Jay Smith & Associates: Denmark: Test Stamps: 1980-1985 Horse Statue Slania-Engraved

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Denmark: Test Stamps: 1980-1985 Horse Statue Slania-Engraved

Test Stamps (also called Dummy Stamps in the U.S.) are created by stamp printers and post offices to test printing and production processes and other machines. While a few have had extensive philatelic distribution, most were never intended to be known to collectors and are very scarce. New discoveries continue to be made. Denmark has made use of several types and designs of test stamps; some of these are shown in the AFA Specialized Catalog at the start of the 1933 steel-engraved period.

All items are available for viewing on approval. I have a constantly changing stock of Danish and all Scandinavian essays, proofs, reprints, specimens, and test stamps. Most such items sell before they get to the website or price lists. What are you seeking?

In 1980 the Danish Post Office purchased a new "M4" printing press. To test the machine, a test stamp designed by Danish artist Mads Stage and engraved by Czeslaw Slania was produced in 1980. The design is of an imaginary view of København, with the equestrian statue in front of the Royal Palace in the center. To the left is a small fragment of the Christiansborg Palace (Parliament Building) and on the right a partial view of the Royal Residential Palace (Amalienborg).

In 1985, as a fundraising gesture for the Danish Philatelic Federation (DFF) and to support the development of philately, the post office made a special printing of these stamps which was turned over to the DFF which sold them. The marginal inscriptions were removed and stamps were only sold as singles, 4-blocks, and 4-strips. From this printing, larger units are known, but are very rare. The 1985 printing is multicolored, with the black engraved, but the "PRØVE" and the colors printed by offset / lithography. It is printed on white paper with greenish-yellow fluorescence and has invisible gum. This stamp is fairly common.

However, it turns out that this was only part of the story! The original 1980 printing(s) [there were surely multiple tests with different colors, etc.] were never made available to the public and have only a very few examples have been recorded. It turns out that after the 1980 testing, the original printing plate and die were destroyed or misplaced. A NEW DIE WAS ENGRAVED and a new plate made for the 1985 printing. The 1980 vs 1985 printings are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ENGRAVINGS. The 1980 engraving/printing(s) have many features that are different: The "PRØVE" is engraved in the 1980 stamp. There is much more elegant detail throughout the design of the 1980 stamp. For example, the tiny pointed tower at the extreme right has horizontal engraved shading lines on the 1980 stamp. The horse has diagonal engraved shading lines on the rear flank. The sky at the upper left is made of horizontal shading lines. There had been a previous report of the 1980 printing published on the Internet, but that report did not fully recognize the scope and significance of the design differences. Simply put, this is a completely different engraving and it adds to Slanias engraving count! This is what the stamp is supposed to look like!

In November 2008, I discovered (in the collection of a client who did not realize what he had) a complete sheet of 50 stamps of a 1980 printing. In addition to the black engraving, there is only Brownish Orange in the trees to left and right of the statue and in the base and pedestal of the statue. There is no other color. The stamps are printed on cream-colored paper with whitish fluorescence and have invisible (?) gum. (There are no plate numbers; there is only a color bar in the right margin opposite the third row.) The result is a stunningly elegant stamp design. The owner of the sheet will retain the top half of the sheet, but has allowed the lower half of the sheet to be broken so that examples may be shared with other philatelists. We thus know of only 50 examples of this printing, and only 25 of them are available to the marketplace (unfortunately, this will satisfy only a small fraction of Slania collectors!).

[Information is wanted about other printings/colors and I wish to buy any such examples.]

1980-1985 Horse Statue Slania-Engraved

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Item #

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US$

232292

1980 Slania-engraved Horse Statue test stamp. THE ORIGINAL ENGRAVING with much greater detail and "PRØVE" engraved. This is a completely different Slania engraving from the commonly seen 1985 DFF multi-colored printing. Created in 1980 for testing "M4" printing press. Black all engraved, plus Brownish Orange lithograph/offset printing in trees and base/pedestal of statue. Cream-colored, white fluorescent paper, with invisible gum. This elegant engraving is RARE with only 25 total examples being made available from the original discovery. [Please inquire about position pieces potentially available: one each four blocks from left margin, right margin, lower left corner, and lower right corner (with interesting apparently engraved black scratch just into selvage). Also possibly larger block if not yet broken up.] NH VF single.

WANTED
This color/printing is needed as well as any others. Please make offer.

232289

1985 Slania-engraved Horse Statue test stamp. Design created in 1980 for testing "M4" printing press. Multi-colored 1985 printing distributed by the DFF and sold only in singles, 4-blocks, and 4-strips. NH VF single.

9.50

232290

36.00

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