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General Philatelic/Identify This? : About Perfins

 

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Madame
Members Picture


28 Sep 2010
06:54:58am
Hello from a new member.

Although I have been collecting for many years, I still know very little about perfin collecting. Yes, I know what and why, but how is it that collectors value the different types? Is there a published price catalog?

The reason I ask this is that sorting through an old lot I came across this minimal value Romanian stamp with a really neat monogram perfin from the Banka Credit Romana. I've never seen a perfin this fancy before and it has stoked my curiosity.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Judy

Romania Perfin.jpg
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Sponthetrona2
Members Picture


Keep Postal systems alive, buy stamps and mail often

28 Sep 2010
05:31:44pm
re: About Perfins

Most postage stamps have holes — perforations — around their edges, but some stamps have holes punched right into the design of the stamp. These holes, which form some type of pattern, have been added not as part of the production process, but at a later time by the users of the stamps. The holes are called perfins, and collecting them is an entertaining specialty.

Depending on the source you check, the word "perfin" is an abbreviation either for "perforated initials" or "perforated insignia."

The Perfins Place web site http://members.aol.com/perfins, maintained by Joe Coulbourne, is a useful and informative resource.

He gives this definition of a perfin: "A perforated design, symbol, insignia, letter, or group of letters in a postage stamp placed there by an individual, organization, or government agency for the purpose of controlling the stamp's postal use."

"Spifs" is another name for these stamps that doesn't see much usage anymore, other than in Britain. It is an acronym for the contrived and not entirely accurate description "Stamps Perforated with Initials of Firms and Societies."

The description is contrived and inaccurate because the types of perforated additions include more than just initials, and organizations that are neither firms nor societies have used them. For example, Figure 1 shows a perfin, back and front, that resembles a mitten with a stylized dog bone in the center. In reality, the perfin is an outline map of Illinois, with an "I" for the state's initial. It was used by the Illinois state government.

Some other definitions of perfins usefully mention the important point that the holes prevent unauthorized use of the stamp.

Well into modern times, postage stamps were often used in many places as cash in small transactions. In Great Britain this stamps-as-cash scenario went further. Post offices would redeem stamps for cash if the trade-ins were in pairs or larger multiples.

Businesses with an inventory of postage stamps had to guard against employee theft of these tangible assets, which could be taken for personal postal use, sold to other businesses or offered in lieu of cash for goods or services.

Stamps with perfins added as security devices became marked money, not easily negotiable outside the office mailroom where it could be plainly seen that they belonged to a business.

The "BAP" perfin of the Barber Asphalt Paving Company of Philadelphia, an example of a simple and legible business perfin, is shown in Figure 2.

A slightly more elaborate set of initials is illustrated by the cover shown in Figure 3. The Automobile Division of the Pennsylvania Highway Department would not have been as busy in 1916 as its modern-day counterpart, but it was already up to operator license No. 34,826 according to the license card being mailed in this cover. The Department guarded its postage supply with a rather elegant "SHD" perfin.

The concept of perfins is credited to Joseph Sloper, a British inventor who had already developed a pin perforating machine. In 1868 the General Post Office granted permission to Sloper to perforate initials on postage stamps on behalf of his business clients.

A 1998 Linn's Refresher Course cited and illustrated the earliest known U.S. perfin use on cover much later: May 26, 1908, on the 2¢ Washington and Shield stamp of 1903. The envelope bore the corner card (return address) of B.F. Cummins Co., a perforating machine manufacturer in Chicago.

Postage meters eventually minimized the use of actual stamps and the need for perfins in the business world, but perfins persist to the present day throughout the world.

Perfins have been produced in more than 200 countries. A checklist of countries is available at the Perfins Place web site mentioned earlier.

Early stamp collectors often considered perfinned stamps as damaged and discarded them. Existing quantities of perfins today do not accurately reflect the level of their use over the years.

