Smudges On Stamps

I seem to have a knack for finding whacky airmail stamps in which it looks like a plane has just dropped a bomb on the earth beneath. In this 1930 airmail stamp from Belgium (SG 560), there is a smudge just above the cityscape that makes it look as if the plane is flying away after having just struck a target:





Detail:





Seriously, though, how often do we find printers' smudges like this on stamps?

Feel free to add your favourite smudges (???) to the thread!

Hi Jimjamtwo

The best answer I can give you is that these 'smudges' happen every now and then and they are not rare. They are more in the freak or oddity classification and might command a few $$ over CV.

If this was a "Constant" variety, then it would command a little more and most catalogues will list constant varieties.

Hope this helps

Chimo

Bujutsu

Bujutsu, thanks for the comment. Do you have any from your own collection that you can show us?

That is cool. I have none myself.
Thanks.

is there a mark on the back side of the stamp in the same spot?

If that is a constant variety, Jimjam, it is a great one! it looks like the plane just dropped a bomb on the town!

Can't think of any similar varieties in my own collection Jimjamtwo, but, if I do come across any, I'll post them.

Chimo

Bujutsu

'is there a mark on the back side of the stamp in the same spot?'

No, there isn't.

'If that is a constant variety, Jimjam, it is a great one!'

It would be nice to think so, but I assume it's just an accident.

The smudge is interesting!

If it was a finger smudge,
should it not be a lighter shade,
than this darker one?
All the lighter, whiter shades of
one off printing flaws are easy to explain.
But darker ones make me look hard
for a constant printing flaw.
Maybe the printers finger already had ink on it.

Hi!jimjam! Nice stamp to collect. John

Well, I honestly don't know what to think about it, KGV.

It's not impossible it was a printer's little joke.

It might have deliberately been inserted with a the end of a fine brush.