Philately pills

The "Peritese" in Certificates from the Italian Area

The “peritese” in certificates of the Italian Area In the collection of stamps of the Italian Area, one of the main protagonists, especially when it comes to items of certain monetary value and importance, is the certificate of expertise. Normally a certificate is issued by a philatelic expert who has devoted time and money to studying the details, printings, usages, and printing techniques related to collectible stamps; time because becoming an accredited and universally recognized philatelic expert requires studying a historical-philatelic literature of elephantine dimensions; money because in order to recognize the stamps to be examined one must have the correct, original reference samples, which are far from inexpensive. From the collector’s and enthusiast’s point of view, however, understanding the text is important—that is, knowing exactly what the certificate states about that stamp. Specifically, speaking of classic stamps, thus referring to the period around 1850/1900, the condition of the piece decisively determines its value and consequently the fair price at which a potential purchase may be worthwhile. The wording regarding a piece often changes depending on who drafts the certificate; in general the earliest philatelic experts used generic terms such as “No hidden defects,” “original but defective,” “narrow margins but free of hidden defects,” etc. In more recent times, more technical terms have come into use, though applied differently by different experts. In general we can say that: - A stamp of fine quality can be defined as “Perfect” (even if the term is somewhat overused for items over 150 years old). This wording means that the item presents well to the eye, with white margins on all four sides if it is an imperforate example, and with original and complete perforations if it is a perforated stamp; normally these items should appear fresh and with superb print quality. - A stamp of modest quality but with a fine/splendid appearance can be defined as “in excellent condition”; generally these items show very slight, almost imperceptible flaws that do not detract from their fine appearance. - A stamp of low quality but presentable can be defined as “in good condition”; broadly speaking, these are lower-quality stamps that show thinnings, translucencies, or pinholes, sometimes one or two touched margins or, if perforated, some short or misaligned perforations. - Stamps in worse condition and therefore with an overall unpleasant appearance are generally defined as “defective.” - A separate category, which the vast majority of experts will not even sign (though they will certify them because they often have high catalog values), are repaired items; these are stamps that are partially or completely restored—thus having paper and at least part of the original design, but then completed with the reconstruction of one or more outer margins or lengthened or reattached perforations, added paper to cover a translucency or thinning, added hinges or gum to cover small tears or paper damage, added ink to carefully redraw certain parts of the stamp that were erased, faded, or reconstructed, etc. The price of these stamps relative to their quality is obviously different; stamps in good or excellent condition are often presented as fine-quality examples, and the “promotional” prices, if referring to “first choice,” end up being steep and sometimes even high relative to the actual quality of the pieces. For this reason—leaving aside a discussion of the percentages to be applied to the catalog price for individual purchases—it is always advisable to read the certificate very carefully to understand its meaning, and if there are still doubts, the suggestion is to submit an image of the certificate to the writer themselves to get as much clarification as possible from the same certifier, so that you can make your purchase in the safest possible way. Regarding stamps that do not come with a certificate, it is always advisable to have a direct inspection of the items, because the description is always rather general and often, if not prepared by a careful philatelist knowledgeable in the field, rather incomplete if not outright incorrect; in the absence of a certificate (preferably recent), it is therefore untenable to rely on the description alone unless its drafting is entrusted to a person of our express trust and acquaintance—things that at least guarantee the reliability of what they describe. SPC s.a.s. through the contacts available on the website spcstamps.com is always available to answer questions about certificates issued by its own philatelic expert, in order to make it as easy as possible for the collector to choose rare stamps for their collections with the best quality–price ratio. It also provides various services including assistance at the leading Italian auction houses for the examination of stamps or lots potentially of interest to the collector, as well as in-room presence to bid for purchases on the collector’s instructions. These are essential professional services to protect against unpleasant surprises that can lead to dissatisfaction or disputes, which harm the entire philatelic environment and must be prevented by all means.