1d Red Plate 22 Identification and Plating Guide

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1d Red Die 1, Plate 22 - Identification and Plating Guide

Introduction:

This CD includes 482 scans, two for each position, one @ 360dpi which can used for quick comparison of Check Letter positions and another composite scan @ 1200 dpi (or @ 600dpi in a few instances) to show detail such as VGLs, Die Dots, Basal Shifts etc. These detailed scans also include some additional descriptive text for reference.

For direct comparison of stamps we suggest that a scan of your own stamp (taken @ 360dpi) and the appropriate scan from the CD are each opened into individual windows using Microsoft Paint or any similar image viewing program, then select and copy one of the images so that it can be pasted into the window of the other image for a side-by-side or an overlaid comparison.

The 240 Check Letter positions on this CD have been checked against scans taken from our own stock which includes Dr. Kenneth William Statham’s working reconstruction of plate 22, from other part Reconstructions also scans of some of the Johnny Johnston reconstruction of plate 22 and from scans provided by others. There are no imprimatur sheets of plate 22 for comparison, as such we (where possible) discounted other plates by comparison to the relevant imprimatur photos of those plates.

By clicking any of the check letter positions in the grid below you are able to open an image of the stamp or detailed image in your default web browser. Each image will open in a separate window, meaning that you can open more than one at a time to compare images or to be able to work with both the main image and the detailed image at the same time.

detail

Second State Impressions

detail

General Observations for plate 22

Die Dot: Is to be found in the Left Margin approx ¼mm from the Left side of the Printing and level with the base of the Queen’s bottom lip. There are often similar, but incidental, dots to be seen in this region and care should be exercised in determining which, if any, is a Die Dot. We believe it is possible to find printings from most positions that will show this minute feature (extremely Weak to Strong) however, it is a feature that is subject to Wear so the lack of the Die Dot should not be given great significance. As such we have not included its presence or lack thereof as a characteristic but we have highlighted its position on a few images to show examples for reference purposes only.

Line Breaks to Top of N/E square: To avoid any confusion we have adopted the description “Double Break” (good example to be seen in the image for position JA ) for Check Letter positions AA-JH - as used by Dr Statham (The Essential Guide to the GB Line Engraved 1d & 2d Stars 1840-1864 Vol. 3) and as suggested by the illustrations found in The Plating of The Penny 1840-1864 Vol. 1 (Fisher/Brown). However, some printings (see images BJ, EB and EF) show a weakness that would be better classified as a Triple or Multiple Break. It is also worth noting that the “Single Break” generally attributed to Check Letter positions JI to TL can be indistinct on some Printings and shows only as a Weakness on others.

Vertical and Horizontal Guide Line (VGL & HGL): Fine hairlines were lightly scribed onto the Plate to provide a placement grid of 240 individual rectangles over which to centre the transfer roller to ensure impressions would be in straight lines (vertically and horizontally). As we know most impressions were not perfectly placed and this resulted in the scribed lines being included in areas of the design. For the most part these lines would be lost during the removal of “Burr” (by scraping and burnishing) but it was not possible to clean away those traces which were inadvertently included within the design without affecting the surrounding detail. So these were left and many show on some printed stamps as guidelines. VGLs can often be seen in the N/E and (less common) S/E squares, traces can also be found (to varying extent) in the Border Network between the N/E and S/E squares. HGLs are not so common on Plate 22 but if present they would likely appear approximately level with the top of the value. Guide Dots such as the “L” Row Guide Dots (Punched dots used to delineate the position for the horizontal hairlines) often show a very fine, small part, HGL attached (difficult to see on many Printings).

Misplaced Check Letters: There are many misplaced letters to be found on this plate - not surprising when considering the very small size of the Check Letter Punch and the Check Letter squares themselves. It was extremely difficult to ensure perfect placement and it was not until some time later that the long handle Punch holder (with it’s head of a size equal to the Check Letter square) was introduced.

Leaning (Tilted) Check Letters: references to direction of lean (East or West) refer to the direction in which the top of the letter is leaning or tilted towards.

Basal Shifts: AE and MJ exhibit moderate evidence of this Base Line variety, however, some of the other positions (i.e. FC, OE, OJ and TB) exhibit only a very slight thickening to the Base line with a weak doubling of the Base to one or more corner square, we have suggested these as “slight” Basal Shifts. Some of these are oblique (where the relief on roller has been sunk/rolled into the plate at a very slight angle to the main impression creating some separate detail which then merges into the main impression at some point). Others have attributed such doubling to a Low HGL, however, the positions of the “L” Row Guide Dot on this plate (mostly at a level equal to the top of the value) might be considered as a reason to question this attribution.

Fresh Entry: QB & TA are examples where the transferred impression was clearly misplaced, this original impression was then removed by burnishing and a new impression (Fresh Entry) rocked in. Traces of these original misplaced impressions (not effectively cleaned away) show up on the subsequently printed stamps.

A very big thank you to those who supplied scans and advice, especially to Mr R. Cassell and Mr S. Treacey also to Mr M. Jenkins, Mr M. Roberts, Mr T. Slemons and Mr I. Wright. With a very special thank you to Mr A. Claridge and to Mr G. Holmes.