GPO applied gum

[Rich Daffner]

I always have another look at the Q of the Quertaro OP.  I almost forget why exactly but my attention to it comes from bits of info from Bash, Strauss or Schimmer, I don't remember the comments.  The tail of the Q or the entire letter was a point of interest, in this case the OP is so light it shows the tail clearly more so than the usual where the ink blends the parts together. I am suspicious of such a light OP.
The position of the Q in relation to the rest of the OP may be possibly part of the answer.
 Compare 56 to 61 I find differences within the 61 issue only, but when all else fails ask Manuel.

[Randall Grace]

Richard--Are you concerned about the appearance of the overprint "Q" as it has an odd look??? Not that crackly gum defines all nongenuine items!! RR GRACE

[Rich Daffner]

Well I thought it was visible.

[Rich Daffner]

My worthless computer just dropped my reply.
It does show through not a lot but you can see it.  I'll scan this evening.

[Bubba Bland]

Rich,
 
Does the spot show though on the font? Can you give us a scan of the front?
 
It is my opinion that often times we worry greatly about faults on the back of stamps when it is the front of the stamp we view in our albums on on exhibit pages. Not that anyone wants to pay full price for faulty stamps, but I know collectors that regardless of price won't buy something that looks perfectly good, if it has even the least bit of a problem on the back.
 
PS. Your stamp already looks a 100% better.

[Rich Daffner]

Gum removed and you can see the spot left behind.  This is why it is best to remove all that stuff on the reverse including the gum.

[Bubba Bland]

Knowledge not revealed is wasted, for you don't light a room by putting the lamp in the closet.

[Rich Daffner]

As to a few doing most of the postings perhaps that's the way it will always be.  I understand that Bubba is just making an observation, however those with knowledge are often most likely to share it.     

[Bubba Bland]

I agree that the gum matters very little and I don't think the MNG or MOG has ever effected any of my sales on classic Mexico. But, leaving thick, discolored or cracked gum on a stamp can only increase its aging, and lead to foxing.
 
PS. Droping down to a comment Jesper made that we have over 850 post so far this year. The 6 people that have responded to this train, have done over 50% of the posting in this past year. If you take the 462 posting we have done against a simple 850, it is 54.35% of the postings.

[Rich Daffner]

Manuel thanks for your comments and observations after I have removed the gum I will post the before and after side by side for all concerned.   

[Manuel Iglesias]

Rich,
 
Honestly, I don't pay too much attention to the gum and I can tell you that I have seen genuine stamps and reprints with cracked gum and also reprints with smooth gum quite similar to the original normal gum.
Agree with your comment that gum may interfere with the translucency of the stamp, mostly on Hidalgos 56 and rarely on 61's in my opinion.
In Classic Mexico I will never buy an unused stamp because of the gum, however I will buy it because District Overprint, Consignment and Condition, so to me there is no too much difference between Unused OG and Unused NG.
Best regards,
Manuel.

[Bubba Bland]

 I just check my reprints and with the exception of one that had a half dime size thick cracked gum blob, the rest either had no gum (on mint examples) or the gum was light, smooth and much more modern looking than one would expect. I even found some used examples with full gum. Be as it may, the idea that reprints only had cracked gum, is not correct.

I use to have a recipe for making stamp gum and the chemical could be purchased at a drug store. I never tried it so I have long forgot what the formula is.

B

[Rich Daffner]

How does one determine "cracked gum" by size or ?  Manuel can you confirm the accuracy of the Fayolle observation.  I would assume that because the reprints were done after the genuine that the gum used could be different.  Where would a person buy gum for postage stamps? 
On another note, the presence of gum, especially if slightly discolored, would make it a bit harder to use the translucency test i.e. to judge paper type.

[Randall Grace]

Another area, for which I know little, is the actual quality and description of the gum for each classic issue. That may be  characteristic to that issue or general time period. So to start, Fayolle notes that cracked gum is a certain  indication of reprints of 1856-1861 issues, so removal of this may impair an evaluation/expertization. I wonder if anyone has studied the "gum" types/composition for each classic area, which may of interest to some of us.   RR GRACE

[Martin "Spuff" Spufford]

We all know why this is Jesper . You and I spend at least 40 hours a week with our computers switched on and much of that time sitting in front of them.
most of our readers maybe check their emails first thing in the am and then when they come home from work andf lastly before they go to bed. The barest minimum!!
A pity communication has not sunk through to our readership.
Time will tell.
spuff