Curl Over The "E"

I collect curls on the one cent Franklin, Scott #24. But sometimes, they are hard to see and it can be hard on the eyes.

This stamp has a bad UL corner and was cancelled in both black and red ink. If you look just over the "E" of cents you will see the curl.

They don't come up too often and there is not a huge premium for them. I have several on cover and many more as singles. When I have enough variety, I plan on testing the waters and entering them in a show.

Art

Is there a way you can point it out to us neophytes? In comparing your stamp with the normal stamp on the Swedish Tiger website I am still failing to notice the difference.

Edit: I think I see it, not but not sure if I am right. There is a curled line shaped like a bowl right at the top margin of the stamp. Is that it?

It is just above the "E" in "Cent"

Can you give us a cropped enlarged scan of that area?


-IBFS

As you know, when you enlarge a picture, things get fuzzy.

Thanks. I am edified.

I see what you mean around the upper right over the "E". A loop that looks like the head of a match (from a book of matches). Yep, there's a curl there alright. Don't know how it got there tho.


-IBFS

The process of how the curls get there is described in great detail in the Neiken or Ashbrook reference books. Basically, some foreign material (string, hair, lint) got on the transfer roll and was impressed into the plate that printed the sheet. This is why the curls are pretty much consistently found in certain plate positions. There is more to it than this but you get the idea. What I just said takes up several pages in the ref. books so I won't be surprised if someone finds fault with what I said and corrects me with verbiage from the book.

You can find curls over the "e", over the "n", in the "o" on the shoulder, in the hair, around the frame and you have double curls. Then come the flaws, the cracks, the blobs and double transfers. To me, this is the most interesting stamp produced by the U.S. and we can thank the poor quality control and the rush orders for them.

Art

Thanks for that insight Art, I did not know about this. I think now about what stamps came from other foreign material on plates.


-IBFS

Hey Art, how can you forget about "mottleing"? :)
All kidding aside, I did pick up another type Va. and it's also an "A" relief, and it's a really nice copy. I've been way too busy to post lately but I'll try to get a picture of the new Va when I get a chance. Ray

Hi Ray,

I haven't seen anything from you in awhile, glad your back. Those Va's can be tough to find, for sure. I recently picked up a couple more curls on cover and a couple of singles.

Have you seen that cover from a mutual friend? It's a 97R2, 98R2, & 99R2 (Imperf) in a strip of 3! The cover is a gem! Check your Neiken (1972, pg 194) to see what I mean, types II, III & IIIa. WOW, it makes me drool and I already put dibs on it.

What shows are you planning on next? Perhaps we can hook up again?

Art