In the United States, it is permissible to have your own personal perfin. The ability to mark stamps with perfins is not restricted to businesses or other corporate entities. Section P022.1.5, Postage Stamps, of the Domestic Mail Manual of the United States Postal Service, specifies, "Perforating: Postage stamps may be marked with perforation holes. The mark may not cover more than ¼ square inch (½ inch by ½ inch) of the stamp, and the diameter of the holes may not exceed 1/32 inch."

A music-topical collector in the United States uses a personal perfin consisting of a treble clef (G clef) with his initials, "A" over "S," next to it, shown on a 3.5¢ Americana series Weaver Violins stamp pictured in Figure 4.

Many current users of private perfins are members of the Perfins Club, an affiliate of the American Philatelic Society. This group publishes the Perfins Bulletin 10 times a year and offers a variety of other services such as auctions, sales circuits, publications and its own library. For membership information, write to the Perfins Club, Box 125, Green Acres, WA 99016-0125, or contact the president, Robert Szymanski, 10 Clarridge Circle, Milford, MA 01757.

Speaking of the APS, a very modern use of the APS perfin on a 34¢ Leonard Bernstein stamp on cover is illustrated in Figure 5. The stamp was issued on July 10, 2001. The APS perfin machine, a hefty steel device, was made to order in England several decades ago. A detailed report on the APS perfin machine was published in the American Philatelist in November 1984. Photocopies of this article are available for a modest fee from the American Philatelic Research Library, Box 8000, State College, PA 16803.

To revert from the modern to the classic, the item shown in Figure 6 is of interest because it represents one of the few perfins with a Scott catalog listing. The Vending & Affixing Machine Perforations section of the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers lists the various private vending and affixing machine companies that perforated the coil stamps of 1906-12. The catalog listings for the Schermack Co. of Detroit, Michigan, give values for coil stamps with Schermack perforations and so-called perforated control marks.

Businesses using Schermack affixing machines applied the perfins as part of the process. A punch in the affixing machine added the perfin and then cut the stamp and affixed it to the cover. Each company had a different perfin, but all were based on variants of a grid of nine or twelve holes. Different patterns could be made by removing one or more pins from the punch grid. The Schermack coil shown in Figure 6 is missing pin numbers 3 and 6, and its source firm can be identified from literature on Schermack perfins as the C.A. Strelinge Co. of Detroit.

A perfin collection is fun to assemble and research, but not especially easy to show to advantage. Placing stamps on a black background, as shown in the worldwide assortment illustrated in Figure 7, usually makes the pattern of holes more obvious.

Depending on how the perfin was added to the stamp, it may also be helpful to mount the stamp design-side down on a black background. Without the visual distraction of the design, the pattern of holes becomes plain, but if it was perforated into the face of the stamp rather than into the back, it also may be backward.

Perfins of stamps on cover may be very difficult to identify, unless the return address or other information on the envelope or card provides clues to likely initials. Sometimes it is possible to raise the holes by placing a piece of lightweight paper, such as onionskin, over the face of the stamp, and then using a pencil to rub lightly across it. Unfortunately, with an engraved stamp, this technique also produces a penciled image of the stamp design, which is not really an improvement over looking at the stamp itself.

Identification of perfins is greatly assisted by the use of a good catalog or handbook. The APRL computerized catalog returns 151 entries for a subject search under perfins. The Perfins Club is responsible for a number of useful titles, including the Catalog of United States Perfins, and the World Perfins Catalog, published in individual sections for America, Asia and Europe.

Specialized works also exist on the perfins of Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Bavaria, and a host of other places. In addition to country perfin collections, perfins also can be collected topically, by design, by type of use such as railroad-related perfins and by type of business firm. Some of these narrow specialties would result in very small collections, but the search would be fun.

Where do you find perfins? Anywhere you can find other stamps. A quick look at Linn's own Zillions of Stamps web site shows hundreds of perfins for sale ranging from Argentina to Western Australia with the majority priced less than $10.

During a recent visit to the site, I noticed a listing for a copy of Rhodesia Scott 112a, the 2/- gray-blue and black Queen Mary and King George V with a perfin, for $250. But the high price was because it was perforated gauge 15, not because it was perfinned.

