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Hi. I am Richard from the Taranaki region in New Zealand, an overseas member of the TPS.

My background is as a technical writer/researcher and trainer for industry and I have recently retired.

I have collected Australian stamps for many years, mainly KGV and Roos, and have a large collection of plated KGV's.

Over the past twelve months I have accumulated a lot of 1d and 2d Tasmanian Pictorials which I am attempting to plate with the help of the K Lancaster book. Not easy! This has led me to attempt putting together a pictorial based check list of flaws (similar to the KGV ones) and I am currently working through about eight thousand 1d electrotypes.

Whilst I have been able to plate a good number I find some of the descriptions too loose to be certain plus I have located some 40+ flaws (with at least two copies) which do not appear to be listed. I have attached a scan below which is from plate 5 or 6 and has no watermark line.

I will be asking for help and if there is sufficient interest can set up a separate topic, and feedback would be welcome.



This stamp has a small nick in the colour at top left of the fern and a downward spur from the second barb up into the vignette frame. I have 10 copies so far with dated copies from 15/1/12 to 22/5/12.

Welcome Richard!! I also have a passion for plate flaws on the pictorials (and also have a large collection of plate flaws on the Australia KGV issues). From reading your post, it sounds like you'll be focusing on the 1d and 2d electrotyped pictorials. My primary interest is the lithographed pictorials, but I started with the 2d electrotypes so have a number of them. I have not researched the 1d electrotypes so may not be able to help very much in their plating. The lithographed pictorials keep me quite busy--especially the 28 plates of the 2d.

There is already a topic on plate flaws on the 2d electrotyped so check that out. I think if you wanted to start a new topic on the plate flaws of the 1d electrotype that would be great. I would help any way that I can. There are also many members with expertise in the pictorials so I'm sure they would contribute as well.

K.E. Lancaster's book is the best reference for STARTING your research, but as you have already found it is not easy to use. I can't speak on the 1d electrotypes, but there are several major errors in the lithographed sections (for example, the bottom rows of stamps for plates 5 and 6 are reversed, and some of the interior stamps listed as plate 7 are actually plate 9) so you need to "trust but verify". And I also have found many plate flaws that are not listed. So...use the book as a guide, but you may find yourself doing original research much of the time. It's fun, frustrating, and rewarding!

Again, welcome and I look forward to working with you. Jerry Weirich

Hi Richard. Me again. Please do create a new topic for the 1d electrotype plate flaws. I have some information to share about the plate flaw you posted but would like to do it under a new topic because I don't think most members would look under the "new members" section for information on plate flaws. Thanks, Jerry

Thank you Jerry.

I will get something started over the next couple of days, I do have a number of the 2d Lithos some plated and others with unidentified flaws, but decided to start in what I thought would be easier, the 6 typo plates of the 1d. I now know the term 'easy' is totally wrong!

I too have found what appear to be errors in the plating in the book and will post them for comment when I start the new thread.

Richard

Welcome aboard, Richard.

I hope you find this forum as helpful as I have.


John