"Timm" invited me to comment on this subject.
The original question is a really good question and I do not have a precise answer. However as the de-facto North American distributor for the Facit Catalog, I will do my best to get a response from Facit. I am concerned that they won't know either -- and will have to track down whichever content editor listed the paper types without describing them.
However, there is more...
In this time period of modern Swedish stamps, there were both multiple paper manufacturers and multiple intentional paper types. In the case of the subject stamp, the paper manufacturer/type difference was not particularly intentional. In fact, I do not have any confirming evidence that there were two different manufacturers... BUT...
There are at least two different papers and there are potentially at least two different inks!
All discussion about viewing under UV light is for using LONG-WAVE UV light. This is true of all Scandinavian stamps -- I am not aware of any Scandinavian / Nordic exceptions.
First of all it is extremely important to be working with mint (UNsoaked) stamps when discussing this subject. There is a huge range of differences when these stamps have been soaked, especially if they have been soaked with greeting card envelopes, etc., which tend to have all sorts of additives, brighteners, etc.
Second, the difference between the Facit-listed English paper and the Klippan paper is not defined anywhere that I have seen. It is probably in a journal article, in Swedish. If anybody can find that information, I would certainly like to know. Based on what I have read in ATLAS (see below), it would seem that both manufacturers had quite a bit of variability / types of product.
Third, quite a few of the Swedish stamps of this era exist (in mint, UNsoaked condition) with both a) completely-dead non-fluorescent (untagged) paper and b) white fluorescent / brightened paper ["med vitmedel" in Swedish]. For a short time in the mid-late 1970s or early 1980s, these WERE listed by the now-defunct Swedish SFF Catalog. However, the listings were withdrawn.... BUT
The differences in the paper are very real. The reason for delisting and the lack of respect for these differences seems to be a lack of "intentionality" in the paper making. Apparently Sweden Post did not request the addition of optical brightener and the papermaker(s) may have either not done it intentionally or did not know that they were doing it, or they may have done it intentionally but did not know anybody would make a fuss about it.
In most cases where there is a non-fluor and a white fluor version, the white fluor seems to be scarcer. But, one person may have gotten their hands on a pile of a particular batch and another person a different batch. Until such time as the market has accepted these differences and allowed supply/demand to sort out which is scarcer, for each stamp issue, we don't really have any useful data.
Repeated warning: All this only applies to mint, UNsoaked stamps.
Fourth, I have observed two types of INK color differences:
a) Darker ink color that is "dead" under long-wave UV light.
b) Brighter (more red) ink color that is at least sometimes ORANGE under long-wave UV light.
I do not know at this moment if those ink differences fully correlate with non-fluor vs white fluor paper. I do not have enough sample material and/or one end of the spectrum of my stock has been sold.
One of the most useful references on this subject are the very technically written ATLAS Handbooks of Swedish Booklets. (They tells us there are a LOT of color and paper differences that the vast majority of collectors are simply not aware of.) The information in ATLAS gives us somewhat of a blueprint, but by definition ATLAS only covers the booklet stamps -- and the subject question is about a coil stamp. Still, the same principles apply when it comes to paper and ink -- the coil stamps came off the same machine but were just not made into booklets.
I sometimes have that book in stock -- it is very much out of print and scarce. This is one of those moments:
Machine Made Booklets (2 volumes):
https://www.jaysmith.com/Specials/L...tml#a_734436Vending Machine Booklets (1 volume):
https://www.jaysmith.com/Specials/L...tml#a_733883I look forward to further information on this subject and I will attempt to find out more as well.
By the way, if you do not receive my free weekly "Philatelic E-News" email newsletter, I invite you to request it. You can just email to
*** Private information removed by Staff. Please do not post your address/email/phone number etc. *** and ask to receive the E-News -- I do need your name and full postal address (we often have to contact people about email delivery problems). The E-News focuses on Scandinavian/Nordic philately, but I do stock all U.S. and Worldwide stamps, so much is covered. The "Behind the Scenes" column is oft-quoted and reprinted in larger publications and club newsletters, etc.
***I removed Jay's email address above, posting email address is against the forum rules. Folks can contact him via the contact page on his website at https://www.jaysmith.com/contact.html - Don***
Posted 08/03/2021 10:23 pm
