A Couple New (To Me) Large Queen Varieties 12 1/2 & 15c

Isn't it the back of the 15 cents instead of the 12.5 cents which shows the vertical wove paper above?

You should look again. Clearly in the image you posted the stamp is NOT on its side.

Yes, please check again. The very small notch in the top indicates you have it in the standard (not sideways) position.

HungaryForStamps...Thank you for setting me STRAIGHT.

3Dadeo...I DO apologize..I had the stamp at a tilt, please forgive my stupidity..

If I had a dollar for every mistaken statement I made I would be able to buy some early Colombian airmails.

Not a problem.

If you have a scanner that lets you do grayscale images and adjust the intensity of black and white contrast you can get some real interesting views of watermarks without using fluid.

Here are six stamps I will try and use to demonstrate this:





The back of 3 cent LQ with watermark OTH reversed:





The back of 3c LQ with the bottom of M inverted:





The back of the 2c LQ with top of reversed E watermak:





The back of the 12 1/2c LQ with LU inverted:





The back of 12 1/2c LQ watermarked E:





The back of 12 1/2c LQ with inverted ELL watermark:





Some of these images are clearer than others but it gives you an idea to use if you don't have a tray and watermark fluid handy. Enjoy!

Like a butt head I forgot to stop and get fluid.
Watermark-- I wish I had a nickle for every pic I have enhanced and searched playing with contrast and brightness to see what might be hiding. Even occasionaly get lucky if scans were done at 600x600 and I can perf them as well.
Question with the letters being inverted. I totally understand if paper was printed on the front (watermark reading properly left to right) that when viewed from the back it will be inverted and backwards. However if paper was printed on the other side then we should have a right side up watermark on the back. I am curious wether there was an actual front/ back of the paper per se and if there was enoucg concern given. Basically I would think there could be variants of orientation . Now with the S being one of those letters that could be viewed either way it also makes me wonder if the feed or orientation of the paper could cause it to be viewed either way.
Below is an interesting read from back in the day that goes into quite a search for the backgrounds of both the bothwell and Prie watermarked paper.
http://www.canadianpsgb.org.uk/mpl/...n01-w005.pdf

Hi Nitrolures, Enjoyed the link to the watermarked papers information quite interesting.

From what I have read the stamps were printed on the paper with no consideration to the orientation to the watermark. Apparently the orientation of the Bothwell Watermark is always horizontal to the stamp image as I have never heard of it being vertically oriented. My guess is the sheets were cut in such a way that they only fit in the press with the watermark oriented horizontally. I am not sure if this is true for the script watermark.

I've never seen or heard of a vertical position of these either . With watermarks examples above I'm pretty sure depending on the feed being up /down or top /bottom the letters could be viewd inverted (right to left ) or read the normal way left to right . Tons more to learn on this journey.

watermark: great idea with the scanner, thanks

nitrolures: if you found a watermark reading normally (not inverted), or vertical, you could probably sell it for the big bucks, like watermark's 2c LQ

Well after using fluid there is not a watermark on the 15c. Still nice to get the 12 1/2 missing left frame line but the illusion of the watermark had me goin for a bit. Also to note the 15 curled from sides which helps confirm vertical wove paper.