Who Invented the Perfin ?
The invention of the perfin is credited to Joseph Sloper who, after much effort, finally persuaded The Post Office to allow the perforation of postage stamps. The official “first day” was the 14th March 1868. His case was no doubt strengthed by a well publicised incident involving a provisions shop keeper charged with receiving some 7,000 “stolen” postage stamps which had been accepted in payment for bread and cheese, the stamps coming from errand-boys and junior clerks. The firm that he founded – J. Sloper & Co. – established a sizeable perforating business which none of their competitors could overtake. The firm was taken over in the 1990s. Click here to see a photograph of Sloper’s offices in the City of London However the original idea had been suggested by Sir Henry Bessemer in 1832. At the time, the world’s first postage stamps were still 8 years away and hence the application was for the protection of the revenue stamps of the time. Did anyone else manufacture perfin machinery ?
