Jay Smith & Associates: Finland: Test Stamps: 1954 Johan Snellman Design

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Finland: Test Stamps: 1954 Johan Snellman Design

Test Stamps (also called Dummy Stamps in the U.S.) are created by stamp printers and post offices to test printing and production processes. While a few test stamps have had extensive philatelic distribution, most were never intended to be distributed or known to collectors and are "scarce" to "rare". New discoveries continue to be made.

All items are available for viewing on approval. I have a constantly changing stock of Finnish and all Scandinavian essays, proofs, reprints, specimens, and test stamps. Most such items sell before they get to the website or price lists. What are you seeking? I am also interested in buying Scandinavian test stamps.

In preparation for a new 1954 engraved definitive stamp series, utilizing new web recess (engraved) printing presses using plate cylinders, new to Finnish definitive stamps, two designs of test stamps were prepared: Snellman and Lion. I am only aware that these two designs have been recorded, but they each exist in a few different colors/types. These test stamps are "scarce" as singles and are seldom seen in multiples. Though these are usually offered as 1954 test stamps, they were likely printed at least one year before, but I have not found any confirmation of the printing dates.

The Johan Snellman Test Stamps picture a key figure in the history of Finnish nationalism. Snellman said: "We are not Swedes, We do not want to be Russians, So let us be Finns." The Snellman Test Stamps have been recorded by me (as of 11/2024) in Bright Red, Dark Red Violet (previously described as Mauve), and Gray, all on Thin White Paper. All are perforated 11.75 on all sides. In my experience, the Gray color is by far scarcer than the other two colors which are of similar scarcity to each other.

I have observed the Bright Red and the Dark Red Violet stamps in sheets of 50 (10 across, 5 high) with sheet margins of approximately 11-14 mm. That other sheet formats (and thus perhaps printing by other presses or using other plates) may exist is suggested by a single example recorded by me (around 1995) of the Dark Red Violet color in a vertical pair with a fully perforated blank "stamp" on top; that example MAY (unsure; proper records were not kept) be on a thicker whiter paper than the usual Dark Red Violet stamps. This also suggests the possibility that vertical gutter pairs may exist. I failed to fully record the presence of serial numbers in the sheet margins, however I do know that the Dark Red Violet can exist with serial numbers in the left margin; but I do not know if the serial number was present on all Dark Red Violoet sheets. I have seen a Bright Red complete sheet without any serial number in any margin and a Dark Red Violet complete right-margin block without a serial number in the right margin. More reports of marginal serial numbers -- or the lack thereof -- are needed.

The centering of all three colors of the test stamps varies considerably, with Fine or F-VF being typical and VF being "uncommon".

Similar to the Lion Test Stamps, the Bright Red Snellman stamps that I have observed (as of 11/2024) have uniformly excellent printing quality. However, almost all the Snellman Dark Red Violet stamps that I have observed (as of 11/2024) have an irregular printing appearance as if there was a problem with ink transfer to the plate and/or ink transfer and adherence to the paper (both of which can have a variety of causes) -- this has to be considered to be normal for the Dark Red Violet stamps and is not a defect. I have not personally observed a large enough sample of the Snellman Gray stamps to draw conclusions about typical printing quality, however illustrations that I have seen indicate that the printing quality of the Gray stamps varies greatly.

If you include these Snellman Test Stamps in your collection and are seeking any of the four single stamps or four pairs, or other items such as multiples and margin examples, please let me know both what you have and what you are seeking. I maintain records and will be happy to assist you in building your collection.

1954 Johan Snellman Design

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Item #

Quality & Description

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Never
Hinged

US$

249297

VF: 1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp BRIGHT RED on Thin White Paper.

REPRESENTATIVE image of stamp design.

36.00

249297

F-VF: 1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp BRIGHT RED on Thin White Paper.

REPRESENTATIVE image of stamp design.

28.00

249298

1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp BRIGHT RED on Thin White Paper. NH Upper Left Corner Margin Single with VF centering.

ACTUAL item.

42.00

249299

1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp BRIGHT RED on Thin White Paper. NH Upper Right Corner Margin Block of Four with VF centering. Outstanding item!

ACTUAL item.

139.00

249300

1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp BRIGHT RED on Thin White Paper. NH Lower Right Corner Margin Block of Four with VF centering. Outstanding item!

ACTUAL item.

139.00

249302

1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp BRIGHT RED on Thin White Paper. NH Top Margin Block of Four with Average centering. Upper left stamp creased (only visible from the back) and a couple minor bends. Very low price!

ACTUAL item.

49.00

249301

1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp BRIGHT RED on Thin White Paper. NH Block of Four with F-VF centering.

ACTUAL item.

99.00

249303

VF: 1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp Dark Red Violet on Thin White Paper.

REPRESENTATIVE image of stamp design.

36.00

249304

1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp DARK RED VIOLET on Thin White Paper. NH Block of Four with VF centering.

ACTUAL item.

129.00

249305

1954 Johan Snellman Test Stamp DARK RED VIOLET on Thin White Paper. NH Upper Left Corner Margin Block of Four with VF centering. Outstanding item!

ACTUAL item.

139.00

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