Generally speaking, collecting perfins is one specialty that will fill the holes in your collection with holes in stamps without leaving a hole in your budget.

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Dani20
Members Picture


29 Sep 2010
11:45:41am
re: About Perfins

Dear Perry and Judy,
Thank you both for the good question and informative information about Perfins. It's always wonderful to have new areas highlighted by good questions.

The study and collection of perfins never personally interested me, since I put most of my energy into the U.S.Classics areas. In the distant past I did have a small bunch of perfins, both U.S & Foreign, and was informed by a stamppal at that time that they generally were valued at .10 each. He collected them, and I was pleased to be able to add to his collection.

Judy, I suspect that there may be a number of folks in SOR who might appreciate a focus on the area. (If you think that I could be of any assistance, please let me know.)

Perry, would you consider putting that great Perfin explanation into our articles section for future readers?

All good thoughts,
Dan C.

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this post
Cjd
Members Picture


29 Sep 2010
12:57:46pm
re: About Perfins

Judy-

You probably already know about this, but just in case, the Perfin Society has an inexpensive Romania catalogue and a few supplements. I've never seen one, but it is very inexpensive by philatelic-literature standards. Here is a link:
http://www.perfins.org/Publications.htm

You have a really nice stamp there, without regard to whether it would sell for much...

Collin

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Madame
Members Picture


29 Sep 2010
03:02:11pm
re: About Perfins

Thank you so much to all. Not being a perfin collector, I have donated it to another SOR member and collector of such.

Judy

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this post
michael78651

28 Dec 2016
12:02:26pm
re: About Perfins

I found this excellent post from 2010 regarding perfins. I thought some may be interested in the information provided.

Like 
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likes this post.
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whitebuffalo
Members Picture


28 Dec 2016
08:13:35pm
re: About Perfins

That is good stuff.

I mount my perfins on white paper and put them into clear sheet protectors to hold them flat. Then I view them using a blacklight. It works pretty good and you can keep them face up. In fact, it's better if you do. As an added bonus, viewing from the front usually orients the lettering/insignia correctly too.


WB

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this post
        

 

Author/Postings
Members Picture
Madame

28 Sep 2010
06:54:58am

Hello from a new member.

Although I have been collecting for many years, I still know very little about perfin collecting. Yes, I know what and why, but how is it that collectors value the different types? Is there a published price catalog?

The reason I ask this is that sorting through an old lot I came across this minimal value Romanian stamp with a really neat monogram perfin from the Banka Credit Romana. I've never seen a perfin this fancy before and it has stoked my curiosity.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Judy

Romania Perfin.jpg

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
Sponthetrona2

Keep Postal systems alive, buy stamps and mail often
28 Sep 2010
05:31:44pm

re: About Perfins

Most postage stamps have holes — perforations — around their edges, but some stamps have holes punched right into the design of the stamp. These holes, which form some type of pattern, have been added not as part of the production process, but at a later time by the users of the stamps. The holes are called perfins, and collecting them is an entertaining specialty.

Depending on the source you check, the word "perfin" is an abbreviation either for "perforated initials" or "perforated insignia."

The Perfins Place web site http://members.aol.com/perfins, maintained by Joe Coulbourne, is a useful and informative resource.

He gives this definition of a perfin: "A perforated design, symbol, insignia, letter, or group of letters in a postage stamp placed there by an individual, organization, or government agency for the purpose of controlling the stamp's postal use."

"Spifs" is another name for these stamps that doesn't see much usage anymore, other than in Britain. It is an acronym for the contrived and not entirely accurate description "Stamps Perforated with Initials of Firms and Societies."

The description is contrived and inaccurate because the types of perforated additions include more than just initials, and organizations that are neither firms nor societies have used them. For example, Figure 1 shows a perfin, back and front, that resembles a mitten with a stylized dog bone in the center. In reality, the perfin is an outline map of Illinois, with an "I" for the state's initial. It was used by the Illinois state government.

Some other definitions of perfins usefully mention the important point that the holes prevent unauthorized use of the stamp.

