Stumbled Across These While Searching Through US #634's

Jogil... thanks... what's not totally clear to me is the thickness of
the line (if a single appearing as two with a lack of ink) versus the
comparison of the combo below, sold by Siegel, which shows a normal
and clean vertical line (noting as well, the 599A's are to the left)

Are there 2 actual distinct lines which are normally filled in with
a sufficient amount of ink, or was there some sort of "interlinking"
between the two Stickney plates which (regularly?) masked a 2nd line?

https://siegelauctions.com/lot_grd....emailflag=on

These lines are usually thick and messy but they can be also be thin and clean too. It depends on the amount of ink deposited and/or the size of the gap between the curved printing plates. The gap between the curved printing plates looked more like a "V".

Interesting... so, if there (are) actually 2 distinct lines, with one
usually being 'subducted' so to speak, then this pair demonstrating the
lines being parallel, versus "V" would be an attestment to perfect or
near perfect alignment of the plates... would that be a correct assumption?

There are not any lines on the end of the plates but two separate edges that are separated by a "v" gap.

The thinner the line, the closer the separate printing plates are fitted together.

On inking, the ink hits the edges and fills the gap.

Since this is intaglio wet printing the paper is forced into the ink gap.

If the "v" ink gap is not fully filled with ink, then the edges of the plates would appear as two separate lines.

If the "v" ink gap is fully filled, then the edges of the plate would appear as one single line.

Jogil... thanks ever so much for the education and clarification...

I now understand the line(s) are the result of plate placement and
alignment versus being guidelines, which clearly they are not.

Randall

disi123: Thanks

Are you sure? I'm not. Both look like 599's to me.

srailkb: While both stamps in the pair look slightly different at first glance, a closer look is warranted as you suggest. Also, the printing plates for the Stickney sheet stamps were 400 subjects while those for the Stickney coil stamps were 170 or 150 stamp subjects. Was the exact same Die (Type II) used on both the sheet and coil plates?

See:

http://www.efocc.org/TheEFOCollecto..._1984-12_p08

http://www.efocc.org/TheEFOCollecto..._1984-12_p09

disi, can you provide a higher-resolution scan of your LP? The heavier hairlines on the right stamp don't look right to me (one in the wrong place), and some other characteristics that should be present on 599A appear to be missing (which is why I think it's just a common 599 LP, maybe with some lines drawn in, or with some over-inking giving a deceiving appearance).