IV

THE PERFINS, FASHION OR NECESSITY ?

It is beyond any doubt that the companies and institutions which demanded and
got the approval for the use of PERFINS on postmarks were those that had a great
volume of mail (editorial offices, banks, companies, publishing houses).
As this procedure became known, an impressive number of companies, some of
them of little economic significance (agencies, laboratories, chemist's shops, the
customs, currency exchange agencies), got the approval to use their own PERFIN
shape.
Private PERFINS occured for fear of theft, given the fact that a great number of
employees had access to them, and the value of postmarks for forwarding the
correspondence by mail was high and rather difficult to control.
In Romania, this procedure was allowed by the Post in May 1891, but actually
used from 1 January 1892 (Telegraph Post Bulletin, page 464).
Is seems that the first beneficiaries of these approvals were Universul(The
Universe) newspaper, The National Bank of Romania, The Marmorosch Blank Bank,
observation based on the existence of their prints on the postmarks issued Number
in four corners, withdrawn from circulation on 13 July 1894.
PERFINS would be made manually, and, in order to speed up the process, the
sheets would be folded in two, or in accordion pleats, on rows or columns, thus
resulting pairs: mirror, reversed, tt-bch (separating from the sheet before or after
the application of the PERFIN). Fig. 1.4

a) mirror

Vertical fold

b) reversed

Horizontal fold
Fig. 1.4

c) tt-bch

Fold in fourhts

There are pieces proving the folding of the sheet in acordion pleats, or in two, in
the latter case being distinguished only pairs that are close to the folding, while those
far from the folding may be noticed only on the sheet or stripes. Fig. 2.

a) Folding the sheet in two

b) acordion pleats
Fig. 2.4

In order to increase efficiency they would also use the technique of a single
PERFIN applied on two postmarks at once (Fig. 3.), thus getting four postmarks with
PERFINS in the case of overlapping sheets (Grigore Racoviceanu, Filatela(Philately)
magazine no. 1 of 1970 stated that no more than two sheets could be marked with
PERFINS at the same time).

Marking on two postmarks

Fig. 3.4
But the double marking on the same postmark is not justified, thus resulting it
was made out of negligence (except for the double PERFINS with different shapes,
which probably represented bankrupt companies, whose stocks of PERFINS were taken
by another company and marked with a new PERFIN on the old one).
We have knowledge about the existence of double identical reversed, overlapping or
shifted PERFINS (Fig. 4.)

a) reversed

b) shifted
Fig. 4.4

c) overlapping

As time passed, the steel needles that executed the PERFIN became worn or broke
and thus we frequently came accross incomplete PERFINS; those that can be read
differently than the original are really spectacular (3&C insteasd of B&C, T T instead
of U, 3S instead of BS etc.). Fig. 5.

Incomplete PERFINS
Fig. 5.4
It was certainly hoped that the method of making PERFINS would eradicate
embezzlement, because once it was marked, the post card or the private envelope,
could only be used by the company which authorized the PERFIN insignia.
Nevertheless, we identified frankings of postmarks with PERFINS, altough rarer,
on souvenir illustrated postmarks, on envelopes without headings, the content of the
text proving, undoubtedly, the abuse at the expense of the company. (Fig. 6.4)
Front side with PERFIN
Verso souvenir illustrated
Abus at the expense of Kepich Brothers Bank
Fig. 6.4
So, the use of PERFINS was a fashion at that time ?
No, if we take into account the persistence in spreading this procedure (800
shapes of Romanian PERFINS are known nowadays, but the list is growing bigger every

day), important companies growing the number of their Perfin machinery, with
different shapes, although they had the same group of letters (The National Bank of
Romania, The Romanian Commercial Bank, The Marmorosch Blank Bank etc.)
Yes, because the companies followed the example of the multinational
enterprises which were using their insignia in their branches in Romania (Dresdner
Bank, Wiener Bank Verein, Heinrich Frank Shne etc.). Fig. 7.4

a) Dresdner Bank

b) Heinrich Frank Schne

Verein
Fig. 7.4

c) Wiener Bank

They strived to conceive suggestive and appealing PERFIN emblems, coats of

arms they took pride in, as they extended the use of PERFINS on revenue stamps,
charity postmarks, for the aviation, for the victims of natural disasters, vignettes,
contribution stamps, for the Red Cross, culture and even on invoices, receipts and
other administrative forms, an initiative which was rather useless. (Fig. 8.4)

PERFIN emblems

PERFINS on non-postage stamps

Fig. 8.4
The process of applying PERFINS on postmarks started being used in 1892 and
there are PERFINS identified up to 1953, but there was no decree to interdict the use
of this method, late dates still being found.