Well into modern times, postage stamps were often used in many places as cash in small transactions. In Great Britain this stamps-as-cash scenario went further. Post offices would redeem stamps for cash if the trade-ins were in pairs or larger multiples.

Businesses with an inventory of postage stamps had to guard against employee theft of these tangible assets, which could be taken for personal postal use, sold to other businesses or offered in lieu of cash for goods or services.

Stamps with perfins added as security devices became marked money, not easily negotiable outside the office mailroom where it could be plainly seen that they belonged to a business.

The "BAP" perfin of the Barber Asphalt Paving Company of Philadelphia, an example of a simple and legible business perfin, is shown in Figure 2.

A slightly more elaborate set of initials is illustrated by the cover shown in Figure 3. The Automobile Division of the Pennsylvania Highway Department would not have been as busy in 1916 as its modern-day counterpart, but it was already up to operator license No. 34,826 according to the license card being mailed in this cover. The Department guarded its postage supply with a rather elegant "SHD" perfin.

The concept of perfins is credited to Joseph Sloper, a British inventor who had already developed a pin perforating machine. In 1868 the General Post Office granted permission to Sloper to perforate initials on postage stamps on behalf of his business clients.

A 1998 Linn's Refresher Course cited and illustrated the earliest known U.S. perfin use on cover much later: May 26, 1908, on the 2¢ Washington and Shield stamp of 1903. The envelope bore the corner card (return address) of B.F. Cummins Co., a perforating machine manufacturer in Chicago.

Postage meters eventually minimized the use of actual stamps and the need for perfins in the business world, but perfins persist to the present day throughout the world.

Perfins have been produced in more than 200 countries. A checklist of countries is available at the Perfins Place web site mentioned earlier.

Early stamp collectors often considered perfinned stamps as damaged and discarded them. Existing quantities of perfins today do not accurately reflect the level of their use over the years.

In the United States, it is permissible to have your own personal perfin. The ability to mark stamps with perfins is not restricted to businesses or other corporate entities. Section P022.1.5, Postage Stamps, of the Domestic Mail Manual of the United States Postal Service, specifies, "Perforating: Postage stamps may be marked with perforation holes. The mark may not cover more than ¼ square inch (½ inch by ½ inch) of the stamp, and the diameter of the holes may not exceed 1/32 inch."

A music-topical collector in the United States uses a personal perfin consisting of a treble clef (G clef) with his initials, "A" over "S," next to it, shown on a 3.5¢ Americana series Weaver Violins stamp pictured in Figure 4.

Many current users of private perfins are members of the Perfins Club, an affiliate of the American Philatelic Society. This group publishes the Perfins Bulletin 10 times a year and offers a variety of other services such as auctions, sales circuits, publications and its own library. For membership information, write to the Perfins Club, Box 125, Green Acres, WA 99016-0125, or contact the president, Robert Szymanski, 10 Clarridge Circle, Milford, MA 01757.

Speaking of the APS, a very modern use of the APS perfin on a 34¢ Leonard Bernstein stamp on cover is illustrated in Figure 5. The stamp was issued on July 10, 2001. The APS perfin machine, a hefty steel device, was made to order in England several decades ago. A detailed report on the APS perfin machine was published in the American Philatelist in November 1984. Photocopies of this article are available for a modest fee from the American Philatelic Research Library, Box 8000, State College, PA 16803.

To revert from the modern to the classic, the item shown in Figure 6 is of interest because it represents one of the few perfins with a Scott catalog listing. The Vending & Affixing Machine Perforations section of the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers lists the various private vending and affixing machine companies that perforated the coil stamps of 1906-12. The catalog listings for the Schermack Co. of Detroit, Michigan, give values for coil stamps with Schermack perforations and so-called perforated control marks.

Businesses using Schermack affixing machines applied the perfins as part of the process. A punch in the affixing machine added the perfin and then cut the stamp and affixed it to the cover. Each company had a different perfin, but all were based on variants of a grid of nine or twelve holes. Different patterns could be made by removing one or more pins from the punch grid. The Schermack coil shown in Figure 6 is missing pin numbers 3 and 6, and its source firm can be identified from literature on Schermack perfins as the C.A. Strelinge Co. of Detroit.

