Postage Stamps inspection
Do you perform postage stamp inspection professionally?
Examining postage stamps is the first and most essential step in determining the value of any postal collection. This examination goes beyond simply looking at the stamps with the naked eye; it involves using sophisticated techniques to detect hidden imperfections that might otherwise go unnoticed. In this guide, we provide a digital laboratory to help you learn how to use essential tools such as tweezers and a perforation gauge.
Why do we need specialized testing tools?
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Paper protection: Old stamps are very sensitive to moisture and natural oils in the human hand.
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Unveiling the Rarities: The difference between a common and a rare stamp may lie in half a millimeter of the size of the burr.
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Condition determination: Detection of rust spots or previous “hinges”.
Postage Stamp Testing Laboratory
A guide to scientific instruments and paper punch calibration
Tongs handling simulator
Perforation gauge
Digital Stamp Testing Laboratory User Guide
We developed this lab to enable you to try out the tools before you buy them:
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Tweezers simulator: Move your mouse over the inspection area to learn how to gently grasp the stamp. Always remember: Never touch the stamp with your hand!
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Perforation gauge: Use the slider to align the black dots with the stamp holes. If the dots align perfectly with the center of the holes, this is the correct perforation size.
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Prohibited items tab: Make sure you read the Prohibited items section to avoid disastrous mistakes that could ruin the value of your historical stamps.
Postage stamp checking tools
| The tool | primary function | Expert Note |
| Tongs | Handling stamps without touching | The heads should be smooth, not sharp. |
| Perf Gauge | Measuring the number of teeth in 2 cm | It is very important for identifying rare editions |
| Watermark detector | Seeing hidden symbols in paper | It uses special fluids or lighting techniques |
| Loupe lens | Checking the printing and overlay details | 10x power is best suited for most hobbyists |
Stamp tongs are designed to be completely flat and smooth on the inside, whereas ordinary tongs have rough teeth that may tear the delicate fibers of the paper.
Ordinary light is fine for visual inspection, but detecting watermarks requires strong backlighting or special detection fluids that do not affect the adhesive.
By matching the perforation size with international catalogs (such as Scott or Stanley Gibbons); some versions differ only in the size of the serration.
You can also use the tool Watermark detector for stamps and their colors
