The Queen Elizabeth II Wildings definitives offer a wide range of interest: watermarks,
paper quality, and graphite or phosphor band printing.
The complexity of the design on Wildings gave ample opportunity for flaws and blemishes
to appear, and the student of philately was not slow to hunt for the latest rash
of 'fly-specks' and errors on every new issue. By the time the Wildings appeared
photogravure printing was well established as the principal printing method for
the majority of British stamps, and as with the photogravure issues of earlier reigns
there was to be plenty for the collector to find.
The
TADPOLE FLAW, often accompanied by the
SHAMROCK FLAW,
was an early discovery among Wilding cylinder varieties.
The 'Tadpole Flaw' is particular to the earlier 2d. issues, appearing on the sixth
stamp of row 17 (R.17/6), on the Dot Cylinder from Cylinder 4 onwards. It had already
been retouched on Cylinder 3, but progressed through to Cylinder 12 before appearing
retouched thereafter.
It takes the form of a 'white spot' on the underside of the stem of the 'thistle'
emblem immediately above the 'AG' of 'POSTAGE'. The retouches can be identified
very much later in the cylinder series by the clear disturbance to varying degrees
in the variety position, though Stanley Gibbons fail to list any between cylinder
17 to 26, or 28 onwards, acknowledging a retouch on cylinder 27 where it appear
with the Shamrock Flaw.
The SHAMROCK FLAW is a 'white spot' similar to the Tadpole Flaw, but on the top
side of the stem of the shamrock (just by the shamrock head) to the right of the
thistle affected by the Tadpole Flaw or it's retouch.
As the printings progressed through the cylinders both Tadpole Flaw & Shamrock
Flaw became progressively more obvious, necessitating the retouches, so the variety
appears in a range of states. A favourite way of collecting this variety is in complete
cylinder blocks of twenty-four (or larger), assembling the range from the earliest
state, through the cylinders to the very well retouched forms on the phosphor issues.
Plate varieties such as the Tadpole and Shamrock Flaws are interesting, but are
merely the tip of the iceberg in terms of the numbers of such spots and blemishes
that appear on Wildings. Some occur on sheet printings and well as coils, demonstrating
the use of the same multi-positive or printing cylinder for both forms, whereas
others are peculiar to one form or other - be it sheet, coil or booklet pane.
The
RABBIT'S EARS variety is one of an extensive range of varieties
found on Wildings booklet panes. Occurring on R.2/2 of the St.Edward Watermark 1½d.
pane of six, and appearing exactly like rabbit's ears avove the shamrock at the
left of the design, it is not expensive at a Stanley Gibbons listing of £15., but
is very elusive.
The
PHANTOM 'R' is perhaps more dramatic, and for the observant
stamp collector more rewarding not least financially.
The rarest version, from cylinder 41 on Crowns watermark, has a Stanley Gibbons
catalogue quotation of £350, so would be a very rewarding 'find' in an unsuspecting
dealer's stock. This occurred following the incomplete masking of the stamp image
below the marginal rule, revealing the 'R' on the marginal rule below column 12
of cylinders 41. Cylinder 37 shows a less marked Phantom 'R' variety in a simlar
position, less obvious because of the narrower marginal rule. Both forms of the
Phantom 'R' were later retouched, but not before the Cylinder 41 version appeared
much more commonly on the Green Phosphor issue. The whole series of original varieties
with all the retouches are very popular with collectors.
The
PHANTOM FRAME is another marginal rule variety, which appears
below the 12th column, on cylinder 8 No Dot of the 4½d. Wilding. It shows as the
frame of the rule being incomplete, having not been completely filled in. It was
later retouched; the retouches are not listed, or collected as a rule, but the original
variety appears in three forms, on Crowns Watermark, Blue Phosphor printed typographically,
and from the Blue Phosphor photogravure printing.