Plate 1b Black Printing





Plate 1 was put to service without hardening and as a result wore quickly.  Owing to the extreme wear,  it was necessary to repair all 240 plate impressions.  Repair required re-entry, and it is believed that the transfer roller from Plate 2 was used for this purpose.  The use of the Plate 2 transfer roller for the re-entry process had an effect on the north-west corner star, giving it particular characteristics which aid in the identification of this plate.  It is believed that the repair took place on 23 may 1840.
 

10 O'clock Ray Flaw and Weak 7 O'clock Ray
Example from 
Plate 1b

Characteristics of Plate 1b Black Printing

Earliest Known Date of Use About 10 February 1841
Flaw  NW 10 and 7 O'clock Rays
No Flaw All Positions show Flaw
Non-Coincident  Re-entry CL, GA, GC, GK, GL, HK, ID, II, JI, JK, MH, MI, MK, NG, OI, QL
Double Letters AE, CD, FA, FI, GI, MF, QA, TK
Burr Rubs CF, DF, FD, NA, OB, OD, OF, PD, QD, RE
Recut Side Lines Left Side: AJ, BJ, FH, GB, GF, HC, HL, IG, IH, IJ, JJ, JL, KD, KF, KG, KH, KL, LA, LB, LL, MC, ME, MG, OD, OF, PC, PD, PF, QG, RB, RD, RF
Right Side: KE, KL, LB, MD, TC
Recut Corners BH, BL, FH, GB, HL
Constant Varieties AL, IE, JB, PG, SI
Printing in Red Plate 1c
Color of Maltese Cross Red
Bleute Paper Exists
Thin Paper Exists
Inverted Watermark Exists 

 
 
CL:  example of re-entry on black printing

 

Plate 1b Red Printing

In August 1840,  due to the attempts to clean the cancellations off the stamps and reuse them,  authorities decided to change the color of the stamps and ink to prevent their reuse.   In addition to the change of color of the postage stamps from black to red-brown, and the Maltese Cross cancellations from red to black,
a new postage stamp ink was introduced to further frustrate attempts to clean and reuse them.

Matched Pairs Black and Red Printings
TA: Black Printing  Plate 1b
TA: Red Printing Plate 1c
TD: Black Printing Plate 1b
TD: Red Printing Plate 1c

Note the weak letters "A" and "D" on the above Red Printings which
suggest that the check letters have been weakened by re-entry
 
 

Enlarged view of the Plate Dot at the south-west corner of Stamp TA

TA: Black Printing
TA: Red Printing

 
10 O'clock Ray Flaw and Weak 7 O'clock Ray

Characteristics of Plate 1c  Red Printing

Earliest Known Date of Use 12 June 1840
Flaw  NW 10 and 7 O'clock Rays
No Flaw All Positions show Flaw
Non-Coincident  Re-entry GA, GC, GK, GL, HK, ID, II, JI, JK, MH, MI, MK, NG, OI
Double Letters AE, CD, FA, FI, GI,MF, QA
Burr Rubs CF, DF, FD, NA, OB, OD, OF, PD, QD, RE
Recut Side Lines Left Side: BJ, FH, GB, GF, HC, HL, IG, IH, IJ, JJ, JL, KD, KF, KG, KH, KL, LL, MC, ME, MG, OD, OF, PC, PD,PF, QG, RB, RD, RF
Right Side: KE, KL
Recut Corners BH, BL, FH, GB, HL
Constant Varieties IE, PG, SI
Printing in Red Plate 1c State 2 and (State 3, 4 and 5 below)
Color of Maltese Cross Black
Inverted Watermark Exists But Uncommon

 
 
TC: example of re-entry on red printing

 

Characteristics of Plate 1c Red Printing,  State 3,  Second Repair

State 3 Impressions following the Second Repair AA, AB, AD, AH, AI, AJ, AK, AL, BL, CF, CG, CL, IB, IC, JA, JB, LA, LB, LC, MD, ND, PA, PL, QL, RA, RB, RL, SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SL, TA, TB, TC, TD, TE, TF, TG, TH, TI, TJ, TK, TL
Nearly all of these impressions show a faintness in the the check letters due to the use of a transfer roller with blank check letter squares being used to repair the impressions.

Characteristics of Plate 1c Red Printing,  State 3,  Third Repair

State 3 Impressions following the Second Repair ID, JC, JD, JE, JF, JG, JI, KC, QC, QD, RG, RK, SG

Characteristics of Plate 1d Red Printing,  State 4, Third Repair

State 4 Impressions following the 3rd
State Repair		 QL, RL, TB, TG, TH, TJ, TK
This group shows faint re-entry marks in the top corner squares and faint check letters
as well as restoration to the background at the bottom

Characteristics of Plate 1e Red Printing, State 5, Fourth and Final Repair

State 5 Impressions following  the 4th Repair QL, RL, TK, 
This repair left more pronounced marks in the top corner squares and further weakened the check letters

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