Hairlines On Two Cent Admiral Question

Hey rod222

Lots of "hairlines" are with Queen Victoria numeral and leaf printings to..

Robert

Again, much appreciated.
I agree with you rod222 titles are important and should be searchable, I hope this is satisfactory.
Back to the original question can anyone tell if this is a 106-ix from these pictures.
I originally identified this with my 1993 book but it doesn't seem correct from information in the new 2020 book. Color and dates have changed, see below.

Cheers, Bill

Yes

Robert

Great info in this thread - thanks all.

Legend status.

Wow, this was an amazingly informative thread! Thanks guys!#129299;

Just for comparison, here is my copy, which I am referring to as 106ix. The hairlines on this are more ragged, as I stated earlier. There are quite a few of them, though, and all parallel to one another.

Wow Partime

That Unitrade 106ix is heavier that any of mine.. Good catch buddy...Extreme plate cracking.

Robert

Here is another oddity on a Unitrade 106vii...Printer retouch on the bottom of the left 2 on the frame line.

Here is another hair line variety not recognized in Unitrade yet.
Scott 137.

Robert

Robert,
while listing more varieties in Unitrade is always welcome, the number of varieties, paper, printing, re-entries and retouches on the admiral issue, especially the lower values is a lifetime undertaking for any specialist. I would recommend reading the very extensive book on the issue by Marler, published by the APS. (You can also join the BNAPS admiral study group).

Nice examples, I now know what to look for.
I don't see any thing in the 2020 cat. referring to this one with hairlines either.
They're on all four corners but strongest at top right.

Cheers, Bill

Hairlines occur on engraved stamps from the printing plate being bent after hardening.

I think there are downsides to constantly adding more and more varieties to a catalog including making the hobby more complex and costly for beginners. Without question supporting specialized aspects of our hobby is great for folks who like to take the hobby to the next level but catalog publishers should be aware of their entire audience and not just those who specialize.

And this thread is a great example of the problems in generating a market for a variety without firm definitions. If experienced collectors like Robert and Rodney are feeling their way through the definition of a hairline, what does a beginner think? How does a hobbyist understand if a single line is a hairline or an ink pull? How big or how many hairlines does a stamp have to show before it can be counted as a variety? Clearly there are 'degrees' of hairlines and without this being defined it adds to confusion.

I think the same issue true when discussing re-entries; when subjectiveness is required to ID a stamp a catalog has entered dicey territory. Catalogs primary purpose is to assign values. And the marketplace clearly would not support the same value for a striking hairline example that Partime posted vs. a stamp with a tiny, single hairline that you need a loupe to even see.
Don

A thoughtful and pertinent commentary, Don.

I think that's why I particularly enjoy reading specialty "Monographs" by collectors, whom take a discipline, and work it through, adding all sorts of varieties and explanations to detail their study and work.

Slogan Postmarks would be one example, too detailed to warrant major catalogue status, but really enjoyable as a monograph.

Hairlines would be a great treatment.
I thought the Bnaps work on the Admirals was another great example.

As Don said ""I think there are downsides to constantly adding more and more varieties to a catalog including making the hobby more complex and costly for beginners"" The editor of Unitrade made a point to me in an email, he said if ALL constant varieties were added, the book would be huge...

I agree with Robin, and I will give you one example, Canada Scott 249 has 30 different versions of precancels in just this one stamp. That would require 30 more pictures added to the Unitrade Catalouge..That is just one stamp.

New comers rely on the forum to walk them through questions they may have. And it is the responsibility of experts and experienced collectors to guide them through what can be a this sometimes frustrating journey.

To experienced collectors like myself and others (Not an expert) it may be easy to help the beginner, but for the sake of hairlines, there are sites to get the definition of such things like hairlines, such as the terminology portion of Ralph's re-entries.com, BNAPS. The information is out there for the new collector, I think it is our responsibility to guide them to information they can gain/grasp nd need.

""Catalogs primary purpose is to assign values"", they are there also to inform newbies what is there, what to look for, etc.

Robert