Tips on Stamp Collecting

Introduction of perforation in The Netherlands

Perforation

Perforation are the rows of punched holes separating stamps from another in a sheet.
There are some reasons why stamps are not perforated:
Perforation was not invented yet.
Application of another kind of separation.
Provisional emission.
Printer's error.
Deliberately unperforated issued.

The invention of perforation

The Irishmen Henry Archer is considered to be the inventor of perforation. He sold his patents to the British Ministry of Finance. Archer completed thereafter his invention. Some prototypes were build. The greatest problem was how to get rid of the remains from the holes. These little pieces of paper caused the machine to a standstill over and over.
Stamps which were part of these trials were sold at the post offices during the years 1848-1850. These are regarded to be the first perforated stamps.
In 1850 Archer finished his trials. The State Printing works further developed the perforation machines made by David Napier & Sons.
From 1854 onwards only perforated stamps were issued in Great Britain.

First Dutch stamps

The first Dutch stamps were issued unperforated in 1852. These stamps had to be cut out of the sheets with scissors. Probably, at that time, the invention of perforation was unknown in The Netherlands.

The introduction of perforation in The Netherlands

The first official document which mentions perforation is dated 30 July 1861. In this letter the Postmaster Mr. Pols writes to the Minister of Finance: "To my surprise no one at the printing-works was familiar with the way this punching can be done.

Nor could anybody give me the slightest information about this process ... Therefor it will be needed to obtain this information from abroad, whereby it will probably be most convenient to approach the British postal services."
The letters following this one reveal that the Dutch want to keep up with the developments in the neighbour countries.
The decision was made to issue the following stamps (King William III, 1864) perforated.

British examples

The British postal service was asked to send a sheet of stamps to The Netherlands. "The value of a sheet is one pound; these costs can be avoided when the sheet will be returned afterwards."
In may 1862 the requested sheet was send to the printer by the Minister. In a report, dated 17 June 1862 the managing director of the Munt (printer) writes among other things, that at the same time with the introduction of perforation the sheets will be increased to 200 stamps. He also mentions: "The punching machine can not be completed before some sheets are printed and entirely finished, because the size and the arrangement of the printed sheets are not exactly alike the printing plate, but are dependent on, the more or less, shrinking of the paper."
In August 1862 the printer visits London to "take a close look at the British stamp production". The machine seemed "more difficult and complicated" then he expected. He estimated that it would cost 5300 guilders to get the machine delivered in Utrecht and 3500 guilders if he build a machine by himself. To build a machine he needed six months.

Lankhout

In this period there were some contacts with Lankhout in The Hague, who claimed to have invented an easy way to separate stamps from a sheet. He does not get a proper answer and finally writes the printer, in a letter dated 17 March 1862, to have found another purpose for his machine.

The Belgian device

In 1863 the Belgian firm Gouweloos is contacted. At first this company sends a sample ("a perforated sheet of Belgian stamps"). Next the Dutch printer visits Brussels and reported: "At the same time two sheets are attached to an iron ruler on which ends, by springs little pins with blunt points, fitting in holes, on each side of the table and of which the distance accurately corresponds with the lay-out of the sheets. A workman moves this ruler the length of a stamp and therefor the division is done by hand whereas the English apparatus does it mechanically. Skill, training and attention of the worker determines accurate punching and undoubtedly several sheets will get lost in the beginning, because the workman has to practice..."
Finally the cheaper Belgian machine is chosen. On 29 February 1864 the printer writes: "... This apparatus has worked since the last days of last week. In my opinion it operates good and delivers exactly as can be expected, when attended properly, perfect perforated sheets..."