New discovery. SA 2d issue 16

#11 · July 14, 2021, 9:45 am

Quote from Bas PAYNE on July 14, 2021, 9:45 am
Hi Pam:

Sorry, too much short-hand .... and a confusion that's my fault.

RR is short for rows: "RR 17 and 16" is Rows 17 and 16 - and if you are using UHB, I'm afraid I've confused things because I number rows and columns in these stamps differently from UHB (for reasons explained below).

When you look at a whole sheet of these smaller 2d stamps, and hold it with the design upright, the sheet is about 50 cm wide and only about 20 cm high, with 12 rows of stamps and 20 stamps in each row, which is how UHB describes them. The cylinder numbers are at the bottom of the sheet, which is imperforate, and the sheet numbers (4-figure, in red) are also at the bottom of the sheet, printed twice. In UHB terms, the sheet number on the block I figured earlier in this thread is below Columns 4 and 5, with the middle of the first digit (the 5) about 6½mm below the bottom left corner of the bottom stamp in Column 4, and 3½ mm to its right. The sheet would have had a second sheet number in the same position relative to the bottom stamp in Column 15.

The reason I referred to this as relative to Rows 17 and 16 is that I'm looking at sheet numbers in all the different stamps in this set. The reduced 2ds (and the reduced 1½ds) were printed sideways, resulting in what looks like a short wide sheet with the sheet numbers and the cylinder numbers in the bottom margin. The other values, including the large-format 2ds and 1½ds, were printed so that when the sheet is held with the design upright, the sheet is tall and narrow, with 20 rows of stamps in 12 columns (or 6 columns for the large-format stamps), and the cylinder and sheet numbers in the right margin. In these stamps, UHB counts the rows from the top. As this is the normal orientation, and that's the way in which the stamps pass through the printing machine, printed on a roll of paper that's only a little over 20 cm wide, I apply this orientation to the sideways stamps as well, to make comparison with the other values simpler - so the sheet number in the Issue 16 block figured above is, in the notation I use, opposite Rows 17 and 16, with the first digit 6½mm to the right of the bottom left corner of the rightmost stamp in Row 17, and 3½ mm above the bottom of the stamp.

The reason that the positions of sheet numbers is of interest is that it looks as though they may tell us about the number of printings in a particular issue, and allow us to identify stamps from the same printing. In small printings, the available data suggests that the sheet numbers are usually in the same positions in every sheet (to the nearest +/- 2mm), but in issues with many printings, sheet numbers are usually found to group in a number of different positions, each +/- 2mm and characteristic of particular printings.

I hope I haven't confused things further ....

Bas

Hi Pam:

Sorry, too much short-hand .... and a confusion that's my fault.

RR is short for rows: "RR 17 and 16" is Rows 17 and 16 - and if you are using UHB, I'm afraid I've confused things because I number rows and columns in these stamps differently from UHB (for reasons explained below).

When you look at a whole sheet of these smaller 2d stamps, and hold it with the design upright, the sheet is about 50 cm wide and only about 20 cm high, with 12 rows of stamps and 20 stamps in each row, which is how UHB describes them. The cylinder numbers are at the bottom of the sheet, which is imperforate, and the sheet numbers (4-figure, in red) are also at the bottom of the sheet, printed twice. In UHB terms, the sheet number on the block I figured earlier in this thread is below Columns 4 and 5, with the middle of the first digit (the 5) about 6½mm below the bottom left corner of the bottom stamp in Column 4, and 3½ mm to its right. The sheet would have had a second sheet number in the same position relative to the bottom stamp in Column 15.

The reason I referred to this as relative to Rows 17 and 16 is that I'm looking at sheet numbers in all the different stamps in this set. The reduced 2ds (and the reduced 1½ds) were printed sideways, resulting in what looks like a short wide sheet with the sheet numbers and the cylinder numbers in the bottom margin. The other values, including the large-format 2ds and 1½ds, were printed so that when the sheet is held with the design upright, the sheet is tall and narrow, with 20 rows of stamps in 12 columns (or 6 columns for the large-format stamps), and the cylinder and sheet numbers in the right margin. In these stamps, UHB counts the rows from the top. As this is the normal orientation, and that's the way in which the stamps pass through the printing machine, printed on a roll of paper that's only a little over 20 cm wide, I apply this orientation to the sideways stamps as well, to make comparison with the other values simpler - so the sheet number in the Issue 16 block figured above is, in the notation I use, opposite Rows 17 and 16, with the first digit 6½mm to the right of the bottom left corner of the rightmost stamp in Row 17, and 3½ mm above the bottom of the stamp.

The reason that the positions of sheet numbers is of interest is that it looks as though they may tell us about the number of printings in a particular issue, and allow us to identify stamps from the same printing. In small printings, the available data suggests that the sheet numbers are usually in the same positions in every sheet (to the nearest +/- 2mm), but in issues with many printings, sheet numbers are usually found to group in a number of different positions, each +/- 2mm and characteristic of particular printings.

I hope I haven't confused things further ....

Bas