What Caused This Mottling In The Margins?

I'm curious as to what caused what looks like ink splatter in the margins of this stamp. Could this have come from soaking? I don't recall ever seeing anything like this before.

Welcome to the forum oldcrow

Not being an expert on US stamps, my only 'guess' would be over-inking (?)

Chimo

Buutsu

Over-inking was my first thought, but somehow it doesn't look like other examples I've seen.

I suspect that the plate was just not cleaned properly before the next impression was made. It happened a lot back then.

You can ask some of our older members as they may have been the ones that did it. ;) Then again, probably not, but they do know a lot about this kind of thing.

Art

James done it I bet... Seriously though I would agree with Artlaunier on this as I run into these on occasion albeit not as extreme though. I like it!

spelling error fix...lol

Here is my simular but not quite as extreme . Not even sure which type this one is but as you can see same basic issue . Now that I look closer whats with the dot in lower right star?

While we can criticize these stamps due to these imperfections, one must remember that this dates back to the late 1800s back when we had few of the printing technologies offered to us in the 21st century.

Personally, I would long to go back to some of those older issue designs, even with some printing imperfections. The detail used in the engravings, the subject matter, even the very look of those stamps brings one back to the day when postage stamps were an eye-pleasing collectible which in no way can compare to what we are offered today in US Postage Stamps.

HEY!
Believe it, if it were me, I'd have several in my collection.

never mind... my mistake I realize it's the wrong stamp but great info anyway so I'll keep it up..

Did you also know that this particular design was uneven in it's dimentions?! It was designed by Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. who got the contract for the new 10¢ stamp because effective April 1, 1855, the rate for letters conveyed a distance of 300 miles (or greater) would be changed from 6¢ to 10¢ per 1/2 oz. so they was basically rushed into production and as a result the top and bottom of the design is not horizontal resulting in the design being higher on the right side and lower on the left side!



Also, only two different plates were produced. Each plate produced a sheet of stamps consisting of 2 Panes of 100 stamps, 10 stamps across by 10 stamps down, a left side and a right side with a centerline dividing them. Plate 1 was in use from May of 1855 until May of 1859, while plate 2 was used from late May of 1859 until demonitization in 1861. The full design was not transferred onto all of the reliefs resulting in different "types".

There were 3 different reliefs:

Relief "A"


Relief "B"


Relief "C"

JAMES:



You never know James..I just may have one you can have... If I can find it!

Some may see this anomoly as an imperfection but to me it couldn't be more perfect. Almost gives the effect of marbelized paper even more so on oldcrows example. Once being a printer (not quite as far back) I remember many issues where chemicals would do many odd things to inks and of course oil and water don't mix so a damp rag could create this effect.