I Found Something Really Odd While Watermarking

Like I said I tend to look so hard I can make up things in my head and sort of force the issue. If it was USPS watermark it wouldn't be solid script so I should have rulled that out. Maybe I looked into a kaleidescope to much as a kid.

The mystery is solved,
how about this for serendipity! (see fig2)

http://www.philatelicfoundation.org...inal_gum.htm

Nice find Rod - that is assuming I.L.S's stamp is mint.

Good point BeeSee,
I have to point out Nitrolures actually solved this first
after reading his post.

So back to the start...246 or 264? I don't think it's ultramarine so we can rule out #247 and obviously no "triangles" so it's defiantly not a 219 (got plenty of those) I think I'll just call it a #264 and move on to the next one.

http://www.theswedishtiger.com/ID219.html


This is what Rod was talking about but it's not mint so no gum to contend with.

Well, if it is in the paper, not the gum,
that seems to me to be fairly weird.
Obviously it has been in the vicinity of the perf pins.

I think it possible that after the sheets was perforated the sheets was stacked or pulled tightly on a roll to have enough pressure on them to do that and there was probably some kind of moisture content leftover from the printing. Again just my guess and 246 is more likely as I cannot discern a watermark on any part of that stamp that looks anything like a type 191 (double line) but there may be a "stitch watermark"

I know you want to put this to bed and move on- I really believe the illusion of a stitch line is caused from those perf idents. Using the logic from the link rod posted the indents likely caused a disturbance even possible gum cracking along those perf indents . Also the later part of the century the paper making processes were far better and larger so stitches were all but obsolete although not impossible. I seriously thought the same on my Nova Scotia issues with the perf dents.

Nitro-
There is no gum (it's well used) and I can see stuff tat I'm incapable of posting due to resolution issues and I otherwise would agree with you but you can't exactly see what I do~ HOWEVER~ the odds are just so far not in my favor of it being a stitch wmk. that I'm inclined to just agree with you. I think it's just a junky stamp that I spent too much time on. Thank you though for your input I'm much obliged and it was fun anyways!