V
PERFINS APPLIED ON REVENUE STAMPS
Used to collect tax and duties, the revenue stamps are issued by national and
local governments, as well as by official or accredited bodies.
They were introduced and used in England in 1694, following the example of
Netherlands, but aiming at a more consistent contribution at the state budget,
especially in terms of excise duties on brewery or distillery, as well as other categories
of goods liable to duty. Their use was justified by the need to optimize the government

operations, as it proved the duties had already been paid. Almost similarly, the ruler
Ghica Vod, after a period of exile in Wien, returned to the throne and promulgated
No. 2 Ordinance, a law imposing a stamp duty that shall lead to the first issue of a
revenue stamp in Moldavia, named Royal stamp in the form of a sheet bearing an
embossed stamp and wet stamp dating from January 12, 1856 at Atelia Timbrului
Iai.
The first Romanian revenue stamps were printed on February 29, 1872, when
the Law for tax duty and registration which established their use, passed.
The implementing regulation for the law of tax duty and registration (no. 190/26
August/7 October 1872), stipulated that it would be implemented on 1/13 September
1872, and to sell the revenue stamps, the cashiers of the Ministry of Finance were
authorized to lend them to people authorized by the law.
During this period, the Romanian postmarks of king Carol I were being printed in
France and the Ministry of Finance was having discussions with the French authorities
on the printing of revenue stamps,too.
At the same time, the same Ministry, founded The Department for the
Manufacture and Distribution of Stamps Stamp Factory, and starting with 1875 its
printing house printed revenue stamps with the state coat of arms in black and the
background in different colours, according to each value.
The year 1882 marked the extension of the stamp factory. Consequently, the
following were printed : stamps for the Chambers of Commerce, statistical stamps
(1919), social work and social report stamps (1915), monopoly stamps and tobacco
tax stamps as well as consular stamps meant for the activity of embassies or for being
applied on passports (1921), and 1929 was the issue year for the official postmarks
meant to be franked for the mail of officials.
Official postmarks started being used once the financial independence of postal
operations was acknowledged. From that moment on, all authorities or state
institutions which had the privilege of forwarding mail for free by the post had to pay
for its transportation. Issued in 1929, they were used until 15 March 1932 when they
were withdrawn from circulation.
Famous for its beauty, the issue of revenue stamps representing the effigy of
King Carol I was printed in 1911 and used until 1919. It was only in 1932 when the first
series of revenue stamps, completely made by the Stamp Factory, representing the
effigy of King Carol II was issued.
Revenue stamps could be used in post operations, but only those issued in order
to pay tax imposed on a certain service. Similarly, revenue stamps, could also be
applied, starting from 1893, on customs declarations if they were directed through the
post. As the cases of fraud (either by forgery or by theft) had to be descouraged, they
started making them by letterpress, by which they could produce works by
numberings or by PERFINS in other cases.
The cancellation of a revenue stamps could be done in several ways, such as:
-double crossing through in ink or in the shape of a cross by ink pencil Fig 1.5

Fig. 1.5
-by rubber stamps imbued in ink Fig 2.5

Fig. 2.5
-by punching together with a mobile postmark, by the use of metal stamps Fig
3.5

Fig. 3.5
-by stamping applied on punched, unused revenue stamps Fig. 4.5

Fig. 4.5
-by tearing
As to their cancellation by the use of PERFINS there are the following ways
known: Fig 5
-two-lettered PERFIN MF used by the Ministry of Finance, from October 1884 to
April 1892, measuring 10x6 mm.
- two-lettered PERFIN VP (Vama Potei Post Customs) used in Bucharest from May
1902 to September 1903 measuring 26x15 mm
- two-lettered PERFIN VF (Vama Focani- Foscani Customs) measuring 28x16mm

