Collecting By Engraver

Spain - 1931

900th Anniversary - Montserrat Monastery

Our Lady of Montserrat - Black Virgin (seated)
20cts - 30cts

Printed by FNMT
Engraved by Camilo Delhom (1894-1970)

Spain - 1931

900th Anniversary - Montserrat Monastery

Abbot and the monastery plans
15cts - 50cts

Printed by FNMT
Engraved by José Luis López Sánchez-Toda (1901-1975)




Pegasus (Special Delivery stamp)
20cts

Printed by FNMT
Engraved by José Luis López Sánchez-Toda (1901-1975)

Jorgesurcl,
Thanks for those latest Spanish updates. Just one question: could your Pedro Pascual be the same as Pedro Pasucal Escribano? The latter engraved stamps such as the Guadalupe Monastery issue (1959) and some values of the rosary set (1962) and navy set (1964), all from Spain

Yes AKPhilately, it's the same person.
Escribano is the second surname which corresponds to the mother's surname and that sometimes is written after the first surname (Pascual) that is inherited from the father.

The last of this series...

Spain 1931
900th Anniversary - Montserrat Monastery
Airmail stamps
5cts - 10cts - 25cts - 50cts - 1pta

Printed by FNMT
Engraved by Luis Sesé

Uruguay - 1909

Opening of the Port of Montevideo
2cts - brown & black
5cts - red & black

Printed by South American Bank Note Co. (Compañía Sudamericana de Billetes de Banco - Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Vignette engraved by Wilhelm Gottfried Nuesch (Bern, Switzerland 1863 - Buenos Aires 1926)
Frame & lettering engraved by Walter de Forest Smillie

That is an absolutely astounding engraving. I am looking at it blown up on a 24inch screen and still the detail is crisp and clear. For any engraver to be able to achieve that level of detail is beyond belief. Only the very finest could do so and yet, if most philatelists were asked to make a list of the best ever engravers, how many would include Willhelm Gottfried Nuesch. Thanks for showing it. My wants list just grew.

jjarmstrong47, I'm glad that you liked the Uruguayan stamp!

Panama & Canal Zone - 1915

Printed by American Bank Note Co.

Vignette engraved by Harold Osborn and finished by William J. Brown
Frame & lettering engraved by William H. Maple

Spain - 1935

300th Anniversary of the death of Lope de Vega
Printed by FNMT (Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre)

15cts - Ex-Libris of Lope de Vega
Engraved by Camilo Delhom (1894-1970)



30cts (red), 50cts (dark blue) - Lope de Vega
Engraved by Camilo Delhom (1894-1970)



1pta. - El Clavideño (scene of Peribañez)
Engraved by José Luis López Sánchez-Toda (1901-1975)

Canada - 1927

Sir John A. MacDonald
Printed by Canadian Bank Note Co.

Vignette engraved by Edwin Gunn (1876-1940)



Edwin Gunn was one of the best engravers who worked at American Bank Note Co.
Here is a sample of his talent on a Czechoslovakian banknote printed by ABNCo. (1929)

I agree jorgesurcl. Gunn had a way of engraving the eyes particularly that seemed to make the face come alive. He did both of the portraits for the Confederation Jubilee set. The other was of Sir Wilfrid Laurier.



The Canadian Postal Archives website has the story behind these stamps. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/...30105_e.html

jorgesurcl - Special thanks for identifying the engraver of the Czechoslovakian 500 Kè banknote printed by ABNCo. (1929) as Edwin Gunn. Designed by Alfons Mucha, it had previously appeared in 1923 in the form of paper money issued by the State (see http://www.papirovaplatidla.cz/bank...vky-ii-emise ). While the 100 Kè denomination issued in 1920 was also designed by Alfons Mucha (the designer of the very first Czechoslovakian stamps) and printed by ABNCo., its engraver is known to have been Robert Savage (see http://www.papirovaplatidla.cz/bank...vky-ii-emise ).

It is interesting to note that your specimen lacks serial letter and number (compare http://www.papirovaplatidla.cz/bank...ankovky-nbcs ).

It's a proof and only the front is printed

florian - Thanks for the link!

The work of Robert Savage (1868-1943) on those Czechoslovakian banknotes is really remarkable

1920 - ABNCo - Designed by Alfons Mucha, engraved by Robert Savage :





1932 - ABNCo - Drawing by Alonzo Earl Foringer and engraved by Robert Savage

jorgesurcl - Thanks.

Do you happen to know anything about the designer(s) / engraver(s) of the 5000 Kè denomination printed by ABNCo. and issued in 1920?
http://www.papirovaplatidla.cz/bank...vky-ii-emise says neznámý = unknown.

Hello again everyone!

I've just been able to order a Stanley Gibbons catalogue for Central America, and I'm looking forward to taking my little collection of engraved stamps into this new area. It is a completely new area for me - I have no idea what I'll find in the way of engraved stamps from these countries. I'm hoping that SG will identify the engravers' names as they do with the European countries. So far I have over 700 stamps from engravers in Europe, USA, Australia (well, Manley), but absolutely nix from Central or South America.


Obviously I could read through all 164 pages of your excellent thread, but I wonder, could someone suggest the main engravers or the best countries to look out for?
The next challenge will be finding the stamps!

Best wishes to you all for 2016.

Good luck Strider. Gibbons is a little weak on Central (and South) America but still worth having. It isn't really their fault as a lot of the early engraved stamps were done by companies like ABNCo, De La Rue and Waterlow who didn't release the information. There are many theories about this such as fear of organised criminals pressuring the engravers (they also did bank notes, as above). I think the most plausible reason has been given in the discussions on this thread. The top engravers were highly sought after and the companies kept their identities secret to prevent poaching by other companies.

I have only added a couple of South/Central American countries to the database so far and they range from Chile where there is quite a lot of information available to Ecuador where it is almost non-existent.

I would certainly recommend taking your time and reading through all 162 pages as they are a wealth of information given generously by some real experts in the field and unlike the catalogues, it is free.