen and remove the old hinge. lightly brush both sides with the mix. change to clean water without the soap and repeat the brushing to remove the soap. place between two clean blotters to dry.

Thanks m and m. I'll give it a shot. Hopefully it adds a little sparkle to it :)

... and then post a new photo/scan of the front and back.

Probably not a big concern with this stamp, but be wary about using dishwashing soap on other stamps. Some dish washing soaps contain optical brighteners (added to make dish look cleaner) and will cause a stamp to light up under UV light. Obviously not helpful for those interested in tagged stamps.

Dish washing soap is a product which does not fall under many regulations regarding ingredient listing; some barely list any ingredients at all (manufacturers claim 'propriety intellectual property').

In my opinion (especially in a public forum like this) the best recommendation for any stamp soak is clear, cool water.
Don

I sure will Wkusau :)

Hi Don. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. I'll just give a try first of all in good old water in case that's all it needs. If no effect I'll try it with as simple a dish soap as I can :)

Don is correct. I would not recommend use dish washing soap on any issues where tagging is an issue or could be misconstrued to be an attempted alteration.

in retrospect a drop of liquid unscented hand soap would be better.

Thanks for the advice everyone. In the end I just chickened out and just gave it a cold bath and a light brush. You saved me from destroying it with fancy concoctions. Will post a pic when she dries out. Surprised at how the hinge absolutely disintegrated into a million tiny pieces within 30 seconds of soaking though. Never saw that happen before

"Some dish washing soaps contain optical brighteners (added to make dish look cleaner) and will cause a stamp to light up under UV light."
Probably most

"Obviously not helpful for those interested in tagged stamps"
I think that lighting up under UV when a normal example does not may also be a sign of possible chemical bleaching. I'm not saying washing soaps have bleaching chemicals, rather the UV result could be mistaken for that.

I know it is not #1 advice, but I will occasionally soak a stamp in water with a drop of dishwashing soap, as indicated above. After it has soaked, though, I let it soak more in 100% water and then once or twice more in 100% water (fresh water in between). I am worried that there may be soap residue after one water-soak, so I do that step a few times. Just like your kids' faces, soap is good at breaking up 'dirt' on a stamp. Next, I use something like lighter fluid to remove greasy/oily stains (of needed) or dilute hydrogen peroxide on 'sulfurized' stamps (need to be REALLY careful using this on stamps!!). You need to be careful with whatever you soak your stamps in - even water on some of the earlier aniline inks of Great Britain can be disastrous, so know your stamp and know what you can and cannot soak it in!!

mootermutt
well said. I have used the soap method only a handful of times in 60+ years of collecting. I have not had a problem with it. as for removing sulferization I have seen the results of its use, but have not tried it. I have been told of several methods that can be used. I have not used lighter fluid in the way you have. meany countries early issues have fugitive or aniline or water sensitive inks to deter fraudulent reuse. study your catalog before attempting any of these methods. when in doubt do nothing.

I too have used peroxide to make a stamp look better. I have also noticed that stamps that I have treated this way tend to revert back to a sulphurated state quicker than stamps around it; but this is an anecdotal observation. Many of us have used peroxide for years without any obvious negative impact but the truth is that we really do not know how many times a stamp can be exposed to hydrogen peroxide before cumulative negative impact is introduced. In my tests, leaving a stamp for a long period of time in hydrogen peroxide can cause color loss. This is consistent with my experience in using hydrogen peroxide in a textile mill as a bleaching agent. (You can do an online search for 'hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent'.)

I support hobbyists being able to do what they want with their own material. I also support folks being able to post their experiences in this community. But it should be said that while anecdotal evidence and casual observations may be valid they are not proof of something being harmless. We all want to be good stewards of the philatelic material we own. Towards this end, it may be that a bath in fresh, clean, cool water is the best approach for the majority of collectors.

Lastly, maintaining a stamp's patina should not be considered a bad thing (and in many other hobbies this is now becoming predominate). We all show our age as time goes by! Taking a shower or bath is one thing, going for Botox is another.
Don