mint never hinged stamps and discount postage

[zee-chan]

Was checking out stamp lots on eBay.  Are "mint never hinged" stamps new unused stamps that can be legally used as postage? What are some other keywords I should look out for if I'm looking to buy discounted postage for mailing things legally? 

Is it common/normal for P stamps to be mint, no gum, and usable as postage? The only P stamps I have personally used are those sticker kinds in a booklet bought from postal outlets. Or those 100 stamps rolls that Costco sells. 

So far I know I shouldn't be getting the ones that says "uncancelled" as that means it simply didn't get stamped but are indeed used. 

Thanks in advance for input 😄

[momcqueen]

Hmmm, sounds like you might be looking for some @reallynicestamps.

p.s. My replacement lifetime guarantee American self-addressed-stamped-envelope sea monkeys did indeed arrive but I have not worked up the courage to try accidentally killing these ones too. 

[momcqueen]

@ricarmic? Have you started summer holidays or might you like to answer this question? I'm curious to know the answer to it too. 

[mrdutch1001]

Yes indeed  "mint never hinged" stamps ARE new unused stamps that can be legally used as postage.

[ricarmic]

Not holidaying yet, even whilst I am I will likely be visiting the boards from time to time!

For postage, the stamps need to have never been used and have the "gum" on them still.

For lickable stamps this would be the lickable "gum", for virtually all of the new modern "p" stamps the "gum" is like contact cement and the stamp is on a backing to be peeled of before use.

MNH means mint never hinged, meaning there are no marks on the back of the stamp

MH means mint hinged, a hinge is a way to affix the stamp to the album. As long as you don't mind licking (or wetting) a stamp that's been licked by someone else MH stamps are fine to use as well.

Note that for virtually all of the "p" stamps out there (some early ones have lickable gum), an unused stamp will still have the backing on the stamp so technically MNH and MH doesn't mean anything from a postage perspective because the backing is pulled off for use anyway. 

The phrases to watch out for in titles are unfranked, uncancelled, unused, these will often mean the stamps are ones that went through the postal system and weren't cancelled, and aren't allowed to be reused.

I went and took a quick look at the postage lots out there and the vast majority of legal postage lots all refer to the stamps as MNH or MH so that is a pretty easy way to identify the safe ones.

PS I realized I missed a question. Really there aren't any MNG (mint no gum) stamps that should be used for postage, regardless of the story behind how they became mint no gum*.

Any "P" stamps with no gum (contact cement) are the reused kind (with a very very small number that had real gum and they would still have their lickable gum if they were unused).

 *Technically it is ok to use a stamp that is unused with no gum if something caused the gum to be lost, a typical story would be the stamps got stuck down in the album and had to be soaked off. However unless you're the one that soaked them off and are 100% sure they were not used before you run the risk. 

[zee-chan]

Thanks for the detailed reply 🙂

So in other words, I probably shouldn't bid on this? It seems like a really good deal for all P stamps, but the "no gum" part had me hesitated. I only want it if I can use them as discount postage.

392089829353

[femmefan1946]

@zee-chan

Yes.

You can use any Canadian stamp denominated in decimal currency . Even the ones with Queen Victoria on them.

In fact, you can even use Newfoundland stamps, which we did when we were first married and they were worth less than they are now.

Newfoundland persuaded Canada to allow them to continue make their currency trade at par with Canadian when they allowed Canada to join them in 1949. Which was a good trick, since the colony was practically bankrupt at the time.

NO GUM is not usable.

Those stamps have been soaked off envelopes and have already 'done their duty'.  It is illegal to do that.

P , A , and undenominated stamps are tricky. The A (30 cent value) and undenominated (various in the 32-34 cent range) are for domestic use only.

The P stamps are valid for international mailing.

You may also prefer 'never hinged'. Collectors have licked those. Blecch.

The Brits use 'uncancelled' as a synonym for 'mint' so that is less of a problem than 'no gum'.  But that is not often used in Canada.