Question How do you repair a postage-stamp?

Answer 1

The restoration of postage stamps is carried out both chemically and physically. The chemical means include the use of mild bleaches such as dilute hydrogen peroxide and chloramine t. Many different chemicals are employed depending on the nature of the damage to the stamp. Stains on stamps can have a biological origin such as the brown toning seen on many older stamps which is caused by either moulds or bacteria. Blood, saliva, and organic stains of this nature can be removed by using mild enzyme based cleaners. In most cases extreme care should be exercised as irreparable damage can be caused to the stamp by overzealous use of chemicals and where ever possible a worthless stamp, from a similar printing, should be experimented on prior to continuing with a valuable item. Usually the first method of restoring a stamp is to give it a good wash with plain liquid soap, which can be gently worked up into a lather using a sable paint brush and then washing the stamp in distilled water.

Physical repairs of tears and thins can be carried out using adhesives and binding material. Rice paper from cigarette paper can be applied in layers over thin areas using very diluted PVA adhesive. These layers can be built up to fill thin areas on the stamp. Where the back of the stamp has brown toning and a repair is necessary soak the repair material in cold tea until a similar tone is achieved by the tannin in the tea. Specialists repairing valuable stamps make up a slurry of paper material from a similar stamp and fill thin areas with this as the material being used in the same as the stamp itself. Repairs done in this way are nearly undetectable except under UV light which reveals faults and repaired areas.