Volume 38 * Number 20 * January 28 - February 10, 2014 Page 22, Philatelic Bookshelf by Michael O. Nowlan "Exploring Boer War's postal history, perforation changes of 1962"
Since my last post I have been on a peregrination to find whatever I could of these varieties. I ordered and have rec'd Julian Goldberg's booklet "The Canadian Stamp Perforation Change of 1962". From that source I learned that there are 9 regular issues (plus 7 Postage Dues) that have dual perforations. Sixteen so far... there is a possibility of finding more.
I have discovered that my trick of holding up two blocks to the light is NOT a very reliable way of telling the difference between perfs. So I ordered and have rec'd the Canadian Specialist Gauge by Kiusalas. I can indeed distinguish between perfs using it with a magnifying glass. Of the 16 issues, only two can be easily acquired - the 2¢ Wilding (#340) and the 10¢ Eskimo (#351) - by plate number. The rest will require an obliging stamp dealer (of which I hope there are many in this fine community) who has a stock of these plate blocks. I can't see myself buying block after block to test the perfs of this latter group because some are perf 12 - 66 (old) and some are perf 12 - 67 (new).
In my humble opinion, this perforation change is as important as any other, like the #1764 Christmas Angel of the Last Judgement (1998) or the 6¢ Centennial Transportation definitive. It's just very difficult to detect.
The easiest way to do this is to get two different stamps in multiples such as a block. For the old perforation get Canada # 400 and for the new perforation get Canada # 401. These two can then be used to compare against when checking out other stamps, especially those stamps that look alike. These are the actual two stamps that I take along with me when looking at dealers' stocks. What is hard to find are those older stamps that have had long runs which have the new rarer perforations instead of the old ones which are more common.
After reading Goldberg's booklet, buying a new perf gauge, and surfing ebay, I was able to track down four of the old/new perfs. (#338, #351, #362, #399) Not bad, I think. I guess that's it, sadly, because, as I said before, I don't/will never have a stack of blocks to compare. I wonder if anyone else is trying to find these perf changes?
Canada # 338 plate 20 new perfs and plates 1 to 19 old perfs. Canada # 351 plate 5 new perfs and plates 1 to 3 old perfs and plate 4 mostly old perfs (and some new perfs). Canada # 362 plate 4 mostly new perfs (and some old perfs) and plates 1 to 3 old perfs. Canada # 399 plate 1 both old and new perfs.
I just use Canada # 400 plate block as a template for the old perforations and Canada # 401 plate block as a template for the new perforations. I take these with me to make comparisons when I visit dealer shops and stamp shows.
It is a hunt to find these stamps since they are overall scarcer except for the ones above and dealers have not separated them out since they are not aware of them yet as they are not mentioned in the Unitrade Canada catalog, but they do exist out there to be found.
They cover the Wilding Issue definitives including the higher denominations above the 6c and the Fourth Postage Due Issue. Thus, if you specialize in these issues, you should look into this.
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Posted 01/26/2014 11:15 pm
