To Remove Or Not To Remove A Stamp From A Cover?

There is a chance that the stamps have been glued on and not come off easily. I doubt that the backing paper will discolor the soaking water in this case but Rod's caution is wise. This is something to consider any time the backing paper is something other than white.

There are some situations where leaving stamp on cover/backing paper is not desirable. I agree that retaining the postal history is often better but as this older thread demonstrates very few times do advocates mention the concerns in doing so. First and most importantly, preserving an entire cover is more challenging than just a stamp. Many covers and backing paper are acidic, envelopes were often made as cheaply as possible. To be honest I see more covers which are showing signs of acidification/toning than I see those which are not.

Storing and displaying covers and envelope fragments is also more costly and difficult than just stamps.

But before removing anything we should always give careful consideration of the pros and cons of this permanent action. If the decision is to remove, it may be prudent to fist scan the piece to preserve the postal history. It is often also wise to seek other collectors to see if they are interested in the item(s). It may be possible to trade with others who are willing to tackle the extra preservation challenges of postal history.
Don

Rod and Don, as always thank you for you advice.

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I would like to disagree with my well-esteemed colleagues, and suggest that you soak off the stamps, promptly, and put them to use 1) on your outbound mail, or 2) as gifts to newbies (esp ROTW) who might welcome them.

There is no postal history here that a proper scan will not adequately preserve.

I've yet to see colors bleed onto stamps from commercial bubble wrap & 'kraft' envelopes.

I have seen colors run from jaunty greeting card envelopes, but it is not clear to me that those envelopes would not discolor those stamps in stable storage, either, given a few years.

Beware that some of the stamps on your cover are PSA (Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive), so cut the envelope up, and soak the WAG (Water-Activated Gum) stamps (most of yours) in cool water, and google Pure Citrus on this forum to learn ways to deal with the PSAs.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

It is a cover owner's right to do what they wish even though some may not like it.

Yeah! I have Cover Rights. Just kidding ;) appreciate all the input.