Collecting By Engraver

Hi, Iangreenwood, 'Adrian' here.
:-)

1) Don't know.

2) I've asked the editor of Stamp Magazine where he gets his information from re new Russian issues, so I'll let you know once he gets back to me.

3) Yes, the SG catalogues are known for their typos, which doesn't make our task easier!
a) I only have an N Mikheev in my database (see http://stampengravers.blogspot.co.u...kneev-n.html). Which two stamps have you attributed to this I. Mikheev?
b) Don't know.
c) I've yet to come across this A. Sapronov. Which 1966 stamp have you attributed to this engraver?

As for Maiorova: I don't have many Russia sources, so my list would be 95% from the Part 10 Russia SG catalogue (5th edition, 1999) and maybe a few stamps shown on this thread here.

I'll be the first to own up that my lists may not be accurate and will most certainly not be complete. So I would be very interested to learn which stamps on Maiorova's list you question, and also which stamps you have attributed to her which are not on my list.

And that goes for any other (Russian) engravers too! After all, it is only through elaborate co-operation that we can try and paint as complete a picture as possible.

And now, to keep this thread visually interesting as well, here is a die proof of an engraving by one of the artists mentioned: I. Sapronov (well, I hope so anyway!)
:-)

Adrian, good to hear from you - I've been looking at your list this morning.
Some information: we have Lydia Mayorova's own word for it that her first stamp was SG1779 in the War Orders and Medals set of 1953. This comes from an absolutely invaluable article (in Russian) in which her daughter publishes her mother's reminiscences about working at Goznak. You can find it here: http://www.simvolika.org/mars_048.htm

You mention Lydia's last two stamps as SG5188 and 5327. Is this from a later SG catalogue than I am working from (viz. 5th edition, 1999)? If so, SG have updated their info, which since there were glaring gaps in engraver information would be a good thing.

The possibly non-existent 'I.Mikheev' is listed by SG 5th ed. as engraving SG2267 and 2270 in the 1958 Republic Capitals set. SG also lists 3239 as 'A.Sapronov', almost certainly an error.

Worse still, SG misnames Vladimir Mochalov as 'Molchanov' in SG3876 (and omits 4016). This information comes from Mochalov's own website at http://www.motchalov.ru/text-eng.htm

(It's entirely possible that we actually have more information on Soviet engravers and designers than on those of other countries. There seems to be nothing much on Third Reich Germany, for example.)

I had to make a very rough 'translation' of the Mayorova article into serviceable English via automatic translation. We really need a Russian speaker to tidy this up. I can send it to you on a Word document if that will help (and if I know where to send it!)

Ian.

Glenn, thanks for the info and pics from those test stamps.
Is there anything you don't have?

Well I guess I was totally wrong regarding the dates and
colours printed.

One question for Glenn.

Were printers such as the Bundesdruckerei allowed
to make these test runs on various presses
before deciding if they wanted to purchase them?

I mean was the Goebel press that printed these test stamps
used later to print West German and West Berlin stamps?

Ian,
It's probably no coincidence, but on the Stamp Magazine forum, a list has just been added of all Maiorova's stamps, compiled by her daughter, so I presume we can see that as a comprehensive list! See: http://www.stampmagazine.co.uk/foru...p=70#1858421.

Thanks for that reference, Adrian - things are certainly moving fast. I have copied the list and will now compare it to what SG 5th has. Probably have to rearrange my 'Lydia Mayorova' pages only a couple of weeks after I'd printed them off and mounted the stamps!

The academic within me wants to know who 'Canadian North American' is, and whether he applied personally to Anisimova for this list, or took it from another source. Any ideas?

Have you read my (somewhat amateur, I'm afraid) series of articles on Ivan Dubasov in the 'Stamporama' website? Researching that led me initially to Anisimova's piece on her mother in simvolika.

Lithograving, You ask... "Were printers such as the Bundesdruckerei allowed to make these test runs on various presses before deciding if they wanted to purchase them? I mean was the Goebel press that printed these test stamps used later to print West German and West Berlin stamps?"

