Hi Jim,
"Scott suggests the key to differentiating the various issues is print quality: Belgian (clear impression) vs. Athens (poor impression). However, Karamitsos (specialty catalogue) states the various Athens printings were produced using the same plates at the Belgian printings. (That is the "Belgian" plates were subsequently transferred to Athens.)"
I have very few of these issues in my collection and I've just had a look through them.
None has a postmark early enough likely to be a Belgian printing and none shows any sign that I can see of having a partial watermark.
Good luck in your search.
Thank you, Nigel. Appreciate the input from SG.
Concede there is some detail re watermark in Karamitsos. An oversight on my part.
Am still not fully convinced that Scott's comment re impression quality is accurate (or very "revealing").
I have found when sorting these most are obviously fine or coarse - difference is unmistakable. There are a fairly small percentage of them that "tends towards" one or the other but most of those fall into one camp or the other after a bit of soul searching.
I have moved the post that included the link to the document that provided examples relevant to the discussion titled "Flying Hermes" out of this thread and onto the correct one. I apologize for my error (and ignorance ).
Regards ... Tim.
Well, Tim, its all Greek to me.
This post pertains to the small Hermes head issues which began appearing in 1886 and continued for 10 years. My query concerns identification of the various imperforate issues/values.
Per Scott, there are five different groups: two imperforate, and three perforation varieties. Scott suggests the key to differentiating the various issues is print quality: Belgian (clear impression) vs. Athens (poor impression). However, Karamitsos (specialty catalogue) states the various Athens printings were produced using the same plates at the Belgian printings. (That is the "Belgian" plates were subsequently transferred to Athens.)
The online resource "Stamp Collecting World" suggests the key to differentiating is watermark: Belgian (no watermark) vs. Athens (horizontal sheet watermark).
Another online resource, The Intl Stamp Club of New York, suggests the determining factor is paper type. And then via an informative PowerPoint documents there are five (or six?) different paper types.
While Scott includes a short description of the "Athens" horiz sheet watermark, it does not provide an illustration. And no addtl insight is included in Karamitsos.
At this point am holding on to all imperforate issues pending an epiphany. And moving onto something simple such as China "martyr" issues and secret marks.
Bottom line: Conclude Scott's directive re print quality is clearly misleading.
re: Greece: Small Hermes head
Hi Jim,
"Scott suggests the key to differentiating the various issues is print quality: Belgian (clear impression) vs. Athens (poor impression). However, Karamitsos (specialty catalogue) states the various Athens printings were produced using the same plates at the Belgian printings. (That is the "Belgian" plates were subsequently transferred to Athens.)"
re: Greece: Small Hermes head
I have very few of these issues in my collection and I've just had a look through them.
None has a postmark early enough likely to be a Belgian printing and none shows any sign that I can see of having a partial watermark.
Good luck in your search.
re: Greece: Small Hermes head
Thank you, Nigel. Appreciate the input from SG.
Concede there is some detail re watermark in Karamitsos. An oversight on my part.
Am still not fully convinced that Scott's comment re impression quality is accurate (or very "revealing").
re: Greece: Small Hermes head
I have found when sorting these most are obviously fine or coarse - difference is unmistakable. There are a fairly small percentage of them that "tends towards" one or the other but most of those fall into one camp or the other after a bit of soul searching.
re: Greece: Small Hermes head
I have moved the post that included the link to the document that provided examples relevant to the discussion titled "Flying Hermes" out of this thread and onto the correct one. I apologize for my error (and ignorance ).
Regards ... Tim.
re: Greece: Small Hermes head
Well, Tim, its all Greek to me.