All impressions produced from a steel roller on a steel plate must be identical in every respect and every impression and plate number MUST be identical in its shape and position to the next. Inking vagaries and plate wear are not a reason for distinct differences in detail between the impressions.

There is no excuse for a pristine plate, such as Plate 77, a plate that only printed a handful of sheets, to print plate numbers that are anything other than clear and identical every time which is certainly not the case on studying these images.

A focus on the figure ’73’ from the left-hand panel from stamps BA, BB and BC

from the Plate 73 imprimatur sheet

Note the shape of the diamonds around the ’73’ and the shape of the number ’73’ itself.

As expected they are all sharp, clear and IDENTICAL.

So why is it that all the 77s below which also allegedly come from the imprimatur sheets

are all DIFFERENT?

Examining the shape and position

of the figure ’77’

The right-hand panel from the blind impression from the Plate 77 roller (British Library).

Note the mandatory dashes in each diamond and next to each figure ‘7’.

Below is a focus on the right-hand figure ‘7’ from the right-hand panel

from stamps AB, BA, PH and MI.

Note the shape of the diamonds around the ‘7’ and the shape of the figure ‘7’ itself.

Most importantly note the absence of the dash next to each ‘7’. A major feature of the Die.

An astonishing compilation indeed of impressions that MUST be identical

A focus on the left-hand figure ‘7’ from the right-hand panel from stamps AB, BA, PH and MI.

A focus on the left-hand figure ‘7’ from the left-hand panel from stamps AB, BA, PH and MI.

Note the shape of the diamonds around the ‘7’ and the shape of the figure ‘7’ itself.

A focus on the right-hand figure ‘7’ from the left-hand panel from stamps AB, BA, PH and MI.

Note the shape of the diamonds around the ‘7’ and the shape of the figure ‘7’ itself.

Clearly such major anomalies in shape and position of the numbers and in the overall shape of the diamonds is not what would be expected from pristine impressions form an imprimatur sheet.

Examining the Plate number 77

All impressions produced from a steel roller on a steel plate must be identical in every respect and every impression and plate number MUST be identical in its shape and position to the next. Inking vagaries and plate wear are not a reason for distinct differences in detail between the impressions.

There is no excuse for a pristine plate, such as Plate 77, a plate that only printed a handful of sheets, to print plate numbers that are anything other than clear and identical every time which is certainly not the case on studying these images.

A focus on the figure ’73’ from the left-hand panel from stamps BA, BB and BC

from the Plate 73 imprimatur sheet

Note the shape of the diamonds around the ’73’ and the shape of the number ’73’ itself.

As expected they are all sharp, clear and IDENTICAL.

So why is it that all the 77s below which also allegedly come from the imprimatur sheets

are all DIFFERENT?

Examining the shape and position

of the figure ’77’

The right-hand panel from the blind impression from the Plate 77 roller (British Library).

Note the mandatory dashes in each diamond and next to each figure ‘7’.

Below is a focus on the right-hand figure ‘7’ from the right-hand panel

from stamps AB, BA, PH and MI.

Note the shape of the diamonds around the ‘7’ and the shape of the figure ‘7’ itself.

Most importantly note the absence of the dash next to each ‘7’. A major feature of the Die.

An astonishing compilation indeed of impressions that MUST be identical

A focus on the left-hand figure ‘7’ from the right-hand panel from stamps AB, BA, PH and MI.

A focus on the left-hand figure ‘7’ from the left-hand panel from stamps AB, BA, PH and MI.

Note the shape of the diamonds around the ‘7’ and the shape of the figure ‘7’ itself.

A focus on the right-hand figure ‘7’ from the left-hand panel from stamps AB, BA, PH and MI.

Note the shape of the diamonds around the ‘7’ and the shape of the figure ‘7’ itself.

Clearly such major anomalies in shape and position of the numbers and in the overall shape of the diamonds is not what would be expected from pristine impressions form an imprimatur sheet.