- 1-3 hole PERFINS used during 1889 1906

- CANCELLED PERFINS the word measuring 55x15 mm
-PAID PERFINS applied on vignettes or fee stamps to establish funds
-OPERATED ON PERFINS on administrative documents

Fig. 5.5
Similarly, on analyzing the procedure of applying PERFINS on postmarks,
we can notice that, compared to the PERFINS encountered on the postmarks where
the insignia could not take more than half of their surface (superior or inferior) a
measure imposed by the post, on revenue stamps there are two types of PERFINS.
1. PERFINS which, in order to simplify the operations, used the same type of
emblems, so the same emblems as those of the postmarks complying with
the compulsory provisions regarding the surface it should have taken on a
postmark, were used on mobile revenue stamps, although they were not
meant to circulate by mail.(fig 6.5).
The use of revenue stamps within the post is a different field that is not the
subject of this paper.

Fig. 6.5
Personal machine for applying PERFINS Fig 7.5

Fig. 7.5
Here, we can also identify two categories.
-the large ones, used particularly for the simultaneous application of the
PERFIN on the postmark and on the form, in order to authenticate, some of
them stand for the signature of a mandated person, similar to the
cancellations of mobile stamps bearing signatures.(fig 8.5).

Fig. 8.5
-customized PERFINS meant to eradicate abuse at the expense of the company
that were encountered within the postal circuit, but are included in the catalogues, in
special chapters (fig 9.5)

Front side

Verso C.A.P. PERFIN

Animal selling ticket (watermark)

Front side M.J. PERFIN

Application form

(mobile stamp)
Fig.9.5
According to the distribution of fees of sale activities, this procedure was also
used for the administrative documents with a heading, fiscally reinforced by the
application of a dry stamp THE STOCK EXCHANGE OF BUC.; on the verso there are
revenue stamps for invoices and registers cancelled by tearing, bearing PERFINS of
the companies, not included at present in the PERFIN catalogues.(fig.10.5)

PERFIN with AIC insignia 16x8mm

PERFIN with S.W. insignia 15x9 mm

Fig. 10.5

Unused mobile revenue stamps with PERFINS

Fig. 11.5
Although they were used by the Post too, some countries consider the revenue
stamps as non-postage, but the competitions of the collections of revenue stamps are
acknowledged by the International Federation of Philately, having their own
commissioner, unlike the vast number of other non-postage stamps.
The non-postage stamps are those which are not usually marked with the name
of the country or the issuer, and are issued, basically, with the intention of
fundraisings for charity, for advertising or local stamps where there is no post office
(zemstvo).

They are quite rarely categorized, having found examples like the following
throughout the world: propaganda labels, commemorative stickers, exile stamps,
stamps issued by another country, commemorative labels, railway labels, fancy or fun
stamps, political stamps, hotel stamps or vignettes (other than the postmarks issued
by the post).
The domain of the occasional issues should be mentioned, particularly those
regarding cultural events or exhibition activities, on the occasion of which attractive
models were issued, that were highly appreciated among the thematic exhibits.
But the study of this field is not the subject of this paper, our intention is only to
point out the few PERFINS known on this kind of media (fig 12.5).

Railway transportation label cancelled by a pencil

Contribution stamps C.R. PERFIN for the House of Writers

Fig. 12.5
This again proves that the aplication of PERFINS was, and it still is in some countries,
an indisputable method of eliminating reprehensible acts, of simplifying the postal
activities or activities related to post, with extinctions in many fields, often using the
same technical means.

