my, my, talk about overshooting! If you with the question stamp would put together a small sampling of 1976 stamps (plenty of commemoratives then) especially to include more of the 13c Flag (sheet or coil), you will get a good look at the unevenness
inherit in genuine applied tagging to these stamps. (yes, even among1976 stamps there are some differences in applications, the gravure large size commemoratives will usually differ from the steel engraves small size regulars, but these were all overcoated so good to see the variety of results you see under UV by the time they got to you in used conditions.
yes so the press mat or cylinder applying the liquid tagging is not going to paint an even coating consistently.
Now you add a light application (very common on the printed by the hundreds millions to billion regulars), and the more common cause than "soaking" (which rarely affects tagging if normal water soak) -- over time, simple exposure to sunlight or indoor light (especially fluorescent) can fade it, just as some more fugitive inks used once in awhile. Exposure can happen to the mint stamps keep in mind, as well as the stamp on the letter arrived and sits around on someone's desk, before the stamp is eventually clipped and added to a mix then sold and so on.
You mention expertizing, certainly not worth it for used ones like you've seen with any evidence of a trace remaining.