door In the rich history of Dutch stamps, some stand out due to their exceptional characteristics and stories. One of them is the 10-cent Wilhelmina “Fur Collar” (Dutch: “Bontkraag”) stamp (NVPH 83), which, due to its imperforate state and unique background, holds a special place in the world of philately. This stamp tells the story of a period when improvisation became necessary, and the postal service had to creatively handle unforeseen problems.
The Strike at Printing House Enschedé in 1923
The year 1923 was remarkable for the Dutch postal service. Due to a strike at the Enschedé printing house, some stamps of the Wilhelmina series ended up at the counter in an imperforate state. This meant that the stamps did not have the usual perforations that made it easy to tear them out of the sheet. For the post offices and customers, this was an inconvenience: cutting the stamps out of the sheet was cumbersome and imprecise, leading to improvised solutions.
Creative Perforation Solutions by Post Offices
Some post offices found cutting the stamps to be impractical and decided to devise their own way to separate the stamps. Various creative methods were employed, such as perforating the edges using a sewing machine or manually pricking them through. These methods resulted in several variations in how the perforations were applied.
A fine example of this is the 10-cent Wilhelmina Fur Collar, of which a specimen is offered as lot 6569 during the René Hillesum Philately auction on November 30, 2024. The stamp clearly shows how the post office itself applied a perforation, with the edges being irregularly pierced. This stamp is not only a postal artifact but also visual evidence of the inventiveness of the Dutch postal service in times of need. The stamp was used in Wellerlooi (L.b.), Limburg. No pricking from Wellerlooi was previously known (source: Handboek Postwaarden Nederland (English: “Handbook of Dutch Postal Values”), edition 28). In the previous version, by mistake, the placename was read as Overloon. Wellerlooi had in 1926 150 inhabitants (ref. Aardrijkskundig woordenboek, Van Aken, 1926).
Post Offices as Perforators
Several post offices in the Netherlands provided these imperforate stamps with their own improvisations. In the text “Colorfully Imperforate” from the Handbook of Dutch Postal Values, which details this period, specific examples are given of post offices that applied their own perforations to the Wilhelmina stamps. Places such as Aalten, Blokzijl, and Bovenkerk are mentioned as offices that performed their own perforations to make the stamps suitable for use. This occurred between January and March 1923, and the details are recorded in a table showing which offices were involved and which methods they used.
It is remarkable to see how different post offices each had their own approach. Some perforations are very regular, while others clearly show traces of manual pricking or the use of a simple sewing machine. These variations make the imperforate Wilhelmina stamps a fascinating collectible, with each stamp telling a unique story.
Value for Collectors
The imperforate Wilhelmina stamps, particularly those with improvised perforations—in the values of 5c and 10c—are a beloved collectible among philatelists. They represent a unique piece of postal history, in which an emergency led to creative and practical solutions. Since each perforation is unique, these stamps have not only monetary value but also historical and aesthetic value. For collectors, owning such a stamp is like having a piece of living history—a testament to human ingenuity in times of need.
Lot 6569, offered during the René Hillesum auction, provides a wonderful opportunity to add such a unique item to the collection. This stamp not only displays the image of Queen Wilhelmina but also tells the story of the post offices’ improvisations during a strike. This makes it an important piece for anyone interested in the history of Dutch post and the development of philately.
A Symbol of Creative Ingenuity
The imperforate Wilhelmina “Fur Collar” stamps are a beautiful example of how unexpected situations can lead to extraordinary solutions. The stamps with manually applied perforations by various Dutch post offices are not only a rarity but also a symbol of the practical ingenuity of that time. For collectors, they are a fascinating object in which history, art, and improvisation converge on a small piece of paper.
