Anping
Departed
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Posts: 533 
What I collect: Hong Kong, Aden & States & odd stuff I like.
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Post by Anping on Apr 20, 2017 1:35:47 GMT
Below are the 2 cent and 4 cent values issued from 1863, with the newly adopted Crown CC watermark. In the process of trying to scan these, I found that my Vuescan scanning software was wrongly calibrated; the gray colours causing me most trouble. Although not 100% perfect, these are pretty close to the originals (at least on my monitor). Why the fuss? Because the range of shades of the 4 cent were all showing as a blue-grey, yet they are quite distinct. They do though present a challenge as there are intermediary shades for each catalogue listed shade. The 2 cent values:The 2 cent copies show the shades: Deep brown; brown; and pale brown. I have shown the pale brown copies as left and right wing margin examples. These are not a joined pair, but merely a representation of how they would look on a sheet. Wing margins were eventually eliminated in 1880. The 4 cent values: The 4 cent copies show the shades: Grey; slate; deep slate; greenish-grey; and bluish slate. The greenish grey pair are very odd. At first glance, they appear as though they were printed from a different plate. However, this may be attributed to the ink mixture; seemingly very waxy. I have another pair of this shade plus a singleton, and they all exhibit the same characteristics (in fact the other pair seem to be from the same sheet, indicated by the exact same mis-perfing). The bottom three copies are the P12½ varieties. It is estimated that between 50 and 100 sheets were so produced. This compares with 17,500 sheets produced for the whole range of shades for the other normally perforated (P14) 4 cent stamps. It is believed that the normal comb-head perforating machine used at Somerset House broke down and the printers themselves (De La Rue) used their own rough perforation hand machine to complete that particular order. But the perforating needles were blunt, leading to poor penetration of the paper. It can be seen on two of the copies, the perforation 'chad' still remains attached.
The other copy is a P12½ inverted watermark example, where someone has carefully remove the chad and slightly trimmed one edge, not realising that this was a distinct and very scarce variety. This particular copy was used in Shanghai; the only recorded place of use. So it is possible that only one inverted watermark sheet existed. |
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Anping
Departed
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Posts: 533
What I collect: Hong Kong, Aden & States & odd stuff I like.
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Post by Anping on Apr 20, 2017 12:52:04 GMT
Here is another image of the greenish-grey 4 cents values. These are the two pairs that I mentioned before. If these were from the same sheet, it would appear that shade differences could possibly have occurred, due to inconsistent inking. The registration of the ink has rendered the design rather woolly and indistinct. I have yet to find a copy of this shade well centred and properly inked. |
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Anping
Departed
Rest in Peace
Posts: 533
What I collect: Hong Kong, Aden & States & odd stuff I like.
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Post by Anping on Apr 20, 2017 23:26:43 GMT
Here's an enlargement of the perf 12½ variety shown previously and another showing a different shade: |
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Ryan
Member 
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,720
What I collect: If I have a catalogue for it, I collect it. And I have many catalogues ....
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Post by Ryan on Apr 21, 2017 16:30:06 GMT
I can see subtle differences between some of the stamps - for example, the shape of the "C" in "CENTS" of the top pair in your second post above. Do serious collectors attempt to plate this issue? Are there any varieties that are sought after? (At the "flyspeck" level, not the large differences like the broken crown you noted in another thread.)
And by the way, I really like that mock up of the wing margin pair you show - I don't think I've ever seen a genuine pair of those before. Were sheets provided to sales counters with wing margin pairs still intact, or were they always broken into individual panes first? There is a Canadian equivalent to that - the 1934 Cartier issue can be found with a gutter margin between stamps. This block (nabbed from a Sparks Auctions listing) shows the wider margin at the centre. Not as dramatic as the view you'd get with those wing margin stamps, though ....
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Anping
Departed
Rest in Peace
Posts: 533
What I collect: Hong Kong, Aden & States & odd stuff I like.
