Query No. 50 Labuan 1896 Jubilee
Perforations
Whilst sorting some stamps I came across some
Labuan 1896 Jubilee stamps and on checking with my SG catalogue it appears that
the 5c & 6c stamps are P14-5-15 which is normal for this issue, the 3c stamp
however, has P14.5 (actually a quite regular P14.5) on three sides and one side
has P13.5-P14 (not quite so regular as it ranges from about 13.6 to 13.9 and
averages about 13.8). Looking at the SG catalogue, this would appear to be the
SG85e, which has P13.5-14, comp 14.5-15.
The top and left & right sides are P14.5
and it is the bottom of the stamp which appears to be P13.5-14.
I have attached a jpg scan of the three
stamps for your interest.
Perhaps you could advise if this bottom edge
only P13.5-14 is the expected arrangement with SG85e.
Regards
Clive Green
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Answers:-
1.
A number of articles have been published
a while ago, both in the Sarawak Journal and by the Waterlow Study Circle,
about the perforating of the Labuan pictorials. Trying to make sense of
their perforation varieties ties one in knots - they are numerous and without
any obvious correlation both within sheets of the same value and between
different values. For the sake of convenience in my collection I group
the perforation varieties between those that fall within:
- Group 14
(SG85d)
- Group 14
compound (SG85f)
- Group 14/15
- Group 15 (SG85)
- Group 15
compound (SG85e)
To demonstrate
the numerous varieties, I have recorded the following:
Group 14
13x14;
13.75x13.75; 13.75x14; 13.75x14.25; 14x13.5; 14x13.75; 14x13.75(L); 14x14;
14x14.25x14x13.75; 14x14.25; 14.25x13.75; 14.25x14; 14.25x14.25
Group 14
compound
13x14x13x12/14;
14x12/13; 14x12/14; 14x13/14; 14.25x13.5/14; 12/14x14
Group 14/15
14x14.5;
14.25x14.5; 14.25x14.75; 14.5x14; 14.5x14.25; 14.75x14.25
Group 15
14.5x14.5; 14.5x14.75;
14.5x15; 14.75x14.5; 14.75x14.75; 14.75x15; 15x14.5; 15x14.75; 15x15; 15x15.25;
15.25x15; 15.25x15.25
Although I have
not come across Clive Green’s Group 15 compound example
(14.5x14.5x13.5/14x14.5) I would be surprised if SG85e always has its bottom
edge perforated 13.5/14. More likely it comes from differing positions on
a sheet, and therefore there are a range of perforation possibilities.
Jeremy Dickson