Pei #11 Two Stamps Look Different

First stamp shows stamp with clear image and thinner lines

Second stamp shows much darker image. Dots on background appear as if they are doubled. Lines around queen appear darker. Hair and crown much darker and less clear. Eye is darker and seems to have bushy eyebrows.

Both stamps are dirty especially the second stamp.

Bwdavis, I checked my copies and was able to detect a difference in the darkness of the background dots. The first image dots are darker than the second stamp. I also noticed for the first time a white dot in front to Queen Victoria's nose on the first image.

bwdavis..Does that second stamp have cancellation on it...???

I removed the black on it and put my image adjusted stamp next to yours.

The stamp has full gum (light hinge mark). The marks look like dirt. On second stamp the letters look like somebody tracing with a pencil. I have wondered about a cancel but with fill gum this is not likely;

The horizontal line is from the mount used to hold the stamp while scanning.

Hey bwdavis, you may have a point about some one using a pencil.

Look at the blow up portion of your picture...The lines up and down as if some one was pencilling it in the "A" seem to go up and down and the letter "R" seem to go side ways...

Looking at my PEI#11 I notice that the dots in the lower left corner look rather heavy, like your second example. Perhaps over inking or worn plates?




Some of the white areas show a little dirt.

Mine also seems to have a small flaw, missing part of the vertical line near the lower right numeral 1.

These stamps were
typographed, which is basically the opposite of line engraving. Re-entries
occur only on engraved stamps, due to a misapplication of the transfer roll
on the plate.

Typographed stamps were printed from plates made up of a number of cliches
which were usually 'grown' on a lead mould by electroplating. The cliches
were then either bound together in a frame holding the number of cliches
needed for a full plate, or they were soldered together before being used to
print. The areas where the cliches came together were often raised, like the
raised areas of the cliches that did the actual printing. These were
sometimes flattened out by hammering, or they were simply left alone. These
raised areas, mostly in the form of lines, would then pick up ink and print,
resulting in the type of line you see on your stamp. These are extremely
common on typographed stamps and indeed are often mistaken for re-entries.

Indeed, this could explain the many variations you can find on PEI stamps,
as every single cliché could well be different.

Are you aware of the series of 6 books that Ken Kershaw has published on the
plating of PEI stamps? They are published by BNAPS (British North America
Philatelic Society) and are available through Ian Kimmerly Stamps, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada...See attached screenshot from Kimmerly's website
(iankimmerly.com). (BNAPS members receive a 40% discount on all
BNAPS-published books.)

You might wish to share this info with the Stamp Community group.

Best wishes,

Ralph