tony
**Member** 
Posts: 8
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Post by tony on Sept 24, 2022 13:32:43 GMT
 Hi I am new to TSF but wanted to get involved so here goes (also posted on another forum for advice - comments) I have recently purchased a bunch of stamps from an auction all stamp swere from an ex dealers stock and among these was an SG 117 identified as 1S green plate 4 WMK spray used blunt perfs Pretty unasuming until I studied the stamp I noticed that the left hand plate number looks more like a 6 or malformed 6 and the right plate number clearly a 4 I keep looking at the stamp and can see 4 and 6 depending on what angle I review the stamp hopefully from the image attached a top down view you will be able to see what I mean. My questions therefore for any GB specialists is there any precedence for such 'optical illusion' or just plain malformed plate numbers? I did a little research and was interested to learn about the Stock Exchange forgeries of this particular stamp although I dont beleieve this stamp to be a forgery more a miss print ? any thoughts I will add a poll if I can to see if people beleieve this to be a 4 or 6 just for interest best regards Tony |
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stainlessb
Member 
qaStaHvIS yIn 'ej chep
Posts: 4,642
What I collect: currently focused on most of western Europe, much of which is spent on France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain Queen Victoria
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Post by stainlessb on Sept 24, 2022 17:18:22 GMT
although I can see the left plate number as a "6" I canalso see it as a poorly struck 4 (or perhaps the one on the right is a heavy stamp). It is an interesting optical illusion- If i blink it looks more 6 like and then if I look away and then back it's a 4.
Nice observation!
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tony
**Member**
Posts: 8
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Post by tony on Sept 24, 2022 17:28:49 GMT
Many thanks Stanley for your comments
other comments I have had from another forum suggest
"Enlarging it shows more like a malformed 6 than 4 on the left, and a definite 4 on the right. The 6 has no lower left arc - as a 4 it has no real upright."
"Appears to be a malformed 4 at the left"
"The widths of the members of the 4 don't appear to jive with each other, even were one malformed"
I eagerly anticpate others views
best regardsTony
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vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,264
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Sept 24, 2022 18:04:52 GMT
Definitely not a 6 Tony. It is a 4 with the sloping stroke slightly curved at the top. The vertical stroke is partly obscured by two ink smudges above and below the crossbar but the vertical white line is complete.
I think if the cancel had been tidier/ less generous the 4 would be obvious. Possibly slightly bent but definitely a 4 .
incidentally all the Stock Exchange forgeries were used on telegraph forms at the London Stock exchange, and all have a circular cancel which reads “STOCK EXCHANGE” with a date , not found with duplex killer cancels.
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tomiseksj
Moderator 
Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
Posts: 6,265 
What I collect: Worldwide stamps/covers, Cinderellas, Ohio Prepaid Sales Tax Receipts, U.S. WWII Ration ephemera
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Post by tomiseksj on Sept 24, 2022 18:12:33 GMT
(Not so) clearly a 4.  |
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vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,264
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Sept 24, 2022 18:25:52 GMT
Here's a forgery , showing how it was used and the only cancel type on these, The vast majority are fake plate 5 or occasionally plate 6 The main indicator is the uneven ( not quite square ) solid colour in the corner letter squares  ![]() |
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tony
**Member**
Posts: 8
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Post by tony on Sept 26, 2022 7:15:58 GMT
All many thanks for your view and comments very informative
best regards
Tony
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