| 1955-1974 Issues |  Top |
| Item # |
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Never Hinged  US$ |
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401713 "View EXACT ACTUAL Image"){kind=small} |
Scott #341 Tête-Bêche Pair With Plate Number, Facit #461v3/v1/v2 [1956 Stamp Exhibition] NEVER HINGED with XF centering tête-bêche pair (with the tops of the crowns together) and with side sheet margin with plate number "No 1063 - 1956". The plate number appeared only once in every pane of ten stamps; it is "seldom" seen still attached to pairs. This unusual line-rouletted issue was printed in larger sheets (size??) and divided into panes of ten for sale to the public. [Gutter tête-bêche pairs (with the bottoms of the crowns together) also exist (scarce), taken from the larger press sheets before the larger sheets were divided into panes of ten.] This stamp issue has a posthorn watermark, which exists in two positions (50% in each position) because the stamps were printed tête-bêche. However, THE WATERMARK POSITIONS CAN BE CONFUSING. Watermark positions are normally viewed (from the backside of the stamp) and determined with the stamp design upright. When THIS stamp issue is viewed with the stamp design upright, the two posthorn watermark positions are vertical / sideways. However, in this case, probably because Finland did not previously have any posthorn watermarks in the vertical / sideways position, the stamps have always been listed using position numbers 1 and 4 (but illustrated in a horizontal position!), DETERMINED WITH THE STAMPS SIDEWAYS, WITH "SUOMI" AT TOP. This fact is clearly stated by the LaPe Catalog, but Facit does not (at least not yet; I submitted a report to Facit in August 2026) explain the "SUOMI" AT TOP requirement. To further confuse things, LaPe shows the wrong watermark position for the watermark position that they have a picture caption "W1" -- "W1" is on the stamp, but "W2" is what is actually pictured in the LaPe Catalog in the "W1" illustration. Though this is a "modern" stamp issue, this plate number item is seldom seen and the vast majority of collectors have never noticed (paid attention) to the fact that this stamp issue has two watermark positions. ACTUAL item. |
Reference |
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236040 "View REPRESENTATIVE Image"){kind=small} |
341 Tete-Beche Gutter Strip, Facit #461v4++ [1956 Stamp Exhibition] NH VF gutter 4-strip, itself tete-beche (the posthorns together), consisting of two tete-beche pairs (the normal type with crowns together). Facit lists 461v4 as being the gutter tete-beche PAIR, but does not listed the full 4-strip. Either way, the gutter pair or strip is extremely difficult to find and is grossly undervalued in all catalogs. This is one of only four such strips that I have had in 38 years! REPRESENTATIVE image of stamp design. |
WANTED |