What is a “self-adhesive” stamp?
A self-adhesive stamp has adhesive on the back that adheres to envelope paper by the application of pressure alone (i.e., they do not have water-activated “gum”). Many modern stamps are of the self-adhesive variety. These stamps are issued with backing paper (“coated paper release liner”), and the self-adhesive stamps offered by The Collectible Stamps Gallery are supplied with their original backing paper. When viewing our images of self-adhesive stamps, you may notice that the edges are a bit fuzzy or irregular- this is due to the backing paper, not the stamp (self-adhesive stamps usually have die-cut simulated perforations, but their backing paper is often not die-cut the same way, so the stamp edges and backing paper edges do not line up perfectly). If a stamp is of the self-adhesive variety, this will be noted in the item description. If “self-adhesive” is not mentioned in the item description, then the stamp(s) were issued with the more common water-activated gum (sometimes termed
