6c Small Queen Pitted Plate Flaw

I won this ebay auction for a pitted b pane plate pos 7 later progression of pitting. It shows the known pitting in the S- A-G of POSTAGE and also additional pitting in the O of POSTAGE and the N-A of CANADA. Awaiting delivery and will send pictures to Bill Burden.

By pitting do you mean corrosion build-up? If it was just holes in the plate wouldn't it leave white spaces where the metal did not contact with the paper?

Engraved printing the ink is in recesses in the printing plate. When the paper is applied to the plate the ink is transferred to the paper. If a plate is scratched or pitted those recesses will also hold ink and will become part of the printing on the sheet of paper. A damaged or altered plate for example retouches, damage from foreign objects, and plate cracks to name a few will hold ink and these show up on printed stamps.

Here are some better pictures with stamp now in hand and link to listed plate flaw on Bill Burden's website. I sent these pictures to Bill and he quickly replied "good stuff".
http://www.wgburden.com/six_pages/6F28.2.html

I know that you seems to be looking for errors or print flaws in the first place, but just to be sure, did you see that there seems to be a problem with the perforations?



My guess is that the bottom perf are fake from a strait edge. Not sure of the top perf too since it seems that there are some "double perf" at position (from the left) 3, 4, 8 and 10. Note sure if it could be normal on this issue, but it is suspect. The side perf seems to be OK.

Also, is that a tear on the upper left corner? It seems to be something like 2-3 mm...

I hope this was disclosed when you purchased... Else, you may decide to keep it anyway, but might have overpaid for it.

I agree pepere, bottom is reperfed. Not good.

Good eye pepere_jack ...Hope this stamp came cheap.

I did notice the possible tear, but did not notice re-perf. The possible tear appears to be something in the paper. I am very happy with the stamp for the price I paid. Do you think this is a tear?

It look like the paper is [ripped] (let's say "disturbed") on the front but not from the back... We can see that there is defenitely something seen from the back... Could-it be a repaired tear (like rebacking only on this section to seal the tear and not much could have been done on the front without affecting the design)? Only a suggestion...

Whatever it is I am thrilled with this stamp. Just the pitting flaws on the O rival the "Vampire Bite". The huge pitting mark on the N is desirable and the rest is documented. You may also notice that there is additional pitting in the oval and on the top of the Queen's head.

Not to mention A and P. More pitting here than Small has Pox.


A-P-O-oval-head