A perfin collection is fun to assemble and research, but not especially easy to show to advantage. Placing stamps on a black background, as shown in the worldwide assortment illustrated in Figure 7, usually makes the pattern of holes more obvious.

Depending on how the perfin was added to the stamp, it may also be helpful to mount the stamp design-side down on a black background. Without the visual distraction of the design, the pattern of holes becomes plain, but if it was perforated into the face of the stamp rather than into the back, it also may be backward.

Perfins of stamps on cover may be very difficult to identify, unless the return address or other information on the envelope or card provides clues to likely initials. Sometimes it is possible to raise the holes by placing a piece of lightweight paper, such as onionskin, over the face of the stamp, and then using a pencil to rub lightly across it. Unfortunately, with an engraved stamp, this technique also produces a penciled image of the stamp design, which is not really an improvement over looking at the stamp itself.

Identification of perfins is greatly assisted by the use of a good catalog or handbook. The APRL computerized catalog returns 151 entries for a subject search under perfins. The Perfins Club is responsible for a number of useful titles, including the Catalog of United States Perfins, and the World Perfins Catalog, published in individual sections for America, Asia and Europe.

Specialized works also exist on the perfins of Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Bavaria, and a host of other places. In addition to country perfin collections, perfins also can be collected topically, by design, by type of use such as railroad-related perfins and by type of business firm. Some of these narrow specialties would result in very small collections, but the search would be fun.

Where do you find perfins? Anywhere you can find other stamps. A quick look at Linn's own Zillions of Stamps web site shows hundreds of perfins for sale ranging from Argentina to Western Australia with the majority priced less than $10.

During a recent visit to the site, I noticed a listing for a copy of Rhodesia Scott 112a, the 2/- gray-blue and black Queen Mary and King George V with a perfin, for $250. But the high price was because it was perforated gauge 15, not because it was perfinned.

Generally speaking, collecting perfins is one specialty that will fill the holes in your collection with holes in stamps without leaving a hole in your budget.

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
Members Picture
Dani20

29 Sep 2010
11:45:41am

re: About Perfins

Dear Perry and Judy,
Thank you both for the good question and informative information about Perfins. It's always wonderful to have new areas highlighted by good questions.

The study and collection of perfins never personally interested me, since I put most of my energy into the U.S.Classics areas. In the distant past I did have a small bunch of perfins, both U.S & Foreign, and was informed by a stamppal at that time that they generally were valued at .10 each. He collected them, and I was pleased to be able to add to his collection.

Judy, I suspect that there may be a number of folks in SOR who might appreciate a focus on the area. (If you think that I could be of any assistance, please let me know.)

Perry, would you consider putting that great Perfin explanation into our articles section for future readers?

All good thoughts,
Dan C.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
Cjd

29 Sep 2010
12:57:46pm

re: About Perfins

Judy-

You probably already know about this, but just in case, the Perfin Society has an inexpensive Romania catalogue and a few supplements. I've never seen one, but it is very inexpensive by philatelic-literature standards. Here is a link:
http://www.perfins.org/Publications.htm

You have a really nice stamp there, without regard to whether it would sell for much...

Collin

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
Madame

29 Sep 2010
03:02:11pm

re: About Perfins

Thank you so much to all. Not being a perfin collector, I have donated it to another SOR member and collector of such.

Judy

Like
Login to Like
this post
michael78651

28 Dec 2016
12:02:26pm

re: About Perfins

I found this excellent post from 2010 regarding perfins. I thought some may be interested in the information provided.

Like 
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
Members Picture
whitebuffalo

28 Dec 2016
08:13:35pm

re: About Perfins

That is good stuff.

I mount my perfins on white paper and put them into clear sheet protectors to hold them flat. Then I view them using a blacklight. It works pretty good and you can keep them face up. In fact, it's better if you do. As an added bonus, viewing from the front usually orients the lettering/insignia correctly too.


WB

Like
Login to Like
this post
        

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