Errant Perforations in Roll Adds Value

Question: Is there any value in a roll of flag U.S. stamps with errant perforations crossing the flags?--H.M.

Answer: Depending on the particular issue, the value is $1 to $5 per pair of stamps. Coil stamps are rolls of regular issues that are made in a roll for use in vending machines or in the mailing rooms of offices. Coil perforations out of alignment is a common production error; however, the worth of such stamps is more than face value.

Q: Two letters I received from Canada have stamps picturing Canadian railroad locomotives. Are these stamps part of a series, and if so, how might I obtain the whole set?--D.J.H.

A: There have been several sets of locomotive issues from Canada in the last five years. For a list of currently available Canadian stamps, send a request to Philatelic Service, National Philatelic Centre, Canada Post Corp., Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada B2G 2R8.

For issues that are no longer sold by the Canadian government, you will have to contact a stamp dealer and pay a small premium for recent Canadian commemoratives in his stock.

Q: I have two Mexican Olympics stamps, never used, with Aereo 80 on them. Also, five stamps of Canal Zone, 8-cent denomination, marked Air Mail postage . And one 5-cent Queen Elizabeth stamp with a picture of a ship and of the queen in the upper right corner, stamped Sussex . Is there any value for these stamps?--R.W.

A: I am not sure what particular Mexican stamps you have because there were many 80-centavo air mails issued before the devaluation of the peso. Probably 50 cents or $1 in American money is what your Mexican stamps would catalogue for. Your Canal Zone stamps are worth 25 cents to $2 each, depending on the year they were issued. And many Great Britain ship stamps have been issued in recent years; your stamp is probably worth less than a dollar.

Stamp Calendar

Sept. 6--First Sunday Stamp Show at the North Hollywood Masonic Temple, 5122 Tujunga Ave., North Hollywood. Dealers will buy and sell stamps. Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Telephone (818) 244-6602.

Sept. 6--Original First Sunday Stamp Show at the American Legion Hall, 14541 Sylvan St. (between Victory and Oxnard boulevards, one block west of Van Nuys Boulevard), Van Nuys. Dealers will buy and sell. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission and free parking. Telephone (818) 997-6496.

Sept. 11-13--Glendale Coin & Stamp Expo at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 Verdugo Road, Glendale. More than 80 dealers present to buy and sell. U.S. Post Office station. Hours: Friday noon-7 p.m.; Saturday noon-7 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $2 for adults, free to children under 12. Telephone (213) 622-6295.

Stamp News

Friday--The 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution will be marked by a booklet of five 22-cent stamps with a first-day sale at Washington, D.C. 20066.