VI
THE ENEMY OF THE POSTMARK
Motivated by the economic boom of the 4th decade of the 20th century, the excessive
increase in the volume of mail brought serious problems to both private companies
and authorities on handling and hoarding the postmarks necessary for forwarding.
In order to eliminate these shortcomings, in 1927 (according to Petre Murea),
the mechanical franking of mail was allowed, actually introduced from 1 January 1929,
by analogy with the foreign countries, the systematization and Westernization of
services being the main purpose of the Romanian Post (official letter of D.G.P.T.T. to
the Ministry of Interior number 214006/1931).
The franking machines (most of them produced by Universal Postal Frankers
Limited) were the hope of relieving private companies (and not only) which could
have saved a lot of money, staff and time (The Official Monitor of 23.01.1930).
If we take into account the fact that there was a perfect control of the amounts
handled for franking mail and the issues related to counting and storage of postmarks
became much simpler, we could easily understand why the mechanic franking flooded
the field of mail forwarding (12 machines in January 1929, 112 in December 1929, 158
at the end of 1940).
For instance, the advantages of Universal 5 franking machine were obvious, as
it could frank any value, allowed the simultaneous use of a location stamp including
the date and address of the company(sometimes even an advertisment), it was was
sealed, being impossible to be used by unsuitable people and particularly, it counted
the mail forwardings, making easier their final counting.
During the reference period, the abusive uses of postmarks had increased
highly, that is why the application of PERFINS was widely used, but this procedure did
not prove faultless, quite often postmarks with PERFINS being used on personal mail
items (abuse at the expense of the company).
There were claims that even the authorities would either transport mail
clandestinely by coaches (official letter 214006/1931), or would use stamped
postmarks for franking (official letter 1560/1932), or they would forward mail in free of
charge envelopes, with a heading, after the revenue stamps had been withdrawn from
circulation (official letter 36487 of 1932), or they would wrongly use registered letters
for simple forwardings.
All together, and each separately, they determined the Post to insist on the
extension of the use of mechanic frankings, advertising through the provider of the
Royal Court, Nicolae Ivanovici who took care of purchasing these products as the
General Agent for Romania (official letter 4589 of 04. 05. 1932).
The mechanic franking was also supposed to cancel the compulsory postmarks,
having clear instructions where they should be stuck so that they could be obliterated.

Only if the instructions were not followed, the compulsory postmarks or the payment
tax postmarks were obliterated by the control stamp of the post offices, the ink
cancellation being quite rare (Emila Drguin F11 of December 1987).
It seems that the franking by automatic machines diminished the interest for the
application of PERFINS, but throughout time, we have the testimony of the philately
pieces (and they were not small in number) mechanically franked while having
PERFINS applied. ( Fig. 1.6 and Annex 2.).

Fig. 1.6
It is certain that, if the last Romanian PERFINS date back to 1953, the fanking by
automatic machines kept on functioning, it still exists today and advances more and
more, being the main enemy of the adhesive postmark.

(annex 1)

LIST OF THE COMPANIES HAVING USED THE

SAME PERFIN ON THE TERRITORY OF SEVERAL
COUNTRIES

(annex 2)

LIST OF THE ROMANIAN COMPANIES WHICH

SIMULTANEOUSLY USED PERFINS ON
POSTMARKS AND MECHANIC FRANKINGS
Page 1
- VOREL Laboratory Piatra Neam machine Universal Postal Frankers
no. 73, lace frame 22x25 mm. C 54 PERFIN emblem C.V..
- SOCEC Publishing House and Bookshop machine Francotypno. 46
lace frame 26x3o mm. S 18 PERFIN SC emblem.
Pag. 2
- Bayer medicine factory machine Francotyp no. 28 lace frame
26x30 mm. B11 PERFIN BAYER emblem.
- Adeverul - Dimineaa Publishing House machine Francotyp no. 29
lace frame 26x30 mm. A11 PERFIN A.D. emblem.
Pag. 3
-The General Bank of Wallachia machine Francotyp no. 10 lace frame
26x30 mm. B75 PERFIN B.G.T.R. emblem.
- Gheorghe Stnoiu Lottery machine Francotyp no. 21 lace frame
26x30mm. G 12 PERFIN GR emblem.
Pag. 4
- MOLDOVA Bank of Bucharest machine Francotyp no. 5 lace frame
26x30 mm. B87 PERFIN B.M. emblem.
-The Romanian Bank of Bucharest machine Francotyp no. 9 lace frame
26x30 mm. B115 PERFIN B.R.emblem.
Pag. 5
- CRISSOVELONI Bank of Bucharest machine Hasler no. 32 lace
frame 28x32 mm. B27 PERFIN B.C. emblem.