I cannot speak with authority for Goebel, but in my work on WIFAG, I state: "The dummy stamps were used as a part of the press commissioning process and it is understood that these would have first been printed in Switzerland at WIFAG prior to dismantling and shipping the press to the purchaser. It is also thought that the plates used in Switzerland were sent to the purchaser (probably with colour progressive sheets) to enable testing to be undertaken on site in an attempt at getting the printer to replicate the quality of the printing undertaken at WIFAG."

I may only suppose that Goebel utilised the same procedure.

WIFAG requested a "dummy" design from the client, who presumably would have seen the results of that test printing before signing the cheque to pay for the press. That said, the chances of the client being disappointed with the output was unlikely as WIFAG/Goebel's press quality would not have been in doubt.

As the test samples were first printed at the press manufacturers on the machine that was due to be shipped to the purchaser means that "yes" the Goebel press that printed these test stamps was used later to print West German and West Berlin stamps BUT ONLY IF Goebel used the same procedure as WIFAG. Can anyone clarify procedures at Goebel?

Apologies if some consider this "off topic" (collecting by engraver), but I was asked! GLENN

Adrian, I have posted my list of amendments to SG Part 10 5th edition on the forum in which Anisimova's list first appeared. I have also asked whether Gibbons has updated its information since 1999. Small point: your own list has SG5188 where Anisimova suggests 5187.

If there are any other collectors who want the definitive list of Lydia Mayorova's engraved stamps please email me.

Ian

Just looked at it, great work! I haven't had the time yet to update my Maiorova list properly, but will hopefully be able to do so in the coming days. But it is 'deadline week' so other things must take priority, unfortunately!
:-)

By the way, I found SG5188 (1981 6k Horse tram from Moscow municipal transport series) on page 39 of this thread, uploaded and attributed by Nethryk.

Ah yes, my attempt to contact Nethryk was blocked by a moderator, who wanted to know why I couldn't put my query here instead.

Iangreenwood wrote:



I've checked with the compiler of the New Issue Guide in Stamp Magazine and this is what they had to say:

Basically I rely on Rusmarka's press releases, news info and write-ups...here is a sample
page on their website from where you can click links down the left side such as 'news', and
then on the individual illustrations. There is an archive of older news info sometimes, which
seems to come and go on the site as the years turn.

http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...-US:official br /

Thanks for that, Adrian - it is rather as I expected, and I imagine it goes for Stanley Gibbons and GSM as well. That in turn implies that the gaps in information (if they still exist) are generated at the Russian end, but still may not explain such irritations as "A.Sapronov", "I.Micheev" or "V.Molchanov". I suspect those are the result of careless secretarial or typesetting work which no-one has probably bothered to correct since.

CHILE 1911

President José J. Pérez

Printed by American Bank Note Co.

Vignette engraved by CHARLES SCHLECHT (1843-1932)
Frame & lettering engraved by GEORGE H. SEYMOUR

Jorgesurcl,
On page 104 you mention that Nüesch was the engraver of the 1892 Argentina set to mark the Discovery of America by Columbus. I've just been doing a bit of work on Ferdinand Schirnböck and read in Hessler's International Engraver's Line that it was him who engraved that set, although there is a 'probably' somewhere in that sentence which could well refer to this set too.
I've come to blindly accept your information as true, seeing that you seem to be able to research source material, so I presume it really is Nüesch?

AKPhilately.
In the case of these stamps (Argentina - Discovery of America by Columbus 1892) my source are the publications made by the historian and philatelist Walter B.L. Bose (Argentine) who has written about the story of the CSBB (Compañía Sudamericana de Billetes de Banco - South American Bank Note Co.) and had access to the archives and printing proofs.

Schirnbock was in the Company from 1887 until beginnings of 1892 when he returned to Austria.
Nuesch joined CSBB in 1889 and from 1892 (when Schirnbock resigned) was appointed as master engraver until 1916.

Reference book:
"La emisión conmemorativa del IVº Centenario del Descubrimiento de América 1892" - Walter B.L. Bose, 1968.

(The commemorative issue of the 4th Centennial of the Discovery of America 1892)