The 50c Summers Stores Stamp From the 1967-1973 Centennial Issue

Today I start writing about the last two high value stamps of this fantastic series that has occupied me for well over a year now: the 50c Summer's Stores stamp, which was designed after the Group of Seven painting by John Ensor. Of all the values of this series, I find this to be one of the most interesting. It is one of the few stamps that does not exist with any form of tagging, but it does come in both dextrine gum and PVA gum printings, and the inks display an amazing amount of variation in terms of their appearance under UV light. Most stamps of this series are printed in non-transformative ink, which is to say that the ink does not generally react to UV light, appearing to be more or less the same colour under UV light, as under normal light. However, on many of the printings of this stamp, the ink changes colour entirely under UV light. 

Unitrade lists five printings of this stamp, four of which have dextrine gum, and the fifth having PVA gum. However, as we shall see, there are several different sub varieties of each listed type. My stock of stamps from this denomination is somewhat limited. Consequently, while I will be able to show you at least one of each listed variety and several sub-types, I doubt that I have an example of every variety that exists. Thus, today's post must necessarily be considered a work in progress, with additional varieties being added as I discover them. 

According to Unitrade, the printings on dull paper, dead paper and low fluorescent paper were issued in 1967, while those on hibrite paper were issued in March 1971 and those with PVA gum in December 1971. 

The remainder of this post will explore the variations in shade, paper type, perforation and gum that are found on this stamp. 

Shades and Ink Varieties

Although Unitrade lists the shade of this stamp as being brown orange, in reality, there are two broad groups of shades, being cinnamon and brown orange. Each of these varies in terms of brightness, as well as the amount of red, the amount of orange, or the amount of brown that is contained in the mixture. The scan below shows the main difference between these two groups of shades:

On the left, we have what can be thought of as the cinnamon brown, and on the right the orange brown. On the Stanley Gibbons Colour Key, the left stamp is an almost exact match to Gibbons' orange brown, but is ever so slightly deeper. The stamp on the right is closest to Gibbons' dull orange, but is brownish, so a dull brownish orange. 

I have identified 10 different shades, based on how the inks appear in normal light. The two shades shown above are included in these 10. The scans below show the other 8 shades. I will describe these shades with reference to the Gibbons colour key. 

These two stamps are both shades that lie in between the above two extremes, though they are closer to the orange brown than they are to the dull brownish orange. The left stamp is closest again to the dull orange, but it is much deeper and brownish. It is much browner than the deep dull orange. So, I would call it the deep dull brownish orange. The stamp on the right is a perfect match to Gibbons's orange brown. 

The stamp on the left is closest to Gibbons' orange brown, but it is both duller, and lighter, containing less red than the pure orange brown. It is a somewhat "milky" colour. The stamp on the right is closest to Gibbons' dull orange, with the shade being deeper, so the deep dull orange. 

The stamp on the left is closest to Gibbons' cinnamon shade, but is much, much deeper. It completely lacks the red tone found in the orange browns and any hint of orange. The stamp on the right is almost identical to the deep dull orange above, but is just a tough brighter. 

These last two stamps are very similar to the other stamps already shown, but are both slightly different. The left stamp is similar to the slightly brighter deep dull orange shown above, but is again slightly brighter than the above stamp. The right stamp is closest to the orange brown, but this shade is paler and slightly more orangy than the pure orange brown. 

At this point, I will take each of the above 10 stamps and describe them in ore detail, looking at the appearance of the ink under UV, then the paper characteristics, the gum and the perforations. So, I am taking a slightly different approach in this post than I have in the past, by focusing on the shades first, and the other characteristics. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Slightly Deeper Orange Brown Stamp

All of the stamps that I have studied in this shade have dextrine gum. However, there is some variation in the paper characteristics and gum characteristics, as well as the perforations within this.

