Scott 1131 - Weird Colours On Words.

Hi

Can anyone explain why all the top words have blue on the bottom and the bottom words have blue on the top.

My Scott 387 {Canada} stamps do not have this oddity.

Thanks...Robert

This ink bleeding is common and normal for this US stamp and many engraved US stamps of modern times. The press prints the colors in one pass/run through the press. Very severe examples of crossover/mixing of ink colors are probably removed for destruction but not always. Perhaps one of the printing press experts here can tell us the type of printing press(es) used.

Here is a later issue showing the same effect on another US stamp, including a couple of more extreme examples:
https://goscf.com/t/77709

The phenomenon is also seen on French and French Community multicolor engraved issues from at least the 1950s forward.

You are welcome to send this to the Philatelic Foundation, but personally, I would prefer to save the money.

Typical of the Giori press printings from the US in that era.

Here is a discussion of inking of US Scott 1098, issued a year and a half earlier:
https://goscf.com/t/61695
They got better by the time they got to the Seaway issue!

Thanks hy-brasil and John

Oh well..I was going to sell it and take a trip to Hawaii...haha

Robert