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When it comes to early mint stamps re-gumming has proved to be a most persistent problem. Re-gummed stamps are worth far less than their counterparts with original gum. A re-gummed stamp is a stamp with fraudulent gum applied at some point after original production to give the impression of a stamp with original gum or to hide an underlying fault. Re-gumming has been going on since the dawn of postage stamp production - just because you acquired a stamp from an old collection does not necessarily mean it possesses original gum! Many re-gummed stamps have had hinge remnants added to mask the re-gum job! With this guide I will layout some simple tips and tricks to spot a stamp in which has been re-gummed. Here are some signs that a stamp has been regummed:
1) Does the gum on your stamp appear to have been heavily brushed on?
2) Does the gum have an uneven appearance? Is the gum thicker on one side than the other?
3) Does the gum contain air bubbles?
4) Is there a thin, tear or pencil notation underneath the gum?
5) Is there gum inside of any of the perforation holes? Gum was applied to postage stamps prior to perforating and there should be no gum within the holes.
6) During the separation of postage stamps small fibers are left on the tips of the perforations that is visible under magnification. If you notice little balls of gum attached to the fibers on the perforation tips it means you have a regummed stamp. The illustration below shows little balls of gum attached to the fibers. Some “stamp mechanics” file down the perforation tips in an effort to hide a re-gum job.
7) Does the gum seem to sink into a watermark?
I have only laid out a few simple tips and tricks that only scratch the surface of the issue of re-gumming. In the modern day many forgers have turned to applying fraudulent gum with an airbrush. As a general rule: the older stamp - the more likely it has been re-gummed. It pays to buy off-centered lower values of a particular time period or set as reference copies as these are rarely re-gummed. You can compare the gum on these examples with higher value varieties. You should always have higher value mint stamps certified by a competent authority.
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