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

I have found the following types of paper on the stamps printed with this shade of ink:

1. Light cream coloured horizontal wove paper, which shows no ribbing or obvious mesh pattern when viewed from the back. When held up to strong back lighting, a clear pattern of horizontal and vertical mesh can be seen. Under magnification the printed surface is seen to have a light surface coating. 
2. Light cream coloured vertical wove paper, which shows no ribbing or obvious mesh pattern when viewed from the back. When held up to strong back lighting, a clear pattern of horizontal and vertical mesh can be seen. Under magnification, the printed surface is seen to have a light surface coating. 
3. Light cream coloured horizontal wove paper, which shows very light vertical ribbing on the gum side. When held up to strong back light, a clear vertical mesh pattern can be seen. 
4. Light cream coloured vertical wove paper, which shows very light vertical ribbing on the gum side. When held up to strong back light, a clear vertical mesh pattern can be seen. 

 Appearance of the Ink and Paper Under UV Light

These stamps show a fair degree of variation under the UV light, being generally dull and dead papers, as seen in the following pictures:

 In this first picture, we see the fourth type of paper above. This paper appears non-fluorescent and is grey in colour. The ink changes colour from orange brown and becomes deep brown under the UV light. The first and third types of paper above can also be found with this colouring under UV. 

Here we have the third paper type above, and three different reactions under the UV lamp. In the top row we have the dull fluorescent greyish paper that contains 1 or 2 low fluorescent fibres per stamp. The block at the left is non-fluorescent and deep grey in colour, while the pair at the right is violet grey in colour. In all three cases, the ink is a deep brown colour under the UV, though it is a bit brighter in the dull fluorescent stamps. The first and second paper types can also be found with the non-fluorescent, violet grey colour. 

This is also the third paper type, but this time it is the dull fluorescent deep grey paper, with dark brown ink. 

Here, we have the second paper type above, with a dull fluorescent, deep ivory colour under the UV light. Again, the ink appears dark brown, but there is a clear hint of orange to the brown. This colouring can also be found on the first paper type. 

Gum Types

I have found four types of the dextrine gum on these stamps:

1. Smooth, cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen.
2. Deep yellowish cream with a semi-gloss sheen.
3. Streaky, cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen.
4. Streaky, deep yellowish cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen. 

The pictures below show these types clearly:

The block at the bottom that protrudes into the left side of the picture shows the cream gum, while the pair laid over the top is the deep yellowish cream. 

The cream gum is shown on the left, while the deep yellowish cream gum is shown on the right. 

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Dull Brownish Orange Stamp

Most of the stamps printed in this shade are PVA gum printings, though there are a few with dextrine gum. 

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

The following paper types can be found on the stamps printed in this shade of ink:

1. Light cream coloured vertical wove paper, showing a very obvious vertical mesh pattern when viewed from the back. The mesh pattern is stronger when viewed against back lighting. Under magnification the printed surface appears to have no surface coating, but has been burnished smooth prior to printing. 
2. Light cream coloured vertical wove paper, showing no obvious mesh pattern when viewed from the back. When held up to back lighting, a vertical mesh pattern can be seen. Under magnification the printed surface appears to also have no surface coating. 
3. White vertical wove paper that shows no mesh pattern whatsoever, even when held up to strong back lighting. The printed surface is uncoated, but has been burnished smooth prior to printing. 

Appearance Of The Paper and Ink Under UV Light

The stamps printed in this shade run almost the full gamut of fluorescence levels, from dull to hibrite, as shown below:

This is the first of two scans showing the third paper type, which is commonly known as the low fluorescent PVA gum paper. Unfortunately the picture does not show the inks as they actually appear - they are much brighter and closer to the colours in normal light. Also, they appear under UV to bleed through the back of the stamp, so they have some fluorescent properties. 

In this scan, both groups of stamps are printed on paper that appears dull fluorescent blue greyish, but contains sparse concentrations of low and medium fluorescent fibres, that has the effect of raising the perceived fluorescence from dull to low. The inks both appear to be a deep orange brown, with the ink of the stamps on the right appearing a brighter shade of orange brown. 

