Description

The information provided in this Advert is FREE and is contained in the images and the description, I had to place a value on the advert in order to satisfy the Terms and Conditions of Adverts.ie.

Please read the Health & Safety Warning before continuing

I put together the attached information on how to reveal watermarks on Irish stamps in order to help others interested in Irish stamps. I hope you find this useful - I would appreciate your comments - EPHEMEIRE53.

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All Irish stamps produced between 1922 and 1974 were printed on paper which contained a watermark.

From 1922 - 1937 all stamps were produced on paper which had a multiple "se" watermark.

From 1938 with the establishment of the Irish Republic until 1974 all Irish stamps were printed on paper with a multiple "e" watermark.

After 1974 Irish stamps were printed on plain paper.

On some early stamps it is reasonably easy to identify the watermark by placing it upside down on a dark surface. However there are methods you can use to make the identification of watermarks easier on both mint never hinged and used stamps.

In order to reveal the stamp watermarks you will need the following :

Can of Lighter Fluid (Available at Dealz €1.49)
Pair of Tweezers
A stamp
A black plastic container or black plastic surface (I have used a CD case in the article) which should be waterproof.
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HEALTH & SAFETY WARNING
Lighter fluid is a flammable solvent, please keep this product out of the reach of children and use in a well ventilated area away from any source of ignition.
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1. Place the stamp upright but face down on the back of the CD case or on another black waterproof surface.

2. Carefully place a drop of lighter fluid on the back of the stamp, the watermark if present will be revealed.

3. When you have identified the watermark, lift the stamp carefully off the black surface with a tweezers and blow on the stamp to speed up the evaporation of the solvent.

(You can see in the image that the watermark revealed is in fact an inverted “e” watermark on a 1940-1949 issue definitive stamp)

You can also use a propriety watermark fluid to achieve the same results. The solvent will not harm the gum on the back of a mint never hinged stamp as the gum only reacts with water and not solvent.

I have published an article in Adverts on the identification of Irish Watermarks which should be read in conjunction with this article see http://www.adverts.ie/10683610
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