Jamaica Non Chalky Varieties Not In Scott Classic

Hi, Couldn't think of a good topic name.

I have 2 Jamaica stamps that I cannot find in Scott Classic Specialized.

Design A13 Arms of Jamaica
1/2 p Green and Black Wmk 3 multiple crown and C A
the paper does not appear to be chalky
There is no listing for this combination

Design A17 George V
3 p Violet on Yellow
the paper does not appear to be chalky
There is no listing for this combination
note: I also have the chalky version

An error in the listing? I'm 99% confident (ok, maybe 50%) that the paper is not chalky.

What method do you use to determine whether chalky or not?

Microscope looking for craters and bubbles. Very obvious. With these stamps, I see none of that and can see fibers very clearly.

Wish I could take pictures, but I don't have a USB microscope yet.

Same method I use. Usually works well, even with stamps that have suffered through soaking. Visibility of fibers is, in my experience, one clear sign of ordinary paper.

For the Arms of Jamaica, Stanley Gibbons lists a variety of the ½ d., multi-crown CA (Scott's wmk 3) on ordinary paper: SG 38, 1906, in several shades of green.

The 3d KGV is SG 62, listed only as chalk-surfaced. So that one is still unsolved. Someone else here will no doubt add something useful.

I forgot to mention, the 1/2 p is green with black center. Not just all green. I do also have the all green varieties. I believe the all green is a different design.

It would certainly be helpful if you could post some pictures

Peter

I can post just pictures from my phone camera, but they won't show the detail, only the colors. I can try zooming and see what I get. Have to do that when I get back home.

Quite right. SG 38 on ordinary paper is the simple green variety.

I assume that you have no doubt about the watermark? That it's the multi-crown & CA of 1905, not the single crown & CA of 1903?

And of course the 3d KGV only exists with that multi-crown wmk. And Gibbons says the surface-colored variety(Scott #71) is also chalky.

Yes, no doubt about the watermark, but will double check.

The watermark pic is upside down, but you can see multiple capital A. The zoomed image isn't very good and likely not useful.

I may recant this post. After looking again, I can see thousands of tiny black holes in the colors, is this also a sure sign of chalky paper? Perhaps more so on used than unused stamps?

Ok, I'm gonna chalk this up (pun intended) to being a novice with chalky paper. I found a small handful of craters on the KGV stamp and for the Arms stamp, I could see that the surface was smoother than other non chalky varieties in nearby sets. Although I couldn't find any craters, I can see how it can be considered chalky. I can see fibers, but much less clearly and the color is more above the fibers whereas for the non chalky I can see fibers above the color, as if it settled in.

Thanks everyone for your time. I learned something (hopefully).

Sometimes the chalk has begun to crack and create a surface that can resemble fibers. But, since the ink is applied over the chalk surface, the ink will not have seeped into the paper, as it does with an ordinary, non-chalky surface. And in that case you won't detect any bleeding of the ink along the border lines of colored areas.

Some philatelists use a very thin silver wire, which makes a "pencil mark" on chalky paper. Obviously, it's most desireable if the mark is both miniscule and unnoticeable.

Nicholas, just my two cents; but rely on the watermarks. Only two versions of this stamp in this color, Scott 33 or 37. If you can clearly see the C/F on either side of the crown, you have a 37.