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Europe/Great Britain : How to tell apart the UK Castles

 

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oliver_black

27 Jun 2012
02:00:00pm
I don't have the appropriate catalog/reference material on hand, so would some one tell me how to differentiate the various castle issues (Windsor, Carrickfergus, Edinburgh, etc) by year of issue.

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Gerald

27 Jun 2012
05:59:37pm
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

Briefly, there have been three issues. The first, in October 1988, shows the Queen's head in relief (as in the Machins). The second, from 1992 to 1995, printed by Harrison, shows the Queen's head in silhouette and has one elliptical hole on each vertical side. The third, in 1997, printed by Enschedé, is similar to the second but was re-engraved and has different lettering. For example, the Harrison 'S' has top and bottom serifs whereas the Enschedé 'S' has no serifs. There are also differences in the 'C' and the 'A'.

This information is taken from the Stanley Gibbons catalogue Collect British Stamps, a small and simplified but surprisingly useful guide....g

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oliver_black

27 Jun 2012
10:59:00pm
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

TY Gerald. Much appreciated.

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nigelc
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28 Jun 2012
01:22:08am
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

When I read the question I thought it referred to the original castle high values of 1955 onwards. I guess I'm showing my age!

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cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

04 Jul 2012
05:24:33pm
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

Actually specialists recognise five sets for these castles. One is only important if you are collecting mint copies.

(1.) There is the original issue with the small "Machin Head",
(2.) Then there is the Gold head set. called the cameo head..
(3.) And then there is the Gold head set, re-etched issue.
(4.) Followed by the similar set that used a different gum, described as "PVAI Gum" which has a slightly greenish tinge, just enough to drive you insane.
(5.) And finally the re-etched version printed by Enschelde has its eliptical Perforation higher than previously on the first four sets.

Several sub-categories exist and can be distinguished by a difference between cream paper and white paper
The £1.50 of the fourth set also has a sub-variety based on a color difference called "Bright Claret" instead of the intended "Burgandy".

These twenty one stamps, combined with the earlier stirling sets with the Wilding portrait and the similar four decimal values recently issued in a mini sheetlet can make an impressive display.

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
greenmouse
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05 Jul 2012
03:54:24pm
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

Impressive display, oh yes indeed but expensive mint. 1st and 2nd De la Rue plus the Waterlow issue cat over £1,000 in Gibbons. Would love to see it though.
Tim2.

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Galeoptix

06 Dec 2014
02:09:03pm
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

cdj,

Why are you using the term "re-etched"?????

They are supposed to have been engraved in the first place! And the Dutch printings were engraved by ms Inge Madlé.....

groetjes, Rein

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www.galeoptix.nl/fila/druktech.htm
cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

07 Dec 2014
10:23:03am
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

" ... Why are you using the term "re-etched"????? ..."

Semantics, I suppose.
As you are no doubt aware with your printing experience "Engrave", Etch, and "Intaglio" are essentially synonyms. Perhaps one is preferred over the other for certain steps of the process in the printing industry, but essentially they do mean the same thing..
However all are used in the Deegam Handbook to describe the way stamps, at least the master die is/are produced by scratching the surface of a plate where eventually ink will be retained for transfer during printing.
The design was created from a set of photographs taken by the Duke of York by Chris Matthews for an engraving using what is called the "Profile Head"
The Queen's head was later changed to a silhouette head and at some point the lines of the plate were deepened, by being re-engraved or re-etched.

Even later examples of the desired stamp were sent to Enschede under a new contract where it was re-engraved or re-etched an additional time to a new master plate, with some minor differences, notably in the way the serifs were shown on the capital letters and the way the "double Vs" of the W" in "Windsor" overlapped.
The layout of the semi-eliptical perforations was then changed and the Queen's head was printed by silk screening.
So it does seem to be a matter of semantics.
synonyms

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BobbyBarnhart
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin

07 Dec 2014
01:39:06pm
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

Charlie, I never really thought about that. So when, in my younger day, I said "Why don't we go to my place and look at my etchings", I could have said "Why don't we go to my place and look at my intaglios" and, by sounding more sophisticated, educated and continental, might have stood a greater chance of success. Big Grin

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"

www.bobbybarnhart.net
cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

07 Dec 2014
06:46:32pm
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

That depends on what someone thought your intaglios were and how badly they wanted to see them. In some states there is probably a law against carelessly displaying ones intaglios.

