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Always glad to oblige.
Here's a block showing the marginal markings that Roy mentioned below.
Opposite row 18 (the top row of this block which is the 18th row down from the top of the pane) is the phosphor control mark. I show it here in light blue, but of course on the real stamps it is only visible under ultraviolet light.
Opposite row 19 is the colour control mark, and below that are the colour dabs.
A quick trip to a couple of reference works didn't turn up any information on these markings. I believe they are used to insure that the positioning of the paper is correct and the the inks (colour and phosphor) are being applied correctly.
I'm going to see if I can find out a little more about them. If so, I'll update this entry.
I would add one other thing to Roy's comments. Cylinder blocks, such as the 46p block of six that Roy shows, are almost always collected with an angled side margin and have been for the last couple of decades. Angled lower margins are less common, especially with stamps like these where the margin is perforated through. I believe collectors would find that recent cylinder blocks with straight side margin would be worth less than blocks with the angled margins.
Tallents House (the British Philatelic Bureau) sells cylinder blocks with straight margins.
--Larry
1 comment:
Angled Margins
Larry thanks for the pic and the post.
Lary you are correct, A long time ago in the year BC (before computers) Royal Mail used to supply cylinder blocks to customers with angled margins.
If you want angled Margins today one has to request blocks of 8 x 2 and cut them on the angle yourself. The alternative is request them from a Machin dealer who has a buisness account.
They (Royal Mail) only supply Joe Public with these blocks of 8 if they are customers with a standing order.
Why,I ask are angled margins more acceptable than blocks without?
My common sense tells me it is something to do with EEH,s (extra extention holes in the sheet perforations, these were available on certain sheets (in different positions) at one time but I doubt if we will see them again.
Saying this, with Royal Mail you never know, do you?
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