My GB Album Journey - Novice Version :)

Hold the stamp in front of you at an angle to a light source. The ground phosphor resin will cast a shadow that, generally, shows up as a duller part of the design. This is easiest with phosphor bars.

Below is an example of a 1 1/2p Machin with two side phosphor bars.



You may need to try different angles and even varying the distance at which you hold the stamp before you see a phosphor bar if there is one. Try practising on pre-decimal British commemorative stamps from 1968. Almost all, if not all have phosphor bars. All pre-decimal Machins up to 1/- have one or two bars. That is: unless you found a missing phosphor error.

Once you have some experience with those, you will know what to look for. The phosphor bars do not always show up clearly, but you will get the hang of it. Sometimes, the phosphor looks like dirty yellow bars over the stamp even without holding them at an angle.

The official method

For British stamps up to ca. 1996, a short-wave uv lamp will help identifying the type of phosphor. After 1996, most phosphor will also be visible with a long-wave uv lamp. Leuchtturm (Lighthouse in your part of the world) has good lamps.

Find a dark place (e.g. put a duvet over your head) and hold a short-wave uv-lamp at least ten seconds (close) over the stamp. Turn of the uv light and you will see an afterglow. Sometimes it is weak. Sometimes, it is strong.

Below are some Wilding stamps after holding them under a Leuchtturm short-wave uv lamp.


So-called "green" phosphor (B1)


"Violet" (B3) phosphor at top and "blue" (B2) phosphor at the bottom.

A better example of blue phosphor.

awesome thank you NSK. Very cool. I'm not quite seeing them but may look into the light to help me.

A few more added in. Some pretty heavy cancels - but that is ok :). I only tried a few Wildings - Im still not so confident on the Phosphor ID. Anything that is Off, please feel free to coach me. I also need to print more pages - I have a couple of 1966 stamps to add - I particularly love the detail in sc# 453.

The pretty mint stamps have spent their life, at home lounging in front of the TV, idle and indolent.

The others have been to work, carried mail, travelled to distant lands, and encountered many hands and faces.
These are the ones to be respected,
Like the heavy wrinkles on world wide traveller, or an old salt.

Yes. Well said Rod - Plus, you can still see parts of Queen Victoria's face peeking out behind those cancels charming new and old collectors alike.

Additional Wildings


Hoping someone might help with these:

3p Purple with perfin - can't make out watermark. any ideas?




This 1/2 p red orange = watermark 308. what do black graphite lines look like - I do not see anything so assume sc#317


Thank you.

Graphite lines are very black...
I think it likely the 10/ KGVI is the indigo version, rather than ultramarine. Ultramarine is much lighter in color.

Hi Billsey - thank you. I always assume that I have the least expensive stamp - so I was pretty certain Ultramarine. I have not seen both together so I just assumed - Color is always hard for me.

PERFIN : PAC = Prudential Assurance Company


Graphite Lines (Experimental)
and Training Stamp Lines.

Experimental.

Training Stamp Bars.
click image to enlarge.

Nora,

Your collection is coming along nicely.

As I do not use Scott, I do not know how these pages are made up. The 4d Queen Victoria is the type with large corner letters. This was printed in vermilion. The plate number (8) can be seen on either side of the word "POSTAGE." This was issued in 1865 – Scott 43? -.

Seeing the years 1862-1865, I think that is the stamp with small corner letters, no visible plate number – Scott 34? -. This was in use between 1862 and 1865.

As to the 10s George VI stamp. I think you identified it correctly as the ultramarine stamp. I should be careful, as scans can be deceptive, but I am almost sure.



Your 3d lilac "PAC" perfin appears to have the "Multiple Crowns" watermark.

rod222 has a particularly interesting example of a stamp with graphite lines on the back.

In July 1961, after the experiment with graphite lines had ended, coils of 1d stamps were printed on residual stock of graphite-lined paper intended for booklets. Many stamps with misplaced graphite lines exist from this issue. These include stamps with one graphite line instead of two, two graphite lines that should have appeared on adjacent stamps appearing in pairs on a single stamp, or stamps that had a graphite line coinciding with the perforations. The latter resulted in stamps with three graphite lines.



Below is what they normally look like.



The Automatic Letter Sorting machine used an electric current that was conducted by the graphite lines. The machine thus recognised the stamp. The 2d stamp had one line, as this was the basic printed matter rate. Other stamps had two lines. The phosphor bars have the same use but work with light signals instead of electric current. When the experiment ended, the surplus graphite-line stamps were overprinted with phosphor bars. So, those also exist with B1 (green) phosphor bars.

NSK,
just love those KGVl stamps!
Very, very, handsome stamps indeed.

The 2½d you posted on the previous page:
At the top, about 1/3rd distance between the third and fourth perforation tips, there is a slight difference in colour of the paper. Partially, the fluid obscures this. This line should run straight down, just right of the "E" in the top left corner and just right of the extreme of the bottom petal of the lower daffodil in the bottom left corner. The same difference in the colour of the paper occurs at the bottom below the daffodil. When held at the correct angle towards the light (best to use sunlight) the part to the left of this line should be duller than the centre.

On the right-hand side, a similar line runs down from just right of the centre between the second and third perforation tips, almost along the left of the vertical leg of the R in the top right corner straight down just left of the fraction in 2 1/2 in the bottom right corner. The stamp should appear duller to the right of that line.

It may take some trying to find the correct angle.

Back at it again :) have received a few new stamps that I acquired and - Dianne Earl was wonderful and sent me a nice amount of GB stamps to add to my Album. Best forum ever.

I am still having trouble with some of the watermarks. Could someone confirm these for me - 32?33? I appreciate your help. Thank you, Nora.

I believe I figured it out. A few updated pages.