Australian King Geoge V KGV Errors and Printing Flaws
KGV 1D RED FAULTS PRESENTATION by strictlyanything
The Australian 1d red KGV issue is a popular stamp for collectors due to the many interesting plate varieties that occurred during its 6+ years of use. The printing plates for the 1d red consisted of left and right plates, each with four panes and 60 units. Die II stamps are a misnomer, but have stuck over the years, and are found in the second and third vertical rows of Plate 2. Die II stamps can be plated from the angle of the spur and other minor features, and can be collected in different se-tenant combinations. Die II stamps are also useful for shade determinations, as they occur in a limited number of shades.
The occurrence of die II stamps on various shades of paper, as well as the rusted clichés that were created by an anonymous rodent. Die II stamps do not occur on shade group G21 (rose-red) or G17½. The left plate (Panes I-IV) was put into storage after the June 1915 print run and not brought out again until November 1916. During this time, the protective layer of grease on the plates became disturbed in various spots and exposed to corrosive elements, resulting in the creation of the rusted clichés. These errors only occur in the scarlet-red printings, shade groups G18 and G19. It was previously thought that a very small printing was produced in rose – shade G21, but there is no evidence that the left plate was ever used for the 1917 rose printing.
In the previous column, the rust damage to the Penny Red stamps was discussed. Two rows down from the rusted clichés, a stamp with a small variety – a coloured bump on the frame behind the Emu – developed a small rust spot on the frame below the Emu. This variety is rarer than the rusted clichés and occurs on both G18 and G19 shade groups. Small areas of rust damage also appear at the same time on Pane III, at positions III/23 and III/29. Position IV/40 has the very famous thin G flaw, and position IV/41 has the spot on Y variety. Blocks of 4 featuring all four of these varieties are very desirable, as are blocks of 6 showing the pre-rusted clichés plus thin G and spot on Y. In the next column, the substituted clichés will be discussed.
The two substituted clichés (positions IV/34 and IV/35) of the left plate of the Australian penny red stamp. Wax impressions were taken from another part of the plate and replacement electrotype clichés were created from copper to repair the two offending units. The left unit (die II substituted cliché) has a very prominent die II spur in the left value tablet as well as other constant faults, mainly in the outer frame. The right unit (die I substituted cliché) has many problems with the outer frame and several prominent features, the thick upper right corner being the most noticeable. The deterioration of the soft copper clichés is readily observable over the period of use of the left plate with the substitutions. The earliest state of the two units is relatively rare and represents probably only about 10% of the total number these stamps. The middle state or normal state of the substituted clichés represents at least 80% of the substituted cliché printings. Finally after only about nine months of printing, the substituted clichés enter their advanced state of wear, which is particularly rare and may represent less than 5% of the total number of these flaws. The substituted clichés are also of great use to shade collectors, with the narrow window of printing meaning that the range of shades is limited.
The various shades of the Penny Red stamps, as well as the various plate varieties that can be found on the left and right plates. It explains the Saddle on Emu flaw, the Breaks in Shading across Top flaw, the Line under Right Value Tablet flaw, and the Notch in Left Frame flaw. It also mentions that some of the shades are quite rare, and that the carmine-pink shade is deceptively rare in the substituted clichés. Finally, it states that the right plate (Panes V to VIII) is more heavily used and abused than the left plate.
The prominent flaws in pane VI (the upper right pane of the right plate) and a couple of less prominent ones from pane VII of the Penny Red stamp. The Dot before ‘1’ flaw (VI/21) is a very obvious, large white spot in the right value tablet, to the left of the numeral one. The Thinned Left Frame flaw (VI/22) is an error where the outer left frame, directly behind the Kangaroo, has almost had a scoop taken out of it. Both of these flaws can be collected in se-tenant pairs. The Notch in Upper Left Corner flaw (VI/40) and the Break at Upper Left Flaw (V/31) are also discussed. These flaws are not given catalogue status, but are prominent enough to be visible with the naked eye.
Two uncatalogued varieties of the penny red stamp from the right plate. The first is the Notch in Upper Left flaw, which is a V-shaped notch in the upper left corner of the outer frame. This fault was present from the first printing in 1914 and can be found throughout the penny red issues. The second variety is the Break in Lower Right Frame flaw, which is a horizontal dash in the lower right triangle of solid colour near the Emu’s foot. This variety is first seen in August 1916 and is found on all the penny reds printed from this plate. The text also discusses the Secret Mark flaw, which is a large gouge from the bottom frame up through the ‘N’ of ONE and finishes through the ‘O’ and ‘P’ of POSTAGE. This flaw is often accompanied by the Break in Frame & Crown flaw, which is a small scratch from the fourth pearl in the left half of the crown up through the shading lines and top frame. These two varieties occur on the far left column of stamps on the sheet, so are frequently found with marginal watermark lines.