World Classic Doppelgängers

A "doppelgänger" is a double, a look-alike, a proxy even. A doppelgänger has also been described as an "evil twin". In so far as stamps, the "evil twin" would be less scarce, more common, and cheaper, at times much cheaper. Which is the good one, and which is the "evil twin", among this pair...

Japan, 1913, and 1924, 1y yellow-green & maroon...

Do you have a set of said twins within your collection, and issued before 1940? If so, by all means, share them with us. Let's have some fun.

My thanks to our fellow member, dandow, and for prompting me to examine that pair more closely.

I can't speak to the Japanese pair above but I would venture that many Definitive sets from a lot of countries fall into this category. The slightest change can also have significant impacts on value as well, whether it be slight colour variations, perfs, watermarks, a tiny design change, etc etc.

Paper and the retouch?

There appears to be a shift upwards of the top character as shown, making it closer to the top frame. The character also looks slightly different.

There is also a slight shift towards the right side. Both shifts do not seem to affect the left or bottom sides


Peter

Looks like the die sizes are different, the left one is taller than the right. It looks like they are both on granite paper, but according to Scott the big difference between 1913 and 1924 is the watermark or lack thereof.

Corner points are different

The one on the right, within the original post's image, has received so much attention, and as it turns out, for good reason, for that's the "cookie", the one of 1913...




The maroon of 1913 is brighter, richer...

The yellow-green of 1913 is too....

But then, these are used.

Yes, the "diamonds" at the corners of each do differ somewhat, and the maroon portion of the design does shift over towards the left, of 1924; no surprise there. The same of 1913 shifts, too, to the left as well, although not as drastically. Yes, the dies do differ...

Flat-plate, "Gutenberg" printings are the best.

I would not go out of my way to purchase either one, unless I wanted to assemble either set. I can't recall from where these two came. They may have been my father's, or I got them in the city in the 1990s, or from a combination of both sources. I may just try to assemble the set of 1913, as I do prefer first printings, and throughout my collection.

In the end, the one of 1924 is the doppelgänger, the "evil twin".

Just_fella, why are you scratching your head? You appear to have doubts, as to something or other. Share your concern(s).

Looking at the images they both appear flat plate, rotary has much cleaner lines?

BILLSEY gave you the correct answer , the die sizes are different . See the difference below .

The old die is 19x22.5

The 1y doppelgänger is definitely of 1924. I made measurements...

Incidentally, I never use the end of a ruler.

I know what you mean about "cleaner" lines. I refer to them as being wire-like. Rotary-press printings are also blurred a bit, compared to a flat-plate printing. I do see finer, almost wire-like, more well-defined, cleaner lines within the doppelgänger, when compared to those of 1913.

It seems to be toss-up between the flat-plate and rotary-press types of 1924. I'll try to find a known rotary-press example in future.

Floortrader, are both of those from 1924? They seem to be. Are they for sale?

Moving on, I do wish others would share their own pairs. Here's another...

1911, and 1926, 1r brown & green...

There's more there than meets the eye.

Incidentally, which is the doppelgänger?

I'm mixing ink there.

typo vs litho?