Perfin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A perfin (contraction of 'perforated initials') is a pattern of tiny holes punched through a postage stamp. Organizations would use a perforator to create perforations forming letters or designs in postage stamps with the purpose of preventing pilferage. The size and number of perfins is usually regulated by law or postal regulation in the relevant country.
The first country to use perfins was Great Britain, in 1868. They are still used there and in a few other countries, although their use has declined dramatically since the introduction of franking machines.
A number of countries perforated stamps as a means to denote official mail. For example in 1906 the Cape of Good Hope Government Printing and Stationery Department adopted a system of perforating in connection with the stamps used by their Department for Foreign Mail matter. The stamps [1] were perforated by a machine, consisting of eleven round holes, in the form of two triangles, having their common apexes meeting in the hole at the centre of the stamp.
Formerly considered to be damaged, postage stamps so perforated are now highly sought by specialist stamp collectors.
