Collecting : My collection 04 b

The next step in my XYZ-qualification is the Y-factor
As told in my previous article, I give a qualification 5 - 0 for 3 mayor aspects of my stamps:

X : perforation quality
Y : centering, margins
Z : gum or cancel quality

The Y-digit:

The second digit is for centering or margins
Some people will consider a good margin (of an unperforated stamp) equal to a good perforation.
In my opion, broad margins on an unperforated stamp doesn't mean the stamp is good quality.
And even stamps with broad margins, can be awfully decentered as well.
This is why I keep perforating as one item, and margins (centering) as the second qualification.

In this second item, again, I give scores from 5 (perfect) to 0 (defect)
But ... this time the 'zero' score, doesn't have to mean the stamp is worthless, on the contrary.

"5" for a perfect centering

X 5 Z

"4" nearly perfect centering, slightly decentered if you measure it

X 4 Z

"3" decentered but still 'acceptable'

X 3 Z

"2" obviously decentered, but image isn't touching the perforation

X 2 Z

"1" the stamp's image is touched by the perforation

X 1 Z

"0" part of the stamp's image is repeated on the other side, due to bad perforation

X 0 Z

If even worse, the stamp becomes interesting again, as then we're talking about a 'perforation error'

For 'margins' of unperforated stamps, the same classification stands,
"5" goes for 4 wide margins,
"4" for 4 normal margins
"3" is for 1 or more narrow margins
"2" when the image touches the border
"1" when the border has partially cut the image of the stamp
and "0" when more then one side is cut off, or the image is repeated on the other side

to be continued ...