Last week there was a thread on varieties seen on early US postal card cut squares:
https://goscf.com/t/71295It got me thinking about a pile of UX18 cards I had not fully explored. So here goes ... The catalogs note poor quality control, which can easily be found on cards of this age and older US cards. Here are some of them showing plate damage and confirming copies where available to me, which are important to prove they are constant varieties and not just one-off printing freaks.
I have tried to provide dates of use and number of copies I have to give an idea of when the variety might be found within the lengthy range of use of this card.
And I have labeled each example with a number so they can be efficiently referenced in replies.
Example 1, mint card.
Example 2, with ghost shift downward, very common.
Example 3, with ghost shift upward, far less common.
Example 4, dented frame, 3 examples, middle example dates 6/1906.
Example 5, feather in hair, 3 examples, last 2 dated 10/1906 & 4/1907.
Example 6, gash to right of PO, 2 examples dated 4/1904 & 2/1907.
Example 7, gash at right, all dated 12/1905.
Example 8, damaged top of POS, second one dated 10/1907.
Example 9, damaged OS and small nick behind shoulder, several dozen exampled between 4/1904 and 2/1906.
Example 10, irregular lines in right end of ribbon, dated 6/1906 & 2/1907.
Example 11, damaged O, dated 3/1905 & 7/1905.
Example 12, damaged S, six copies all dated 1/1905.
Example 13, damaged L of BELOW ans very small dot to right of base of T, 13 copies dated 12/1905 to 1/1906.
Example 14, no period after ONLY. 10 copies dated 3/1906 & 4/1906.
Example 15, gash in OF and small nich in oval frame above it, dated 9/1904 & 1/1905.
Example 16, need confirming copy, damage to 8.
Example 17, need confirming copy, flat-top O.
Example 18, need confirming copy, damaged O.
Examples 19A, 19B, 19C, need confirming copies, damage to rim.
Example 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, need confirming copies, damage to rim.
Example 21A, 21B, 21C. 21D, need confirming copies, damage to rim.
Example 22A, 22B, not plate damage, but I believe it is rather transient dirt specks creating printing freaks.
Example 23, 4 copies of 10 cards all preprinted and sent by the same company. The speck of dirt gives an eerie appearance of a gunshot wound!
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***
Posted 01/30/2020 9:54 pm
