Hello everyone,  So much to write about. I had a day off today. Saturday.  Did some shopping. Soaked lots of stamps – if anyone wants GB Christmas issues let me know.. free selection.. I have a few..    from a commemorative kiloware lot I bought..  at least I think it was from that purchase – more Machin 1^st and  2^nd than most people will see in a lifetime, and few commemoratives and then only Christmas. Feel ripped off to be honest, oh well such is life.

I wrote some days, maybe weeks, ago about the first stamp catalogue. Been so busy I forgot to tell you all the answer. Had a few very good entries with lots of details. This from a reader in Germany. Thanks.. am going to mail you whatever I said was a prize when I get some Korean postage stamps J 

“ The first stamp catalogue was said to be compiled by Alfred Potiquet in 1861and printed in Paris under the title, "Catalogue des timbres-poste crées dans les divers états du globe". It contained 1080 postage stamps and 132 postal stationeries.  BUT,  Alfred Potiquet developed his catalogue on the basis of the postage stamp and postal stationery register of the Strasbourg bookseller, Oscar Berger-Levrault. In fact, that register is referred to as the world's first stamp catalogue, but it had no illustrations of stamps at all and was not intended for the public. Alfred Potiquet did not just provide images for that register, he also added a lot of stamp issues which had been overlooked by Oscar Berger-Levrault and corrected his errors.”

So now you know.

And to last nights little teaser!!!   Here is a scan of the reverse of the stamps.

Now you can see the difference. Well one of the obvious differences.  One has a sideways watermark and one has an inverted watermark. You have to trust me that one is inverted. It is, honest. J   However. Why am I telling you this. Well there is another difference on the front of the stamps, that is quite obvious. That is the deepness of the colour around the kings  head in what I shall describe as the oval in which the kings head is centered. Have a look carefully and you will see it. My scan is actually pretty accurate.   As soon as I saw that I thought there was something different about the stamps. Yes there can be shading differences but often there is something else. And in these two stamps there is; ie  the watermarks.  Sadly I do not have my GV specialized catalogue with me so cannot provide anymore information from memory, as in the fact there are different format sizes for these stamps. However, if you do see such colour differences start to check carefully as it is often a hint to further varieties, even if it as simple a check as the watermark. And these two stamps are in my view a good example. I started to look further and there are various differences, let say varieties.   I show below another scan of the lower part of the scan. Look carefully again and you will see one has what are dots ( well in my original scan they were)  while another has more joined together line.  

There are other differences as well if you study the actual stamps carefully,  minor framebreaks or thins as I think of them, as I believe were quite common on this issue.     Wish I had my Specialised catalogue with me.  Will collect it when next in Sydney. 

Better let you get back to whatever you were doing. Enjoy your stamps.  Tomorrow, something I found in my kiloware purchase. It will make you cry and laugh at the same time J

Michael