Plate 154 - AE

This is also a new repair to this plate.

I have had the stamp on the right for a few years, and believed it to be plate 164 state 2. A recent find of a strip from plate 154 proved it was not plate 164 at all, but a newly discovered reapir from plate 154.

The repair results in a weakened checkletter E and new TRL that runs down most of the right margin, yet is relatively ill-defined.

Repairs to this plate are now know from: AE, AG, AH, AI, AJ and BJ

Plate 153 - OE

I recently found a strip of four from this plate, containing the OE stamp shown above on the right.

On the left is the imprimatur, and comparing them mine shows a short faint TRL in the upper left margin and the sideline adjacent to this is clearly stronger than the imprimatur, proving a repair to this unit that was not previously known.

There are now known repairs to this plate on units: ME, NE, OE and OF.

I have not been able to find anyone who has seen a print of stamp OF in state 2. Does anyone have one? (Could it be that the literature has an error, and the repair is not on OF but on OE?)

Plate 155 - the left side marginal ornament

Both these stamps are from plate 155, and together they show the effect of the first repair to this plate upon the marginal ornament in the selvedge adjacent to stamps JA and KA.

KA is in the original state.
The ornament is complete.

JA is a print from after the first repair, and it is quite apparent the re-entering operation had the effect of markedly weakening the ornament in its parts closest to the stamps.

Plate 91 - Archer perforation

Throughout the literature there is noted that just one stamp is known from plate 91, perforated by Henry Archer as part of his separation trials. Seymour, SG Spec and Statham - and possibly others - all note this.

It appears though that no-one, at least in living memory, has any definite record of an Archer from this plate, and it seemed likely that the claimed plate 91 was a case of a misplating - until now.

There is no question the stamp above is from plate 91. Apart from the letter positions, the alignment with stamp MG below is unique in this group of plates. Additional evidence is the blur mark running between LG and MG at the far right, that is clear on the Imprimatur sheet.

Also beyond doubt is that this is a genuine Archer. The fourth perf hole from the bottom on the left side of the stamp is positioned out of line to the right. This is exactly how this perf hole appears on other Archers I have scans of, from the F and G column.

A most important find!

The question that remains though is - is this the single stamp noted in the literature or another?

Plate 141 - TG

Just to hand this week is this example of TG state 2 from plate 141 - the first example of this stamp I have seen.
It is shown with the imprimatur, as I don't yet have an original state print of this stamp.

The scan of this was very poor when I bought it, but this very distinctive worn orange colour had me thinking it was a later plate - actually I thought it was a late very worn state 1 from plate 157.

When it arrived I was surprised to find it had a TRL at right, and a quick check proved it was not 157 but 141.

The repair of this unit strengthens the right sideline and erases the sideline break just under the right star, that is seen on the imprimatur. A new TRL is seen adjacent.

Statham says that ONE PENNY is compressed, and this is difficult to see on this stamp due to its advanced state of wear, but I think this effect is most apparent on the NNY.

This is the only repair known from this plate.

Plate 64 - BH

I haven't had anything to post on for a couple of months, but I recently found a very nice state 2 example of this stamp in a strip of five.
It's shown at bottom right above, together with two state 1s above and another state 2.

State 1 prints show what I would call a slight-to-medium strength upper border shift.
This effect is lessened by the repair.

Statham notes:
'BH is known with a strong TRL in the left margin. This suggests that it was repaired by re-entry, although there is no noticeable strengthening of the frame line or weakening of the check letters.'
I would agree that there is no apparent strengthening of the left side, but at right there is restoration of the small break at approximately 1 o'clock.

Repaired prints do not appear to be particularly scarce.

Plate 65 - BD

This is one of those few repairs that are seen in the second state quite frequently, but are very scarce or rare in the original state.
I have seen just two state 1 examples, yet at least 15 state 2s.

Prints of the repair are easily recognised by the markedly weakened checkletter D, and TRL in the left margin.
The repair was carried out so early that no worn state 1s have been seen; instead it is usual to see state 2s displaying quite a degree of plate wear.
Also there is a progressive patch of wear in the background directly above EN of PENNY, together with a mark inside the same E.
These are both easily seen on the image posted (click to enlarge).

The position of this patch of wear is quite unique - such patches of wear are usually seen in the adjacent right corner.