">

Letter to the Editor: Part 2.

In this installment of my assessment of the 2006 edition of The Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps I would like to look at the whole question of how it handles printing varieties and errors as compared to the Darnell catalogue (2005 edition).

In general, Darnell both in its regular and EFO catalogues is much more receptive to listing printing varieties. In its EFO catalogue, Darnell lists underinking problems on Elizabethan definitives, various commemoratives as well as repellex errors etc. which one would expect to find there. But even in its regular catalogue it lists a number of inking problems as separate, priced varieties. Thus, for example it lists and illustrates the "Pale face Indian" variety resulting from an inking problem on the 8c UPU issue of 1974 as a separate variety (D# 698a). However, the limited focus of the finders of this inking problem who originally saw only the under-inking on the small figures in the design and ignored the much greater printing problems with both UPU values, is also reflected in the Darnell catalogue. As can be seen in the scan of the 8c value enclosed (see Scan#1 BELOW), the emphasis on the Indian figure led to the ignoring of the much greater and more noticable problem - the under-inking of the wings etc. of the central figure which also occurs on those stamps exhibiting the "pale face Indian" variety! The Darnell illustration hones in on the Indian but does not show the much larger problem. This emphasis on the small Indian figure on the 8c value leads to the ignoring of the same under-inking problem with the purple color on the 15c value as can be seen in the enclosed scan of the 15c value (See scan#2)! Obviously, there was the same problem with the purple inking on both issues, but because the 15c value had the Indians tablet printed in a different color the problem with the purple inking on the 15c value is ignored and there is no separate listing for this variety in Darnell. The Unitrade catalogue avoids any of these problems by simply ignoring the whole inking problem on these two issues!

Equally interesting is the comparison of the two catalogue's handling of perhaps another inking problem. On the 10c value of the Landscape definitive (SC# 594, D# 621) later printings of this value resulted in a printing flaw referred to as the "claw or spur in C" variety consisting of a projection within the letter "C" of Canada (see Scan# 3). It was later speculated that this was perhaps the beginning of a much greater inking problem which appeared on this value and which Darnell lists as the "Vegetation invasion" variety (see Scan #4) and shows up dramatically both in the letters of the word "Canada" as well as "drips" of color extending down from the bottom of the design. Consistently, at least Darnell acknowledges the inking problem and lists the "vegetation invasion" as a separate variety (D# 621f)

However, careful study of the whole issue leads one to question whether there is only one or two actual printing varieties involved. Examination of dozens of plate blocks shows that the "spur in C" flaw only appears on papers which are H/H in fluorescence whereas the "vegetation invasion" problem only appears in plate blocks that are L/L in fluorescence. Also, the idea that the "spur in C' was merely a precursor to the much greater problem of the widespread "vegetation invasion" is probably negated by the fact that the "spur" that was first seen is actually totally absent in the plate blocks exhibiting the "vegetation invasion" varieties! Was there perhaps an attempt to deal with the original "spur" flaw problem by using a different paper which created a new and more serious printing problem? Again, Unitrade side steps dealing with this printing problem, and the apparent varieties which result, by ignoring that the inking problem even exists!

Scan 1

Scan 2

Scan 3: "Notched C or Spur" Variety

Scan 4: "Vegetation Invasion"

In my next letter I will take a look at other aspects of printing varieties such as color shifts etc. as they are dealt with both in the new Unitrade edition and by Darnell.

Yours truly,
Michael Milos

Continue to Letter #3.