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Galeoptix

08 Dec 2014
07:34:57am
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

cdj,

"So it does seem to be a matter of semantics.
synonyms"



Of course not!

Engraving is a manual or mechanical process; etching a chemical process - at least in the period we are referring to i.e. the 20th and 21st century..

It took Chris Matthews and Inge Madlé months of hard labour while both EME (electro nechanial engraving) or etching after a photograph takes a couple of hours.

So where are your semantics???
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www.galeoptix.nl/fila/druktech.htm
cdj1122
Members Picture


Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

08 Dec 2014
09:36:07am
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

In the link I provided and labelled "Synonyms."

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Galeoptix

10 Dec 2014
05:01:18am
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

That link has a "diaper" as well Happy

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www.galeoptix.nl/fila/druktech.htm
cdj1122
Members Picture


Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

10 Dec 2014
06:08:22am
re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

"... That link has a "diaper" as well ..."

Yes it does. I wondered if anyone would notice it, or even actually click the link I posted.
So I did some probing as it seemed a strange equivalence.
However, there seems to be a reason as the online source gives ""diaper" this alternative meaning;

" ... A pattern composed of small, regularly repeated geometric motifs, usually diamonds or lozenges, used to decorate a surface...." which I suppose could have been chiseled, embedded, etched, inscribed, cut into or scratched on said surface.

and the OED offers a similar reference and suggests it, that's "diaper," again can be used thusly;

" ... Its decoration consists of incised lines forming a diaper pattern, interspersed with a punched design of tiny triangular forms arranged like the petals of a flower...."

It is simply amazing what you can learn from collecting stamps!
Either way, etched, engraved and intaglio seem to have been used somewhat interchangeably in the handbook list for those "Castle stamps.

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like this post.
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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
        

 

Author/Postings
oliver_black

27 Jun 2012
02:00:00pm

I don't have the appropriate catalog/reference material on hand, so would some one tell me how to differentiate the various castle issues (Windsor, Carrickfergus, Edinburgh, etc) by year of issue.

Like
Login to Like
this post
Gerald

27 Jun 2012
05:59:37pm

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

Briefly, there have been three issues. The first, in October 1988, shows the Queen's head in relief (as in the Machins). The second, from 1992 to 1995, printed by Harrison, shows the Queen's head in silhouette and has one elliptical hole on each vertical side. The third, in 1997, printed by Enschedé, is similar to the second but was re-engraved and has different lettering. For example, the Harrison 'S' has top and bottom serifs whereas the Enschedé 'S' has no serifs. There are also differences in the 'C' and the 'A'.

This information is taken from the Stanley Gibbons catalogue Collect British Stamps, a small and simplified but surprisingly useful guide....g

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oliver_black

27 Jun 2012
10:59:00pm

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

TY Gerald. Much appreciated.

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nigelc

28 Jun 2012
01:22:08am

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

When I read the question I thought it referred to the original castle high values of 1955 onwards. I guess I'm showing my age!

Like
Login to Like
this post

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
04 Jul 2012
05:24:33pm

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

Actually specialists recognise five sets for these castles. One is only important if you are collecting mint copies.

(1.) There is the original issue with the small "Machin Head",
(2.) Then there is the Gold head set. called the cameo head..
(3.) And then there is the Gold head set, re-etched issue.
(4.) Followed by the similar set that used a different gum, described as "PVAI Gum" which has a slightly greenish tinge, just enough to drive you insane.
(5.) And finally the re-etched version printed by Enschelde has its eliptical Perforation higher than previously on the first four sets.

Several sub-categories exist and can be distinguished by a difference between cream paper and white paper
The £1.50 of the fourth set also has a sub-variety based on a color difference called "Bright Claret" instead of the intended "Burgandy".

These twenty one stamps, combined with the earlier stirling sets with the Wilding portrait and the similar four decimal values recently issued in a mini sheetlet can make an impressive display.

