Previous Articles 33




		In the Frame


	Although occurrences of Windsor Castle frame flaws are noted regularly on auction sites, the positioning of constant examples seem to remain largely a neglected area.


	Perhaps because of its catalogue status, the Falkland Islands 2½d re-entry is one of the most well known, (position: Bf.8/1). The surround to the value tablet being bifurcated readily identifies this flaw. In a block, however, presumably from a complete re-striking, the whole of the frame shows slightly darker than its neighbours but only in the bottom left do the impressions diverge.




		Falkland Island 2½d at row 8, column 1, in the centre of a strip of 3, right, and a detail of its value tablet surround, above.


	Despite catalogue listings, value tablet re-entries are not restricted to the Falklands. Perhaps this reflects the technique utilised in the transfer from roller die to the frame printing plate, particularly since most occurrences, (the Falklands notwithstanding), seem to be on Waterlow printings.




			Ascension 2½d (Wf.1/5)



		Montserrat 1/- position unknown



	K.U.T. 1/- (Rf.4/2)



K.U.T. 1/- (position?)




		Grenada ½d position unknown



	St Vincent 1d position unknown




		Ascension 5d corner marginal block of four on FDC to Southsea, including a couple of vignette varieties and the value tablet re-entry - hence giving its position

Another catalogued flaw is that of K.U.T.’s stroke through the date on the 1/- value, (Rf.4/2).

Occasionally with this value, another stroke through the date is offered where the stroke is upwards instead of down.

Also known is a similar feature on the 20c.

The Straits Settlements has also been noted with a date ribbon flaw on its 25c.




		K.U.T. 20c (position?)



				Straits Settlements 25c (position?)


	Well known for some time has been the Turks & Caicos ½d where the “W” and several other letters of the word Windsor show re-entries, (Wf.1/5, 1/6, 2/5, 2/6). Perhaps this corner’s proliferation of the flaw has inhibited its listing in major catalogues. This type of re-entry is noted in other colonies, again reflecting a predominance in Waterlow printings.


	Turks & Caicos ½d and, below, St Christopher 2½d with lighter flaw


	Staying with re-entries but returning to the date ribbon, Montserrat’s high value can occur with the date partially doubled but the sheet position remains unknown. (The detail shown here is from a different example to the one on the cover).




		An example of a Montserrat 1/- with date re-entry found on a cover to Birmingham, dated Fe 11 36


	Also perhaps destined to remain unpositioned – after all, who these days has complete sheets of high values? – is the Ascension 1/- with a frame hairline traversing the king’s forehead, eye, cheek, neck and collar.

This subject wouldn’t be complete without reference to albino frames – un-inked impressions of the frame achieved during the setting up for register with the already printed vignettes, and presumably affecting one whole sheet.

Gibbons list examples for the De La Rue printed British Solomon Islands (1½d, 6d & 1/- and even a third impression on the 6d), Fiji (1½d & 1/-), Northern Rhodesia (6d), St Helena (6d), and, thanks to John Cooper, Antigua (1/-).

Also listed, but without price, is that of St Lucia (2½d), a block of which occurs on the cover shown here - the only known example, so far.

With the major displacement being lateral, I’m tempted to suppose this means that the vignette sheet was fed in sideways to print the frames - but then, I’m no printer.




	St Lucia 2½d block of four with the frame printed double on a registered airmail cover to U.K., tied Castries cds for 25 Fe 36



			Detail of the block, doctored to emphasise the albino print which is located about 20mm to the left and 2mm above the inked impressions.


	AJA - July 2011