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Saturday 24 March 2012

Reflections of the Diamond Jubilee Miniature Sheet

This isn’t reflections as in fond memories. It’s too early for that.

This is reflections as in light bouncing off an object. In this case, the object is the recent Diamond Jubilee miniature sheet.

I took this photograph for a column I wrote for The Chronicle, the journal of the Great Britain Collectors Club. The Diamond Jubilee Souvenir Sheet makes elaborate use of the iridescent ink that is normally used for the security overprint on most Machins, and I wanted to show that to my readers.

In this photo, you can see, with some difficulty, the floral background on the sheet. (In some illustrations, it has been enhanced to look as if it is printed in a colored ink.) You can also see the overprint on the Machin at right.

This photo also shows the light reflecting off the crown and text, which Royal Mail says is “foil-blocked,” whatever that means.

After the travesty of the Arnold Machin commemorative sheet last year, this beautiful sheet is a welcome change. I’d be glad to see more original, well-designed, reasonably-priced sheets like this one.

--Larry

2 comments:

Adrian said...

Amen to that! Easily the most stylish and smart and gracious and beautiful miniature sheet (and stamp design!) issued in a long time, worthy of its subject. Though I understand the printing results aren't always as good as they should be, with misaligned colours and sloppy perfs and what have you.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Adrian, but so attractive a set. And some people might actually separate the stamps and use them on mail.
Charlie,
in Lecanto