Any Experts On The First Belgian Issue?

This is the first Belgian stamp, I think. What's odd about it is that, in contrast to the other examples I have of this type, both imperf and perf, and also in the values with different colours, the background lines are oblique. In all the others, the backgrounds are horizontal/vertical cross hatching. Also, there is what looks like a leaning figure 8 behind the king's left shoulder. I've never seen it indicated in any catalogue that there are different printings in which the background changes. Does anyone know if this is a particular printing, perhaps the very first? And when, and why, was the background changed?

I believe the 20c was printed on 2 different plates but I have no specific details.
This group has helped me with Belgium inquiries in the past if no one can help.
enquiries@belgianphilatelicstudycircle.org.uk

Here is an online catalog listing.

http://www.stampworld.com/en/stamps/Belgium/

I'm a bit confused by the question, as this design is found on Belgium 1 and 2, the 10c and this 20c. Both were imperfs. The design changes for subsequent stamps.

This design has scrollwork running down the background behind the portrait. It is more prominent on the right side (his left) than the left side. The background lines should look like diagonal lines, running from top right to bottom left.

I don't have any of my resources at hand to see if this is a forgery, but the overall appearance is generally what I would expect to see.

Cjd, I realise now that because of the heavy cancels on all the copies I own I assumed the design was the same on all of them. I've never looked at it properly until I found mint examples on line.

What initially interested me about this particular copy was that the outer frame line appears to be doubled on this stamp, but not the rest of the design. I'm wondering how this could have happened.

LarryBruce, thanks for directing me to that resource. It looks very useful, although the prices given seem improbably high!

I can absolutely understand how design differences on used Belgians could fly under the radar. Those Belgian obliterators typically do just that.

When you see the mint examples of 1 and 2, they are really quite attractive. They also go to show how tricky it was to do convincing alphabets on the earlier issues. The guys who did lettering well were accomplishing something.

I really like the scrollwork - a design feature not used anywhere else I can recall seeing.

Here's one with clearer scrollwork--I thought this was intended to look like Leopold was standing in front of wallpaper.

Yes, very nice. I thought, on the basis of my stamp, that he had a figure 8 leaning on his shoulder, which seemed very mystical!