The "O" Flaw


This appears as a small white mark extending from the bottom line upwards between the letters "O" and "N"
of "ONE."  The flaw is present on many stamps of Plates 7, 8, 9, and 10 in various stages.  It does not appear on any other Penny Black Plates but does occur on some of the red printings from the Penny Black Plates.
This flaw is most likely due to a small piece of foreign material adhering to the roller die during the time the
impressions were made for these specific plates.  See figure 1 for the development of this flaw.
The "O" Flaw Stages I - III


               Stage I                       Stage II                       Stage III

Figure 1.

Stage I:     In this stage it is a small white line between the "O" and the base  or bottom frame line.

Plate 7:
The "O" Flaw Stage I appears on the stamps of  Plate 7,  check letters from the G, H, and I rows. and occurs with certainty on stamps GH, GJ, HA, HB, HD, HF, HG, HH, HI, HK, HL, IF, IG, IH,  IK,  IL,  and also JA, JB.

Plate 8:
The "O" Flaw appears on nearly all of the stamps from position OK to TL,  except stamps OK, OL, PF, PI, PK, PL, QB, QE, QL, SB, SF, SH, SI, and SL.  In some causes it may not appear on the stamps within the given list due to the fact that the plate impression may have been repaired.  If the stamp has been repaired and is in a second state the "O"Flaw may have been removed.
 

Stage II:    The white area has extended to the point where it reaches out towards the foot of the "N" of One

Plate 8:
The "O" Flaw Stage II should appear on all impressions of AA through OJ of this plate in the first state before repair

Plate 9:
Stage II appears on all of the plate impressions in their original state.  In some causes it may not appear do to plate repair, this being particularly true in the case of the A row.

Plate 10:
With the exception of  BE, BF, BH, BJ, BK, and KB, the "O" Flaw Stage II or Stage III appears on all of the impressions of this plate.   After repair, in the second state,  the flaw has been illuminated on the following positions:  BB, BC, BD, CA, CB, CC, CE, CF, CG, CH, DH,  DI,  DJ, DK, and DL.
 

Stage III:  The white extension passes under the foot of the "N" of "ONE."  This is the largest size of the flaw which appears only on Plate 10.

Plate 10:
This is present on all stamps from position AA to DJ.


 
 

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