Numeral Queens issue

Again this time left upper triangle notice a vertical line added to enclose those horizontal lines.Now see if your Unitrade mentions it.

In looking at my copies I can confirm your findings for the most part! I have one 1/2¢ showing the opening under the top line in the UR spandrel. I agree that it could be a plate variety, possible from a retouch or something. It would be interesting to look at a full sheet and try to determine what position it is from.

On my 1¢ copies there are various states of the vertical line in the in the UL spandrel. When looking at some copies with the microscope (40x) I can see evidence of the vertical line on all copies, though some are very faint or broken up. Could be due to plate wear, or varieties caused when laying down the impression on the plates.

My 2¢ purples show similar pattern to the 1¢, though this time in the LL spandrel. Although on some copies the vertical line appears not to be there, under the microscope there is evidence of a faint or broken line on all my copies. Could be another case of plate wear or inconsistent impressions.

In expanding the observation; My 2¢ carmine stamps all show similar characteristics in the vertical line through Die 1 copies.  The line varies from faint and broken to almost non-visible, but evident under the 40x magnification.  I have only one die 2 copy to examine, and again the vertical line is faint but it is there.

In the interest of being fair I will say Unitrade is the best information out there available in a single publication.The purchase of other reference books are of course an option for further study in some issues.The use of Scott numbers has made life easier and I believe the catalog will be an evolving work even though probably handicapped by that dwindling resource collectors and stamp researchers.

Philately begins where the Catalogue ends.

Do your study, write reports, pass on your knowledge.

Here's another interesting stamp.this time on the twenty cent.Not sure what it is or how it got there any ideas.

thanks Rod.The red just stood out. Weird the marker monkey only made this little line.I'm going through another lot of leafs and numerals.This one included a couple twenty cents which are a somewhat better stamp. Surprised to win it at a reasonable cost.My ocd kicks in and right now the queens are in my head.

Rod that's an amazing piece of postal history and helped me understand why old trans Atlantic covers have the red markings like that on them. It's to emulate a sting! Interesting and I'm grateful for your knowledge that you share. -Jeff

Another curious item I had set aside with my straight edge stamps.At first I thought of booklet single but no such animal exists. 

I agree with Chris, the bottom perfs were likely clipped and there remains what appears to be the top of the rightmost perforation hole.

Another invert this time the numeral issue #88.Another fake notice crooked middle bar of the "e"

Actually Chris there is much controversy about the inverts.If one needs to be expertized than they must exist or it would just state all forgeries period.I believe one was recently found to be genuine.My old Holmes who has one of the Greens as an official listed,did in fact list both inverts so as of 1968 they were indeed fact.

As I said Chris the only source I have that you may not is my old Holmes catalog published in 1968. Nelson had a couple posts regarding these in forgery thread if you do a search maybe you can find them. The man who writes Green certs was part of the list of contributors for Holmes.A good indicator of their existence would be the note they should be expertized.What would be the point if they did not? I have not found a real one yet but hey you never know what may be lurking in old collections eh?

The note under the 1899 provisional issues (#87 & #88) in my 2014 Unitrade reads, in part:

Here a couple of nice re-entries I have found on this issue. Look along the bottom of the design. Spandrel lines and doubling in the Numeral Boxes.