Plate Size And Watermark Orientation

Hello,

there is a relation between the plate size and the watermark orientation (horizontal vs. vertical). Plates of 400 and 360 have horiz. watermark, plates of 200 and 180 have vertical watermark. For the Bureau 1895 issue there are exceptions for the 1c, 2c and 10c.

In Scott specialized I know the pages about panes & booklets showing the panes. But not all plates and panes are shown there (as some are not for booklets of course). So I miss the information of which plates have which watermark orientations, as Scott does not mention it for all issues.

My two questions are:

1.

in the 1902 issue, Scott gives the information that the 15c stamp (Scott 309) was printed both on 200 and 400 subject plates, is this correct, and if yes, why are those two different stamps not listed with own numbers like the 10c 1895/98 with two numbers 283 and 283a?


2.

is there a list with the watermark orientaion about those panes, or does somebody know them?

1898 Trans-Mississippi, 1904 Louisiana: plate of 100, 2 panes of 50
1907 Jamestown: plate of 200, 2 panes of 100
1909 Alaska: plate of 280, 4 panes of 70
1909 Hudson: plate of 240, 4 panes of 60
1913: Panama, 1920 Pilgrim: plate of 280, 4 panes of 70
1924 Huguenot: plate of 200, 4 panes of 50

Special Delivery stamps: plate of 100, 2 panes of 50
Parcel Post: plate of 180, 4 panes of 45
Special Handling: plate of 200, 4 panes of 50
Newspaper stamps: plate of 100, 2 panes of 50

(yes, I have some of the stamps to look by myself for the watermark, but by far not all stamps of each issue, in addition, Michel USA which actually lists the watermark orientation for some issues, is not always correct so it seems to be not an easy topic)

The question is about paper mesh (or grain). Watermark direction correlates with paper mesh orientation, but the terminology is confusing. Normal paper for 400 subject plates had vertical mesh. Watermarks, if present are labeled "horizontal", with vertical letters reading across the sheet. Horizontal mesh paper, if watermarked would have vertical watermarks, the letters sideways reading vertically on the sheet.

Most flat plate booklet panes were printed with horizontal mesh "special paper" with horizontal mesh. When flat plate booklet pane production ended, remaining stocks of special paper were used to print higher values of the Fourth Bureau issue, C11, E13 and QE1-QE3. On regular issues, special paper is slightly wider and shorter than regular paper. Examples of 279 and 279B with vertical watermarks are also listed by Scott as "errors". First and Second Bureau regular issue 200 subject plates printed on horizontal mesh paper. It is not clear that this was the case for the $1 423/460/478/518 Franklin of the Third Bureau all printed from one plate.

The note in Scott that 309 was printed on 200 subject and 400 subject plates is confirmed in Durland. A few years ago, Scott added the 283a variety to account for the vertical watermark variety. In addition to the Durland catalog, check Bob Rufe's articles on the Special Handling stamps in the Bureau Specialist.

thank you very much. So what is the difference between the 283 and the 309 that both have two varieties, and Scotts and Durland mention them both, but only 283 has an own Scott number for the different watermark orientation? It should be interesting for collectors to see an entry for both 309 varieties and how they are known in terms of stamps on cover, strips, never hinged (=frequency).

As you don't mention the other plates I listed above I guess there is no kind of list where one could see if an issue with a certain plate (and panes) is printed with vertical or horizontal orientation? Or is all this mentioned in Durland for the issues above?

The Durland catalog is the best source. While special paper is explicitly mentioned, other plate layouts or differences are implied by available plate block positions. Bob Rufe's article is a good source also, establishing that the entire 1928 printing of QE1, QE2 and WQ3 was on special paper. Watermark orientation on Scott 209 will require investigation. The Scott US Specialize Catalog also mentions vertical and horizontal mesh paper in connection with early and late state Bank Note grills possibly printed from the same 200 subject plates.

thank you again. Ok, so for the 309 there is probably too few information to make a Scott number. I will have a look at it. Of course it would be interesting to read here in this thread the experience of other collectors: which watermark orientation of the 309 do you have?

about the Special paper, this is also interesting, but my list above was less about Special paper but more about the general rule or the watermark orientation and the plate size. As I mentioned most 400 and 360 plates have horizontal, 200 and 180 have vertical watermarks. Is there such a rule for plates of 280, 240, 100?

I am a bit confused as the 1901 Pan-American issue was printed on plates of 200, but don't have vertical but horizontal watermarks (when I look at my stamps).... ok this could be as they were printed in "portrait" orientation.