KING EDWARD THE EIGHTH.

Varieties. The ½d value. click here for larger image. This single stamp illustrated on the left, came with the original collection with the notation :- "One of the few known examples of a double impression". To my mind, the description is exaggerated as the doubling is very slight, mainly noticable in the top left frame, on the ½d value, on the crown and by the shadow effect behind the head. A 'normal' stamp is shown on the right for comparison. NOTE. Following discussion on the Great Britain Philatelic Society discussion board it would appear that this is likely to be a shifted transfer rather than a double impression. My definition of a 'double impression' is shown by this example of the 1936 1s stamp, illustrated in S.G. G.B. Vol.2. ________________________________________________ On cylinder 7 there was a flaw on the multipositive used to prepare this cylinder, which on the printed stamp appeared as a small ball-like object to the right of the crown on the second stamp in the bottom row of the stop pane. It is often called the "Crown Jewel" flaw, "missing pearl", or the now more widely used "pearl beside crown" flaw. It is most prominent in state 1. In state 2 the cylinder was re-chromed, and the flaw appeared much fainter.       State 1.       State 2. ________________________________________________ click here for closer image of cylinder and offsets. Control A36, cylinder 10 dot, complete two rows from the left side of the sheet, showing the "pearl beside crown" variety, an offset of the cutting line at the bottom left of the selvedge and offsets of the cylinder numbers. The "pearl beside crown" variety is present on the stop panes of cylinders 7, 10, 12 and 13. ____________________________________________________ Control A36 cylinder 15. This cylinder exists in two states. State 1. As this cylinder was not required until near the end of the 'A36' account - it was probably not put to press until after cylinder 16 - the control was etched very lightly. The etching was, in fact, so light that it is hardly visible on either pane and the control was retouched prior to the cylinder being put to press. This was done by touching up the control with a graver. On the no stop pane the retouching was very light, but, on the stop pane it was more prominent. The stop pane state is extremely rare. State 2. The retouching to the control on the no stop pane was insufficient and it was further deepened. The entire control was now outlined by a series of dots. Perforation was by type I only.       State 1.       State 2. click here for larger image of state 1. click here for larger image of state 2. click here to compare. go to next page in this series