1d Pictorial with the VOLCANO variety

[Ross Ewington]

Here's a nice stamp to start a topic devoted to the "Volcano" variety found on the 1d Pictorial issue.

The retouched state(s) of this famous flaw is referred to as the "Volcano" variety as it resulted in the stamp
having the appearance that smoke was rising from the top of Mt Wellington.

1d pale red with "Pre-Volcano" flaw B/W T10d (ACSC) - nice example with
partial Launceston cds dated JA 8 1903
[attachment=0]1d pictorial pre-volcano.jpg[/attachment]

In regard to this variety the Australian Commonwealth Specialist Catalogue states:
"Variety d was quickly retouched during the first printing and is rare. It thus only occurs with watermark sideways but the retouch (variety da) occurs with both watermark sideways and upright. It later printings it deteriorates and begins to show as an unsightly colour patch".

It is unknown as to how the plate was damaged but when I was a lad I remember Lew Viney saying (on a number of occasions) that it was probably caused by something being dropped thereupon ... perhaps it was a tool such as a small screwdriver .... I guess we'll never know!

If you have any images and/or information to share on this well-known variety, please post them/it here.

[Ross Ewington]

Here is an image with a mint and a used example of the earliest state of the "volcano variety" B/W T10da.
They are both pale-red in shade and have the V over Crown watermark sideways. The used example is dated 1902
but unfortunately the rest of the date is not discernible.
[attachment=1]volcano first state.jpg[/attachment]

This used example is postmarked JE 5 1903 and shows a later state of the variety..... the "unsightly colour patch" referred
to in the ACSC listing is quite apparent! The shade of this stamp is rose-red; the watermark is V over Crown (inverted).
[attachment=0]volcano late.jpg[/attachment]

[Hobbit123]

I decided that I would look out my material covering this topic as I had it written up on half-a dozen pages. I hope you will forgive me for posting images from the pages with a little explanation.

First, three pre-volcano flaws, all dated early 1903 from Invermay(?), Hobart and Strahan, with the latest dated FE261903.

Volcano1.jpg (312.44 KiB) Viewed 2226 times

Next, a mint block of four showing the first stage of the retouch, perf 12½.

Volcano2.jpg (324.48 KiB) Viewed 2226 times

Then a selection of used copies, with dates ranging from November 21 1902 through to May 11 1903. The very early date of the earliest copy suggest that the original flaw was corrected soon after issue in November.

Image reduced to fit

Volcano3.jpg (1.17 MiB) Viewed 2226 times

The plate was very thin where it had been bumped up, and the retouched area wore rapidly. I show a further range of dated copies between 27 November 1902 and 28 December 1903. Some are watermark sideways and some are watermark upright.

Volcano4.jpg (1.16 MiB) Viewed 2226 times

The volcanic cloud becane quite dark as the eruption proceeded. I show a further selection illustrating the worn state, with a mint block of four and a single and some dated used copies, with dates between May 24 1903 and October 1903.

Volcano5.jpg (1.35 MiB) Viewed 2226 times

The final selection shows dated copies with a fairly large volcanic cloud, ranging between April 8 1903 and December 8 1903.

Volcano6.jpg (1.71 MiB) Viewed 2226 times

Stamps from Plates 1 & 2 were issued until January 1904, so there should be used copies with 1904 dates.

[josto]

Hi!

I found this one which I first thought to be the vocano variety. Of course it looks like a retouch but does anyone know this one? Is it listed or known?



Greetings

[Ross Ewington]

Hi Josto - welcome to the TPS BB!

Assuming that your stamp has a "Crown over A" watermark, I am fairly certain that the item you have illustrated above is
an example of the major variety described by Lancaster in his book "The Pictorial Stamps of Tasmania 1899-1912"
as "the other volcano variety" (Plate 3, stamp 5). Here's the illustration from the book.

lancaster page.jpg (98.83 KiB) Viewed 2183 times

[josto]

Hi!

Nice to hear that! So it is a not so bad finding. About the watermark, yes it is crown over A inverted.

Greetings