2d QV Sideface with strange watermark - any ideas??

[Ross Ewington]

This mis-perfed 2d Sideface (perf.11½) appears to have neither the usual numeral of TAS watermarks

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Any ideas as to what this watermark could be ..... sheet margin perhaps?

[bill]

Doesn't this watermark look like a reversed '2'?

[Ross Ewington]

thanks for having a look Bill. There are two characters in the watermark though and I think they are quite different.

[bill]

Ross, let's do a bit of lateral thinking. I may be wrong about the alleged '2'
but let's suspend judgment for a few minutes.

We imagine a second copy of this very stamp with the very same watermark
and place it side by side so that we have a rejoined horizontal pair. To be
definite, we will place this extra stamp face down on the right hand side of
the actual stamp (also face down) that is illustrated.

On the top row, we take the left hand symbol and put an exact copy to the
right of the right hand symbol on the actual stamp. Join them up. We get
something like a '2' reversed and upright if I am not mistaken.

On the bottom row, we do the same experiment and observe what seems
to be an inverted reversed '2' if I am not mistaken.

If you can suggest an alternative symbol to the alleged '2', please advise me.

Bill

[Ross Ewington]

thanks Bill ..... I can see now that it is the '2' watermark but reversed ..... I didn't have
another example to hand and forgot how 'fancy' the numeral watermark is by comparison
with say '4' or '10'. I appreciate your assistance.

[bill]

Ross, you're welcome.