Like
Login to Like
this post

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Members Picture
greenmouse

05 Jul 2012
03:54:24pm

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

Impressive display, oh yes indeed but expensive mint. 1st and 2nd De la Rue plus the Waterlow issue cat over £1,000 in Gibbons. Would love to see it though.
Tim2.

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likes this post.
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Galeoptix

06 Dec 2014
02:09:03pm

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

cdj,

Why are you using the term "re-etched"?????

They are supposed to have been engraved in the first place! And the Dutch printings were engraved by ms Inge Madlé.....

groetjes, Rein

Like
Login to Like
this post

www.galeoptix.nl/fil ...

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
07 Dec 2014
10:23:03am

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

" ... Why are you using the term "re-etched"????? ..."

Semantics, I suppose.
As you are no doubt aware with your printing experience "Engrave", Etch, and "Intaglio" are essentially synonyms. Perhaps one is preferred over the other for certain steps of the process in the printing industry, but essentially they do mean the same thing..
However all are used in the Deegam Handbook to describe the way stamps, at least the master die is/are produced by scratching the surface of a plate where eventually ink will be retained for transfer during printing.
The design was created from a set of photographs taken by the Duke of York by Chris Matthews for an engraving using what is called the "Profile Head"
The Queen's head was later changed to a silhouette head and at some point the lines of the plate were deepened, by being re-engraved or re-etched.

Even later examples of the desired stamp were sent to Enschede under a new contract where it was re-engraved or re-etched an additional time to a new master plate, with some minor differences, notably in the way the serifs were shown on the capital letters and the way the "double Vs" of the W" in "Windsor" overlapped.
The layout of the semi-eliptical perforations was then changed and the Queen's head was printed by silk screening.
So it does seem to be a matter of semantics.
synonyms

Like
Login to Like
this post

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "

They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
07 Dec 2014
01:39:06pm

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

Charlie, I never really thought about that. So when, in my younger day, I said "Why don't we go to my place and look at my etchings", I could have said "Why don't we go to my place and look at my intaglios" and, by sounding more sophisticated, educated and continental, might have stood a greater chance of success. Big Grin

Like
Login to Like
this post

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"

www.bobbybarnhart.ne ...

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
07 Dec 2014
06:46:32pm

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

That depends on what someone thought your intaglios were and how badly they wanted to see them. In some states there is probably a law against carelessly displaying ones intaglios.

Like 
3 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Galeoptix

08 Dec 2014
07:34:57am

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

cdj,

"So it does seem to be a matter of semantics.
synonyms"



Of course not!

Engraving is a manual or mechanical process; etching a chemical process - at least in the period we are referring to i.e. the 20th and 21st century..

It took Chris Matthews and Inge Madlé months of hard labour while both EME (electro nechanial engraving) or etching after a photograph takes a couple of hours.

So where are your semantics???
Like
Login to Like
this post

www.galeoptix.nl/fil ...

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
08 Dec 2014
09:36:07am

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

In the link I provided and labelled "Synonyms."

Like
Login to Like
this post

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Galeoptix

10 Dec 2014
05:01:18am

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

That link has a "diaper" as well Happy

Like
Login to Like
this post

www.galeoptix.nl/fil ...

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
10 Dec 2014
06:08:22am

re: How to tell apart the UK Castles

"... That link has a "diaper" as well ..."

Yes it does. I wondered if anyone would notice it, or even actually click the link I posted.
So I did some probing as it seemed a strange equivalence.
However, there seems to be a reason as the online source gives ""diaper" this alternative meaning;

" ... A pattern composed of small, regularly repeated geometric motifs, usually diamonds or lozenges, used to decorate a surface...." which I suppose could have been chiseled, embedded, etched, inscribed, cut into or scratched on said surface.

and the OED offers a similar reference and suggests it, that's "diaper," again can be used thusly;

" ... Its decoration consists of incised lines forming a diaper pattern, interspersed with a punched design of tiny triangular forms arranged like the petals of a flower...."

It is simply amazing what you can learn from collecting stamps!
Either way, etched, engraved and intaglio seem to have been used somewhat interchangeably in the handbook list for those "Castle stamps.

Like 
2 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.

".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
        

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