España - Spain: Trípticos (Coil Strips)

Like so many countries, Spain produced rolls of stamps. Every fifth stamp on the roll had a number printed on back. Strips are catalogued as trípticos: i.e., triptyches.

Eight stamps from the first series of King Juan Carlos I, printed on non-phosphorescent paper were issued in such rolls.

Trípticos should have the number on the middle stamp. The numbers are printed inverted from the King's portrait on the front.

Interesting that the shirt collar varies in "whiteness". Would that be due to gradual wear of the plates?

I doubt it. White is an unprinted area. Wear would leave it white. Photogravure printing fills recesses with ink and the Dr. Blade should wipe excess ink. It, probably, is a mixture of variation in the paper, the brain mixing certain colours more than others, viscosity of the inks and/or the functioning of the Dr. Blade.

The backs are shown in the same order as the fronts. The 3 and 5 PTA stamps have a more tinted paper. These, also, to me, show the most colour in the collar. The quality of the printing, also, is very variable.

Also five of the stamps, including the late addition of 4 pesetas, from the series of General Franco were issued from stamp rolls. These too had the control numbers on the back printed inverted.

I wonder how many collectors found yet another of that 2 pesetas stamp in an all-world mixture and threw it away without ever checking it for a control number on the back.

So… I suppose I now have to dig out that "tourist pack" that was at the bottom of that pile of stamps that was tipped into a cardboard box by the auction house when they cleared out the closed-down stamp shop, open it up and turn all the stamps over?

You say that like it's a bad thing?

You paid for it once, ran through it, then...? Now you can go through it again for free.

A rare artefact from the early days of Anglo-Ibizan cultural exchange.

Some tourist paid the equivalent of one British pound for this assemblage of creased stamps.

Hello.
The control number is printed on the adhesive, if the postage stamp is used, the number is lost. It is not necessary to check used copies.
Regards.

Thanks for that info Roberto. I was wondering whether the numbers were printed under or over the gum. The bad printing on those of General Franco looked like they had been printed over the gum. The Edifil Catálogo Unificado only lists the strips of three with the numbered stamp in the middle but does not state anything about the number itself.

Considering these numbers are upside down, would it be correct to assume they show the number of stamps remaining on the roll?