When Mexico ran out of paper for stamps?
Mar 28, 2018 23:05:53 GMT
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Post by seigaku on Mar 28, 2018 23:05:53 GMT
In 1887, Mexico issued a set of numeral stamps (Scott 195-211) showing mysterious parallel blue lines on the front, back and often both. Here are some examples, also showing the backs of the same stamps:
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Careful study of the patterns of blue lines reveals that the stamps were printed on ledger paper, and perhaps the printers had run out of paper and used whatever was at hand.
The perforations are another unusual feature of this series, with perf 6 apparently being the most common (on the basis of dealer prices), though the issue is officially perf 12. The perf 6 stamps are nearly impossible to separate by hand, and most examples can be seen to be cut by scissors. Compound perfs also exist, differing horizontally and vertically, and in some cases changing within a single stamp.
This peculiar perforation problem seems to have been the result of poorly adjusted or deteriorating perforation equipment. The combs used to perforate the stamps consist of alternating long and short pins (presumably to reduce any tendency to crease the paper when the comb strikes the paper). The perf 6 pattern arises if the combs are not close enough to the paper for the short pins to reach the surface of the stamps. There are also indications that the comb was closer at one end of the sheet than at the other, so that perf 6 and perf 12 may occur in the same sheets.
Of course, there are also cases of forged lines, but the forgeries are supposedly easy to recognize (I have yet to see one). The forged lines are usually only on the back side, are often black rather than blue, sometimes are diagonal, and tend to be closer together than the 9mm spacing characteristic of the ledger paper.
cdn image hosting
Careful study of the patterns of blue lines reveals that the stamps were printed on ledger paper, and perhaps the printers had run out of paper and used whatever was at hand.
The perforations are another unusual feature of this series, with perf 6 apparently being the most common (on the basis of dealer prices), though the issue is officially perf 12. The perf 6 stamps are nearly impossible to separate by hand, and most examples can be seen to be cut by scissors. Compound perfs also exist, differing horizontally and vertically, and in some cases changing within a single stamp.
This peculiar perforation problem seems to have been the result of poorly adjusted or deteriorating perforation equipment. The combs used to perforate the stamps consist of alternating long and short pins (presumably to reduce any tendency to crease the paper when the comb strikes the paper). The perf 6 pattern arises if the combs are not close enough to the paper for the short pins to reach the surface of the stamps. There are also indications that the comb was closer at one end of the sheet than at the other, so that perf 6 and perf 12 may occur in the same sheets.
Of course, there are also cases of forged lines, but the forgeries are supposedly easy to recognize (I have yet to see one). The forged lines are usually only on the back side, are often black rather than blue, sometimes are diagonal, and tend to be closer together than the 9mm spacing characteristic of the ledger paper.