Hello Group, I just purchased the above set MNH and it arrived w/ darker toned gum that was expected. It looks like about 2 shades darker than what the dealer posted in their eBay description. (The dealer claims there was no adjusting of their scan.) Understandably, this is an older set, and coming from a tropical area, I wonder, is gum toning expected & how does it effect this set's value? All opinions are sincerely appreciated & if scans are needed, I'll post. Thanks, HG
Hello <HG>. Scans would be nice...I've done some study of gums/regumming for U.S. issues. Toning as you note is not uncommon but neither is regumming, at least on early U.S. material. One of our Worldwide members may be more helpful. Hopefully <Werner> will be back-in-the-saddle soon.
Hello Harry, congratulations on a nice looking set. I have a couple of links for you to check out, very interesting reading. A short answer to your question is that there is a phenomenon called tropicalization which does affect the gum on a stamp. Whether that is the case with your stamps I can't say. Anyway check out the links. https://www.linns.com/news/postal-u...postage-stamp-gum--a-very-sticky-subject.html https://naijastamps.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-printing-firms-that-produced.html
I tend to agree with Hochstrasse...this is a problem with some of the earlier French colonies stamps from tropical climates. Collecting used stamps is one less item to worry about.....
Hello & Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond. I am remiss (another word for lazy) for not taking time & posting a scan of this set along w/ my question. (Soon remedied as I was working on my Copernicus project, soon explained) Harry
I know the problem of stamps with tropical gum ! There is a simple rule for that: if you buy such a stamp,the tropical gum is normal with that issue; if you are going to sell such a stamp,tropical gum is a blemish,what commands a lowered price. Not a collector of Malaya,I own only one of that set in mint condition,although overprinted by the Japanese in 1942: From the back it looks like: The scan lets look the gum better,than it is.But then,I would not really argue about the gum of a stamp of which just 785 were issued.