-Cartea Romneasc Bucharest machine Hasler no. 36 lace frame

28x32 mm. C42 PERFIN C.R.emblem.
Pag. 6
-The Romanian Credit bank of Bucharest machine Francotyp no. 2 lace
frame 26x30 mm. B43 PERFIN B.C.R. emblem.
-Oelul Poldi Bucharest machine Francotyp no. 74 lace frame 26x30
mm. O9 PERFIN OPemblem.
-2Pag. 7
-Rudolf Mosse S.A. Bucharest machine Francotyp no. 22 lace frame
26x30 mm. R24 PERFIN R.M.emblem.
- Reia Factories and Domaines machine Francotyp no. 4 lace frame
26x30 mm. U4 PERFIN U.D.R. emblem.
Pag. 8
-INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER CORPORATION machine Francotyp no. 55
lace frame 26x30 mm. I7 PERFIN I.H.C.emblem.
- AND REIGER Sibiu machine Universal Postal Frankers lace frame
22x25 mm. PERFIN of unlisted company R.A. emblem
Pag. 9
-BOEHLER S.A. Bucharest machine Francotyp no. 144 lace frame 26x30
mm. O3 PERFIN of unlisted company O.B. emblem.
-Romanian Bank S.A. Bucharest machine Francotyp no. 150 lace frame
26x30 mm. B117 PERFIN B.R. emblem.
Pag. 10
-Nicolaie Ivanovici provider of the Royal Court machine Universal 5 no.
234 lace frame 22x25 mm. N8 PERFIN N.I. emblem.
-The National Bank of Romania, Bucharest machine Francotyp no. 153
lace frame 26x30 mm. B103 PERFIN B.N.R.emblem.
Pag. 11
-Heinrich Frank Shne Braov machine Francotyp no. 136 lace frame
26x3o mm. Ib/1 PERFIN, heraldic badge.
- MOLDOVA S.A. Bank of Iai machine Francotyp no. 47 lace frame
26x30 mm. B91 PERFIN B.M.emblem.
Pag.12
-The Romanian Banking Association, Bucharest machine Francotyp no.
99 lace frame 26x30 mm. S16 PERFIN S.B.R.emblem.
- DURA Electrical Company, Timioara machine Universal Postal
Frankers no.109 lace frame 22x25 mm. D23 PERFIN DURA unlisted
company.
Pag. 13
- HERZ Publishing House, Bucureti machine Francotyp lace frame
26x30 mm. H7 PERFIN HERTZ emblem.

-The Official Journal and the State Printing House, Bucharest machine
Francotyp lace frame 26x30 mm. M31 PERFIN M.O.emblem unlisted
company.

Note
The references to PERFINS were made according to the Catalogue of
Commercial PERFINS Lszl Ers 1996.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lsl Ers Catalogue of the Romanian Commercial
PERFINS, Transfilex Publishing House, Cluj Napoca
1996
Nicolaie Tripcovici Passion, study, competition,
Sport Turism Publishing House, 1985
Vojtech Maxa Roumanian Perfins, RPS 2; 4./1981 and
no.. 1; 3; 4. /1982
Vojtech Maxa Notes on Roumanian Perfins, The
Perfins Buletin no.3/1974
George Pataki More on Roumanian Perfins, RPS no.
4/1982
Tam Llewellyn Eduards Perfins of Roumania, RPHB
no. 1 (31) April 2000
Grogore Racoviceanu Noi contribuii privind mrcile
perforate din Romnia F1/1970
Ed. Konya i T.G. Comnescu PERFINS of Postmarks
F9/1964

Emilia Drguin Study of Stamps on Mechanically

Franked Mail F11 12/1987
Valereiu S. Neaga Special Romanian Stamps until
31. 12. 1947
Iosif Micu Dominant Types of Romanian Mechanic
Frankings, F10/1974
Mircea Ptrcoiu 103 series of Franking Machines
during 1929 1947, F1/2008
Clin Marinescu/tefan Vrtaci Revenue Stamps
used by the Romanian Post 1872 1915, Palimpsest
Publishing House, 2009