U642 Flag Embossed Stamped Envelope Double Print?

So the envelope on the right has printing almost double the envelope on the right. Every part of the impression is thicker. Is this a common occurrence?

Looks like two different printers. My catalog is too old for these
Check the font - they are totally different


Peter

Two different types U642, typo and embossed, and U643, typo.

No I think U643 has a blue flag pole not yellow. Back flap both show 1998

Both U642. These were issued as both typo and embossed. You have one of each.

I question that also. I think all U642 are both typo and embossed. When I put this into the light on the back side at an angle I can clearly see the embossing on both stamped envelopes. I can also feel the embossing on both.

U643 (blue flag pole) does not have any embossing.

It comes in two types: tagging bar to the left of the design and to the right of the design.

Both types have the security pattern (in blue) on the inside of the envelope.

This envelope only comes in UPSS size 21 (size 9 in USPS current parlance).

U642 has a yellow flag pole and the design is blind embossed.

You can see the blind embossing in the lower example above. The cylinders are not well synchronized.

Tagging comes in two versions: right of (top example in the scan), and left of (bottom example), the design.

Hi Thomas, So are these the same stamped envelope? with different tagging?

I checked tagging and they both have a yellow bar to the left of the design.

Also when in the Scott catalog it says typo and embossed for U642 what is it saying? That the envelope comes in two different printed formats or the envelope is made with typo and embossed process?

Thomas, I mentioned above the font of "USA". Why is there a difference?

Peter

So just confirming these are both U642, both are embossed and both have typo printing with yellow tagging to the left. But the printing is just heavier on the one?

". . . and they both have a yellow bar to the left of the design."

The tagging on (non airmail) envelopes is usually called green. Though it is a sickly green, which someone might refer to as yellow, I suppose.

Yes correct but these are the same embossed stamp just one a bolder printing? O ris there something I am missing?

"Check the font - they are totally different"

Well, maybe not totally, but different, yes.

And the catalog does not recognize that fact. Drives you crazy, no? Especially if one looks at how a similar "difference" is recognized: U611 (small and large 25).

I have had discussions with the catalog editor about this. He is amenable to making changes in the catalog listings to correct this discrepancy. But we need to ensure we aren't simply recognizing some attribute that exists on a spectrum.

For example, the eagle in U646 can be found over a wide range of colors. The catalog makes note of that fact, but does not afford these various colors their own catalog number. Whereas, the size of the numeral in U611 comes in two distinct, and easily identifiable, sizes.

The two envelopes in the OP are clearly different (in this case we are observing the width of the lines, including lines making the numerals). The question to be answered, then, is how many widths are there.

A fun project, if someone wanted to take it on, would be to take a census of the line widths in U642's.