Some Kind Of Contamination Of My Press Sheet?

Just got this recently and just looked it over finally. A press sheet had these "smudges" all around the edges and are not fingerprints. Photos are of 2 panes that were in the corners. Any have a reason for this?

I think at least half the sheet is now for postage only. Since I split these with my brother, it must be his.

Fingerprints?

definitely not fingerprints, more likely some kind of chemical/oil.

since it's mostly ruined, "Mrs. Meyers Clean Day" did its job.

nice job of handling USPS

Greasy hands? Does it have an odor/smell like anything familiar? If mold that can be abated to some degree but it usually still leaves a visible discoloration.

I think I'd just use them as postage and buy another sheet.

Where did you order this sheet from? My last order from the USPS had a sheet (regular, not press sheet) come unsealed (first time experiencing this) and these smudges are precisely why I think the USPS should be consistent and ship sealed sheets, especially on sheets with a black background. Black backgrounds are extremely sensitive to oils and fingerprints. I have first hand experience with this on CD liner notes that have a black background. If the USPS is shipping this Sun Science sheet unsealed, I predict a lot of customers are going to have problems with greasy/oily fingerprints on the sheets from employee handling.

These panes were from the no die cut press sheet that came rolled up in a tube.

The grease or ??? was on all of the edges. It'll be interesting if there's detectable damage by using "Mrs. Meyers Clean Day" gently.

Black definitely shows creases, folds, scuff marks, and other imperfections well.

I've gotten ordinary panes from the USPS unsealed in thin priority mail envelopes resulting in mangled corners.

Fingers can get into all sorts of chemicals and oils. The human body itself produces oils. Food products, make-up, fabric softener, skin and the list goes on can transfer chemicals and oil to fingers even if wearing linen, cloth or other hand protectors.

Those sheets don't just appear in a tube neatly rolled up. There is human involvement.

Folks working in stamp fulfillment do not always understand what they are doing. My prime example was when folks could send in requests for the incorrect Legends of the West Sheets being awarded as a lottery. If you were to win, great, if not you got your original envelope back with the request and a "sorry not a winner" letter. One knew this in advance, so it was at least an opportunity to get some nice good used postage returned to you if you affixed it to the envelope.

All the loose paper and envelopes were stacked, stapled together, folded and placed into the permit paid return envelope perhaps a size 12 or 14. Can you guess where the staple was always punched? Yes, right through the corner where your nice specifically selected stamps were affixed. That was a wonderful "Loser, thank you for your participation, FOOL" message without having to say it out loud.

Parcelpostguy: Excellent post!

In 2020, I placed two separate orders from USPS for the same sheet. One arrived sealed, the other unsealed. Who knows why?

I'm looking at a receipt for one of the orders and it states "Orders may be returned for exchange only for reasons 1-12 listed below. Refunds are not available."

One must also pay another $1.30 new order handling fee for the exchange. Who knows in what condition the new order will arrive in?

Of the 12 reasons for exchange, two are applicable to this discussion; damaged and not collector quality.

As a consolation, if one orders Forever stamps, as opposed to fixed value stamps, if inflation continues at its current pace, there is a good chance that in 20 years, you will have doubled your investment if using the stamps for postage.

The stamps have holographic foil. Very interesting! With all the touching of the stamps in this video, I wasn't able to observe any fingerprints/grease.

The angle of photography is different and if one's fingers are clean and dry heavy spots such as shown in the OP's photos would not occur.

If the OP is that concerned about the presences of optical issues, just use them for postage and get a replacement. It really does not matter why the spots are there nor what caused them, just that they are there which upsets the OP.

As far as I know, someone could have just dribbled a basketball on them. -- nice try gwanghoops. Was that you?

youtube.com/
watch?v=A0v6Vq8unjI The video is blocked from other sites so you need to put the address in your address bar connecting "/" and "watch"

Sweat my friends. Sweat. Might I suggest some crowdfunding for a CSI analysis?

Unlikely to get a replacement as this was a no die cut press sheet and planned to save them away.

Definitely was some kind of grease or chemical that cleaned up easily. Couldn't "spread" them further with simple touching with my fingers.

Maybe it's common and the Sun Science panes just showed them off easily.

Oh, well. I'll have to hang onto them and see if the light cleaning produced long term damage.