Lot 53 Great Britain SC#1625-1638 1995 Pioneers Of Communication, Rugby & Christmas Issues, 3 Mostly Tagged VFNH Sets On DF Papers. 2006 Scott Cat $17.40 USD, Click on Listing to See ALL Pictures

3 VFNH sets from the 1995 Pioneer's of Communication, Rugby & Chirstmas issues on DF/DF paper. The 19p of the pioneer's issue is tagged, while the rest is untagged. For the Rugby issue, it's all 2 bar bluish white tags with a greenish PVA gum. The Christmas issue is the same as the Rugby issue, except that the 19p value has 1 tag bar.
2006 Scott Cat for mint is $17.40.

Although not listed specifically in either Gibbons or Scott, the commemorative and definitive stamps issued after 1971 can be found on a variety of different papers, which give differing reactions under long-wave ultraviolet light. Most all of the papers are chalk-surfaced, and until the mid 1990's the chalk coating fluoresces either hibrite (HB) or high fluorescent under the lamp. From the mid 1990's onward the coating gives a dull to dead reaction under UV. On the back the reaction can vary from dull to hibrite and also with fluorescent fibres in the paper. These varieties follow a definite progression as time moves on, with certain varieties only being found on certain issues. These lots do indicate though that there may be as many as five or six different varieties of paper on many issues.
The PVA gum found on these issues also varies. The paper used from 1971 until early 1974, called "original coated paper" had used a creamy white PVA that has a semi-gloss sheen and a streakiness similar to what you would see if you painted a wall using a less than full roller. Starting in 1974, dextrine was added to the gum, giving it a greenish tinge. This gum was dull at first and later became a semi-gloss gum. Eventually by 1976 the colour changes back to white and in the mid-80's it goes back to being greenish. Finally, by the early 2000's it becomes a glossier white.