Avbstamps

Victor Bove, serving collectors since 1960

Tagging on Stamps

Tagging Notes | 1238-1473 | 1476-1899 | 1937-3271, Airmail/BOB

How tagging was created

In 1954, the Postal Service started experimenting with tagged stamps by applying a coating of fluorescent solution to the face of the stamp and subsequently using a special machine that detects the tagging on the stamp and applies a cancellation. Over time, four major tagging methods were developed.

Note: an ultra-violet (UV) light is essential to determining the type of taggant. One of the best is a "Raytech LS-4" at a cost of $139.00. It has two filters: short-wave (SW) to detect the type of tagging, and long-wave (LW) to detect paper types used for printing a stamp.

Overall Tagging: the stamp is printed first, then a coating of phosphor-tagging is applied on the surface of the stamp. Paper used for printing does not have to be a special type. Checked under UV short-wave filter, it gives a bright yellow response. Using the long-wave normally shows a dead responsive paper.

Short-wave (Raytech): on OT stamps: bright yellow tagging.
Long-Wave (Raytech): on OT stamps: dead responsive paper or white or yellow response.
Pre-Phosphorous:(PH) the paper is first pre-treated with a coating of fluorescent-tagging, and then the stamp is printed. Depending on the condensation of the pre-tagging, it creates three major types of paper-response - low-hi-bright (LHB), medium-hi-bright (MHB), hi-bright.
a) To detect paper response use the (UV) "Long Wave" filter = (LW).
b) Using the (SW) "short wave" filter will show a light tagging, which can be
of dull or whitish response.

Short wave (Raytech): on PH stamps: light white tagging, embedded taggant, or surface taggant.
Long Wave (Raytech light): on PH stamps:
- Low-high-bright (LHB) response paper.
- Medium-high-bright (MHB) response paper.
- High-bright (HB) response paper.
Surface Tagging: I don't have much information on this type. I can only say that it shows a light tagging under SW, and a dead response paper under LW filter.
Embedded Tagging: using the SW filter will show a rough line of untag mixed with faint tagging. The response is the same as #2.

More technical information can be obtained from the Printing Bureau in Washington DC.

Untagged or Tagging Omitted Errors are those stamps printed entirely without tagging. Due to dirty components in the cylinder applying the fluorescent coating, some stamps were missed, creating an error. These errors took place starting around 1954 when the Post Office started experimenting with tagged stamps.

Tagging Notes | 1238-1473 | 1476-1899 | 1937-3271, Airmail/BOB