Different Colors, Different Catalog Treatment - U590

U590 comes in two colors:



and the second has its own catalog number, U590a (not cheap):



Pay attention when you go thru those dollar boxes. And have a copy of this guy handy:

The UPSS list 10 different types of the U590 3.5 cent authorized non profit stamps- Seven of the purple and two of the violet. UPSS #'s 3641-3546

I suppose this example of a U590 from my collection is one of the so-called color varieties that falls somewhere between the two examples previously shown.



One thing I never realized before is that it has a "USA" diagonal watermark in the envelope. (It's not mentioned that way in the Scott Catalog.)

Actually, the watermark is not laid out diagonally on the paper. The envelope blank is cut diagonally out of the web (huge roll of paper that feeds the press). Here is a diagram of how unfolded envelopes are arranged on the web:



This example uses watermark 50. The U590 comes with watermarks 47, 48A, and 49A, which all use the USA and the star in their own unique patterns. Each is aligned with the direction of the web.

Of course, once you cut the blank out of the web and fold it into an envelope, the watermark appears diagonal to the face of the envelope.

What color does this error stamp glow? Mine glows orange red.

The error, U590a, uses the ink from U592. I get a green glow on an example U592 I put under the light.

So what Can I be seeing ? It glows orange like air mail tagging.

Very odd. I recommend sending it in for a cert.

Here is a picture. not the greatest but this under UV lamp. This looks a little brighter than actual view.

Here is the full cover in normal light.

So any ideas of what I am seeing? Does this ink have air mail tagging?

I don't have access right now to a U590 (to provide another example for verification). Won't until late March (unless I can find one in a dollar box at ARIPEX).

Maybe another follower of this thread can provide another example of a U590 under the light.

3193zd,

While I don't actively collect these here is my two cents. I wouldn't expect this to be a tagged issue since it is a nonprofit issue. The orange glow you see I have seen on a number of regular stamp issues. You can find issues where for the same stamp some will have inks that glow under LW UV and/or SW UV and others don't. This is typically associated with the red, yellow or orange inks. In the case of these color inks some have fluorescent properties and in other cases what appears to be the same ink is dead. One example is the 20cent Seasons Greeting block of four. The red ink on some is dead and on others it glows orange. Another case closer to your color is the 13cent Telephone Centennial stamp. On some the purple ink is dead and on others it has an orange glow. The glow in these two cases is from fluorescent ink being used. In these two cases you can't tell the different under normal light.

Here is where I am going to go out on a limb and speculate. In your example a distinguishing difference appears to be one that is printed with a luminescent ink in the other wasn't. Do you have a U592 and have you looked at it under LW UV (black light)? SW UV will highlight the tagging if U592 is tagged. Look at them under LW UV.

Thanks Mstocky! I don't have another or normal U592. Or a U592A tagged error to compare to. I have other values from that series and no glowing as issued.