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Post by Anping on Apr 21, 2017 19:01:01 GMT
I can see subtle differences between some of the stamps - for example, the shape of the "C" in "CENTS" of the top pair in your second post above. Do serious collectors attempt to plate this issue? Are there any varieties that are sought after? (At the "flyspeck" level, not the large differences like the broken crown you noted in another thread.) And by the way, I really like that mock up of the wing margin pair you show - I don't think I've ever seen a genuine pair of those before. Were sheets provided to sales counters with wing margin pairs still intact, or were they always broken into individual panes first? There is a Canadian equivalent to that - the 1934 Cartier issue can be found with a gutter margin between stamps. This block (nabbed from a Sparks Auctions listing) shows the wider margin at the centre. Not as dramatic as the view you'd get with those wing margin stamps, though .... The subtle difference you see in the shape of the 'C', is undoubtedly caused by bad inking. Overall, few plate errors occurred across all the QV issues. There are certainly 'fly speck' types which are constant, but these tend to be tiny breaks in frame lines or characters. There is the occasional minor plate scratch too. These are all documented. There is one notable variety which is listed (at least in Gibbons) and that is found within the same 1863 series; on the 30 cent mauve and the 30 cent vermilion. Here is the portion of the stamp showing the flaw; the broken bottom characters GKON: This is a rather pricey variety. Regarding your question about wing margins: I don't think anyone could say for certain; but looking at it from a practical point of view, it is likely the sheets must have been split. Because each pane was 60 stamps across, it would need a wide counter book to house 120 stamps. I don't think I have ever seen a joined wing margin pair of QV stamps in reference books or auction catalogues. However, there is the possibility that such pairs could have been obtained by 'special favour'. Interpanneau pairs were indeed obtained for much later post-Victoria issues; those with a 'gutter margin' as you mentioned. As I stated in an earlier post, early collectors did not like wing margin copies, probably because they upset the 'balance' of their album pages. I see countless copies on the market, where such trimming has ruined really fine specimens. Yet some of these still command very respectable prices, mainly due to their sparsity; especially mint/unused copies. |
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Anping
Departed
Rest in Peace
Posts: 533
What I collect: Hong Kong, Aden & States & odd stuff I like.
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Post by Anping on Apr 21, 2017 20:42:36 GMT
Ryan
When I see examples such as shown in your Canadian block, I am envious of the effort in design and printing that is sadly missing from Hong Kong stamps. I know those are a much later issue, but commemorative HK stamps in general were never in that league. And I don't really know why, except to say that the Hong Postal Authorities appear to me to have been a bunch of tightwads from the very outset. They seemingly hated spending money on new issues.
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Anping
Departed
Rest in Peace
Posts: 533
What I collect: Hong Kong, Aden & States & odd stuff I like.
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Post by Anping on Apr 25, 2017 0:17:31 GMT
Here is a selection of the 6 cents to 24 cents definitives, showing different shades: The 6 cent value: Lilac; mauve; and bright mauve.The 8 cent value: Pale dull orange; pale-orange-yellow; dull yellow; brown orange-yellow; bright orange (and a pair of brown orange-yellow).The 12 cent value: Pale greenish-blue; blue; pale blue (pair); Deep blue.About 500 sheets out of 4,500 were produced for the pale greenish-blue. This stamp is elusive in good condition, as many were mis-perfed. The reverse shown on the end of the line is a watermark variety with an anomaly. This is a reversed watermark with the CC above the crown instead of underneath it. The misplaced CC may have been caused by a sheet incorrectly pressed by the dandy roller. The 18 cent value: Lilac; pale lilac.One of the toughest stamps of the QV era to obtain in good condition. Only 100 sheets were produced. The 24 cent value: Green; pale green; deep green.
An inverted watermark pale green. |
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Anping
Departed
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Posts: 533
What I collect: Hong Kong, Aden & States & odd stuff I like.
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Post by Anping on Apr 28, 2017 22:07:40 GMT
Here is a selection of the 30 cents to 96 cents definitives, some showing different shades: The 30 cent value: Vermilion; pale orange-vermilion; orange-vermilion.The 30 cent value, issued about 1871: Mauve; bright mauve; dull mauve.This new colour replaced the vermilion because it was difficult to distinguish it from the eight cents in gas light.An inverted watermark variety is shown at the end of the row. The 48 cent value: Pale rose; Rose-carmine; deep rose-carmine; claret.An inverted watermark variety is shown second row centre.About 500 sheets out of 3,700 were produced for the pale rose. The claret shade, although mentioned by Gibbons, does not have a numbered entry. The 96 cent value: Olive-bistre.Only 52 sheets were produced. There has been no explanation why this colour was ever used. The 96 cent value: Brownish-grey; Brownish-black.
A total of 3,800 sheets were produced. An inverted watermark is shown in the centre. |
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Anping
Departed
Rest in Peace
Posts: 533
What I collect: Hong Kong, Aden & States & odd stuff I like.
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Post by Anping on Apr 29, 2017 1:44:04 GMT
I forgot to include the 30 cent mauve 'broken GKON' variety in the previous image: |
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Anping
Departed
Rest in Peace
Posts: 533
What I collect: Hong Kong, Aden & States & odd stuff I like.
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Post by Anping on Apr 29, 2017 11:51:11 GMT
I can see subtle differences between some of the stamps - for example, the shape of the "C" in "CENTS" of the top pair in your second post above. Do serious collectors attempt to plate this issue? Are there any varieties that are sought after? (At the "flyspeck" level, not the large differences like the broken crown you noted in another thread.) Ryan I've just bought this rather scruffy 24 cent on eBay, showing an example of a 'broken frame line' in three places. This one does not appear to be a recorded variety, although one is listed where a break occurs at the right hand side of the same corner ornament. |
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