In a previous post Bob Ingraham asked the question, "If it's a "freak," then what is an "error"? Or an "oddity"? I frequently see the term "EFO" for "Errors, Freaks, and Oddities," but I've never been sure what the differences are, if any. When my wife says to me, "Bob, you are so odd," is it a philatelic comment? :^)

Odd Bob"

I only know about EFO's on Canadian stamps and I'll try to explain....and I've taken some of this information from the Darnell catalogue with reference to their terminology.

Course Credit: Philatelic - Canadian EFO's001

Varieties are stamps that vary from the norm. They include flaws and/or changes in colour, printing, perforation, paper, gum or tagging. Varities are classified into 11 categories. There are major and minor errors.

Classifications of the 11 categories:
1 - Constant varieties (these appear at the same position of each sheet of an entire issue)

2 - Inconstant varieties (are those that occur in a limited and/or irregular way, positioned in the same place, but not appearing on all sheets

3 - Tagging varieties (such as 1 bar tag when there should be 2 bars, or no tags when there should be tagging, etc.)

4 - Paper varieties (different batches of paper used during printing process - you need an ultra violet light for these and the tagged issues)

5 - Comparative varieties (are oddities found only in pairs or multiple. The variety disappears when the stamp is a single detached stamps. Examples: jump strip, tete-beche, narrow spacing or wide gutter)

6 - Colour varieties - (are likely to happen when a printer's ink is changed or in a second printing of an issue)

7 - Offset varieties (this occurs when there is a misfeed of paper into the printer and the image is transferred to the flat metal backing. When the paper comes through properly the image is printed on both sides, resulting in a mirror image)

8 - Smudges and smears varieties (varieties that escaped quality control and have smudges and smears of colour, image, etc.)

9 - Paper folds (the result of printing on prefolder paper, as fed through the printer)

10 - Perforation varieties (normally caused by the maladjustment of the perforation mechanism)

11 - Oddities and freaks (unique inconstant varieties that are extreme in their flaws. Examples: Inverted Seaway, Double impressions, missing inscriptions, ghost prints, missing colours, shifted impressions).

Liz

Thank you, Liz. So, if I understand this lesson, "EFO's" are really a catch-all term for a number of different varieties, any of which may or may not end up being catalogued. Oddities and freaks stand alone as single examples of varieties. I think.

It must be difficult to decide when to include a particular variety in a catalogue, especially when examples are known.

Bob

I would add or amend several things. Some of the vareties described above, for instance, perforation varieties, are created by the printer, deliberately or unwittingly, quite often without the PO knowing it, and end up being major or minor numbers. This should be distinguished from a perf variety caused by some miscalculation, say by a pressman, or failure of the pins or razors. The former is simply another issue; the latter an EFO of some sort.

Constant varieties are usually considered with minor numbers now, although Americ's early stamps are populated by various positions of the same plate, each with a major number, and considered, at least by Scott, as different stamps.

these comments could probably be appended to most of the categories. They don't take away from Liz's explanation, but add context.

@Liz

You should consider the the possibility that printer's sheets comprise more than 1 counter sheet. In fact, it happens more often than not! In that case there's no real difference between cat. 1 and cat. 2!



Classifications of the 11 categories:
1 - Constant varieties (these appear at the same position of each sheet of an entire issue)

2 - Inconstant varieties (are those that occur in a limited and/or irregular way, positioned in the same place, but not appearing on all sheets

Dear All,
For U.S. stamps,Stephen R. Datz makes the distinction among "Errors" , "Error-like" & "EFO's & Other Unusual Stamps" .
EFO's are categorized as: misaligned perfs or colors, paper folds or creases, over or under inking, or other factors that make them unusual in appearance.

Have I just added to the confusion?
All good thoughts,
Dan C.