George V Indian Stamps Without Watermark

Where exactly is the watermark you've found?
I've zoomed in on image 03, but cannot see anything like a star or portion.

Paper is adhered to all of these [used] stamps - not certain how to clean them and remove the 'backing'

All advise welcome

regards

Tony

Hi Tony,
Glad you posted the scans. I concur with Rod. The problem is the amount of paper still stuck to the backs of these stamps. They should all be soaked in a basin of clean water until the excess paper either floats free or can easily be removed. (May take an hour or so.) Dry the stamps face down on a clean towel, then flatten in the pages of a book for a day or two. When clean and flat, try again with watermark detection fluid in a black tray. Keep us apprised.
Eric

Thank you, however I've been warned by Stanley Gibbons about washing stamps as below

"Stamps not in this condition would be worth substantially less than catalogue price and washed, used examples having no value at all. "

Secondly, all of my Indian stamps are used and more or less in the same condition as the scans. Yet the other stamps so watermarks!!

A paradox!!!!!

I'm [we're] still waiting for some information/clarification from Joy Daschaudhuri.

regards
Tony

Used stamps should be soaked to remove old hinges and adhering paper unless the ink used is fugitive, so it would dissolve somewhat in water. That's not the case here... I believe what SG is referring to are used stamps that have had the cancels washed off with chemicals in order to fraudulently be offered as unused stamps. No one will be able to determine the watermark on those until the paper has been soaked off.

So would I

Agree with billsey. Soaking to remove old hinges or paper is standard practice and will not diminish the market value of any used stamp, so long as it wasn't printed with fugitive inks or on chaulk surfaced paper (which SG would note). "Washing" to remove a cancellation so as to pass the stamp off as unused: that's another matter entirely. In any case, your British India definitives have for the most part only minimal market value: worth collecting, on the other hand, for their historical and aesthetic value.

So, soak away! And let us know what you find.
Eric

Bottom right hand corner, clearly a star there.
When you handle these often, wmks become easily recognised.

Get a bowl of COOL clear water, drop the last lot of stamp in
submerse them all, so there is no miniscus, (they will tend to float at first)
Give them 10 minutes to 20 minutes, then GENTLY rub betwixt thumb and finger, and the slivers will magically float off the GUM ARABIC.

It is so cool to feel this, make sure no gum is left, wash with a fine painters brush if need be.

And ZINGO, there are all your watermarks in plain sight.

DO NOT WASH ANY EARLY NETHERLANDS INDIES, you will end up with blank paper. Avoid washing stamp on red envelope paper,
avoid washing any purple stamps, esp in warm water.