Feel Silly, But Have To Ask....

So this is a Scott Type A995, no. 1592. Found it going though some envelopes. Was this cut from a post card? Its cancelled but it looks to be on a firm type card paper. What is it from?? Perfs are punched out. Was it cut, used and soaked ? if so the indentations on the sides are weird.

Scott 1617, coil stamp.
Notches and knifed-edges at left/right created by an automatic affixer, which was slightly out of adjustment.

So you think they've been peeled off the envelope or whatever they were on? There is no paper, etc, under the perfs....

Peeled or soaked. Possibly a postcard mailing between 1995 and 2000 when the postcard rate was 20 cents. I still have some of these old 10 cent stamps in my postage pile.

Guessing soaked. But the paper feels pretty stiff. Unlike a regular stamp today. Looks as if it's it's still attached to something which is why I thought it to be weird with the perfs so perfect and no paper envelope or card remnant.

So im still confused, sorry.... So the image of the back I posted, do you know if this this normal paper for this issue? It does not look like regular rotary paper im thinking. Tks Wm

Why don't you just soak it in some clean lukewarm water and see if a layer of paper/residue floats away?

Just want to know what it is before I do that. I know it's not the Rosetta Stone most likely, but, I don't get if it's been peeled from something already how the perf holes are so perfect with no remnant of paper or anything? Any multiple of stamps I've ever had that were still on the item have never had the perfs punched out. Conversely, stamps I've had that have been peeled or removed of this vintage have a different paper. Just wondering before I soak. Don't get it.

Your stamp looks perfectly normal and natural. It looks like it has been soaked off its original mailing envelope/card. Another soaking will do nothing except remove the few little bits of dark debris. There is nothing else there to remove.

Thank you. I've never seen this type of paper before(but im relatively new at this and haven't done much US)..... appreciate it. Wm

Paper for the Americana Series is stiffer and coarser than earlier issues. When soaked it is more difficult to uniformly flatten as it dries. The gum is difficult to totally remove from permeating the paper so the stamps tend to stick to whatever media is used to dry and press them. They need to completely dry. They will also stick to each other when pressed together in longer term storage. They 'pop' apart when forced leaving stuck bits on the backs. They can also stick to album and stockbook pages under pressure. The cancel appears to be the experimental purple ink from the early 1980s as well.

now your talking - tks!

The PVA gum on these stamps should be removed during the soaking process by gently rubbing between thumb and finger. When returned to the water, their milky residue will be apparent. If all of the PVA gum is not removed (it is stubborn), it will cause the stamps to stick to stock book, album page, or other stamps in glassine envelopes causing damage.

So, this is preventable and predictable.