Collecting By Engraver

Some years ago, I fished this cover out of a 25¢ box. It's not really even a FDC of Scott #947, having been cancelled several days later. What interested me was the autograph of "ER Grove". Edward Grove engraved the Washington portrait on the stamp, which was used again two years later on Scott #982. In 1954, he won a competition for design of the 4¢ airmail C48; this was also reused, as a 5¢ airmail in 1958 (C50).

Grove had an interesting career. He was with the Bureau of Engraving & Printing from 1936 to 1947, then joined Security Bank Note where he engraved hundreds of stamps and currency for many nations. Then in 1961 he made a career change and moved to the U.S. Mint as an engraver-sculptor for four years until his retirement. His most well-known work was the Martha Washington obverse of a series of 1965 pattern coins used to test the viability of clad coinage, as silver was being removed from circulation. Grove is likely one of the few individuals who played a part in creating both stamps and coins. He died in 2002 at age 90.

I'd love to see some examples of his work on stamps during his time at SBN.

I just discovered through a separate online search that other U.S. stamps by Grove were featured in a post several years ago back on page 50. Is there a way to search this thread specifically for names?

Yes there is an index on page 47 https://goscf.com/t/9106&whichpage=47#178314
and some of Grove's stamps areshown on page 50 https://goscf.com/t/9106&whichpage=50#180416

Looks like you already know that.

I just helped Florian update some broken links;

If you want to see some AMAZING high-resolution scans of beautifully engraved stamps, jump back to pages 111, 112, & 113.

I think Florian must have a Ph.D. in Scanning

Kirk, I agree with you, those scans are outstanding.

Totally awesome.

Florian is the man.

Thank you for the link to the index. That's quite helpful in finding engravers in the "early" section of this massive thread. Has any considered posting something more up to date? New members like myself are not likely to pick through another 100+ pages for specific information.

Can anyone tell me if there was anything posted regarding an engraver named Stephen Schoff?

All I know is that he worked for the National Bank Note Co. in New York and did the 12c Hawaiian stamp in 1875 of Prince Leleiohoku.

There is a website of his work here: https://picasaweb.google.com/105581...hoff18181904

Kirk, thank you very much for updating the broken links on pp. 111, 112, and 113 but your words of praise for the amazing high-resolution scans should go to http://www.wnsstamps.post/en/about as I cannot take any credit for them lacking both the necessary expertise and proper equipment.

IMMO, it is lithograving, nethryk as well as jorgesurcl who deserve high praise for great high-resolution scans on the SCF forums.

I've been looking at the 1912 set from Bosnia and Herzegovina which were designed by Koloman Moser and engraved by Ferdinand Schirnbock.

Each value has a different frame around a vignette of Francis Joseph I but when I look at the stamps I seem to see small differences in the portraits, especially around the eyes.

Is it possible that each was a completely different engraving and if so, why? Was it easier for him to repeat the portrait engraving rather than use a double print for frame and vignette? Perhaps someone knows about these.

Hi jjarmstrong47,
I think it's very unlikely that Schirnböck would have engraved separate portraits for each value, and to be honest, I can't notice any difference. It could of course be that different colours give different appearances, and variables such as ink thickness, quality of printing etc may also produce 'varieties'. Maybe you could superscan the area where you think you see differences so we can concentrate our minds more?!

And try and get the images below each other, that makes the post less wide. My small screen can't cope!
:-)

Aaagh! Sorry Adrian. I forgot the returns between the stamps. I've edited it. Now to rescan the parts I think are different.

I've looked again and I'm now convinced there is more than one engraving. Adrian, you need to get a big screen. Mine is only 24 inch and I still wish it was bigger some times. What I don't understand is, if on a 24 inch screen I can only just see all the detail, how on earth did the engravers see it with just a magnifying glass and looking at it life size.

Now, back to Schirnbock. Like I said, there are differences around, and particularly below, the eyes. There are lots of other small differences which you can see if you blow it up. To keep it simple, I've just blown up the eye area on two so you can see what I mean.





Although the basic lines are similar, there are lots of places where there are small differences. Apart from around the eye, on the blue stamp to the right of the eye and just below there is a cross. This is not the same on the red-orange stamp. When you look for a while you will see other places where the lines are not quite the same. For instance, look at the moustache and one of the noses has two distinct dots just above the moustache while on the other they are in a different place.

I'll never laugh at "flyspeckers" again.

I think I've solved the problem: that blue stamp is from a different set! That's not a Bosnia & Herzegovina stamp but a Austro-Hungarian Military Post stamp. So it may indeed well be a different engraving.

You are right, of course. I had them on the same sheet and the military one is quite different. So my laziness in not putting up all of them has been rewarded.

However....

Here are the other two blow ups. Forget the military one and look at the differences here. They are again, very similar but not the same and both have differences with the orange-red stamp.





Of course, it could just be me, losing the plot but that has been the case for a long time and it hasn't stopped me seeing my stamps. Well, not yet...

Sorry, jj, but I don't see it.... Maybe somebody else?