Perforation Gauges

Find out the perforation size of your stamp

Perforations can greatly affect the value of a stamp, so knowing what size perforation your stamps have is crucial to spot those rarities.

Stamps perforations or perfs first appeared in 1854 to make seperating stamps easier, rather than curtting imperforate sheets by hand with scissors. The standard for measuring is the number of perforations found in 2cms (0.78″) (20 mm).

The perforation gauge was first invented in 1866 by Jacques Legrand, the typical ‘perf gauge’ (also known as an odontometer) is a metal or plastic tile on which perforations of gauges ranging from 7 and 7½ to 16 and 16½ are pictured (the pictures sometimes appear at the edges of the tile). The philatelist places each of these depictions beside a stamp until one is found that exactly matches the stamp’s perforations. Such a gauge is an indispensable tool for identifying stamps that present identical images but have been issued with perforations of several different sizes.

A stamp with 10 holes in 2 cms is called a ‘Perf 10’. Some stamps also have different horizontal and vertical perforations, called compound perfs. Compound perforations are listed first horizontally, and then vertically, for example, a stamp with Perf 11 on the top and Perf 10 on the sides would be Perf 11×10.

Stamp Perforation Gauges help you determine which Perf size your stamp has. The stamp is moved down the gauge until the perforations on the stamp visually match that on the gauge.

SAFE PERFOtronic 2

The SAFE PERFOtronic 2 is an electronic stamp perforation gauge and is a valuable tool for the serious collector. Rather than use a manual perforation gauge, the SAFE PERFOtronic 2 makes the process of measuring perforations much easier and accurate.

Modern electronics combined with optical science has at last combined to solve all the problems of measuring perforations. Simply place your stamp into the machine and touch a button. A few seconds later the PERFOTRONIC 2 will show the exact perforation measurement on the large display.

The PERFOtronic 2 has been improved to measure 1/100 tooth exactly. It will round up or down for 1/4 as catalogues usually list these increments.

• Measures the perforation value within a fraction of a second
• Safe to use, no contact with stamp
• Accurate to 1/1000 mm
• Displays in 1/4 increments
• AC adapter with 12v DC output
• Use on regular or large stamps, coils and stamps with margins
• Maintenance free
• Size: 7-1/2″x 5-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ High

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Stanley Gibbons Instanta Perforation Gauge

The Instanta Perforation Gauge is a vital piece of equipment, measuring perforations on stamps to one decimal point therefore providing an accurate way to measure the perforations on stamps.

• Transparent
• Quick and accurate
• Comes with detailed instructions