In this scan we see two more types of the paper used for the PVA gum printings. The block on the left is on dull fluorescent greyish paper containing sparse concentrations of low and medium fluorescent fibres. The block and stamps on the right are on dull fluorescent greyish white paper that contains sparse concentrations of low and medium fluorescent fibres. In both cases, again the inks appear to bleed through under the lamp and both are deep orange brown, while the stamps on the right appear to be a slightly brighter shade. 

These three stamps are all the second paper type. Unfortunately, because of the hibrite stamp on the bottom row, the top stamps come out looking darker than they are. In fact, the upper left stamp appears dull fluorescent yellowish ivory, with the ink appearing a deep bright orange brown. The stamp at upper right is an example of the so called low fluorescent paper and is actually dull fluorescent greyish, containing a very sparse concentration of both low and medium fluorescent fibres. The ink appears deep orange brown under the light. The ink on the hibrite stamp on the bottom appears very dark reddish brown - almost black, but with just enough reddish tone that it is clear it is not black. 

Here we have the first paper type, and again a dull fluorescent and hibrite example. The dull fluorescent stamp appears much darker here because of the contrast with the hibrite, but in reality it is merely a greyish colour, and the ink appears a deep orange brown. The ink on the hibrite stamp appears a very deep reddish brown, that borders on black. 

Gum Types

The stamps printed in this shade are found with both PVA and dextrine gum as follows:

1. Smooth, cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen.
2. Smooth, white gum PVA gum with a satin sheen. 

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Deep Dull Brownish Orange Stamp

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

I have found that the paper used to print the stamps in this shade falls into two groups:

1. A white, vertical wove paper that shows clear vertical mesh, when viewed from the back. The mesh pattern appears stronger when the stamp is held up to strong back lighting. Under magnification, the printed surface can be seen to have no surface coating, having been burnished smooth. 
2. A light cream vertical wove paper that shows clear vertical mesh, when viewed from the back. The mesh pattern appears stronger when the stamp is held up to strong back lighting. Under magnification, the printed surface can be seen to have no surface coating. 

Appearance Of The Paper And Ink Under UV Light

All of the stamps in this shade that I have seen so far are hibrite or high fluorescent, as shown in the picture below:

The stamps to the right of the block are both on the second paper type, while the block is on the first. All except the upper right stamp are true hibrite paper. The upper right stamp is more of a high fluorescent paper, which is not listed, but is close to the hibrite. The ink on all stamps appears a very dark reddish brown. 

Gum Types

I have found two types of dextrine gum on the stamps printed in this shade of ink:

1. A smooth, cream gum that has a satin sheen. 
2. Smooth, cream gum that has a semi-gloss sheen. 

The satin sheen dextrine gum is very distinct, and is not found on any other value in the series. The picture below shows this gum type very clearly:

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Orange Brown Stamp

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

The stamps that I examined in this shade of ink are found on three different types of paper as follows:

1. A thicker, cream vertical wove paper, that shows no obvious mesh pattern. When held up to strong back lighting a light vertical mesh pattern can be seen. There is an obvious surface coating on this paper that is perfectly smooth. 
2. A thicker, cream horizontal wove paper that is identical in all respects to (1) above. 
3. A thinner, cream horizontal wove paper which has no clear mesh pattern until held up to back lighting, when a vertical mesh pattern can be seen. Under magnification the paper can be seen to have a light surface coating. 

Appearance Of The Ink And Paper Under UV Light

The stamps that are printed in this shade of ink all seem to either be dull fluorescent or non-fluorescent as shown in the pictures below:

This is the third paper type. The top stamp is a dull fluorescent greyish colour, while bottom pair is a non-fluorescent deep grey, and the block is a non-fluorescent violet grey. The inks appear very deep brown as shown. 

This is the second paper type, and is a dull fluorescent ivory grey colour. The ink is a very, very deep orange brown. The first paper type also can be found with this paper and ink colour under UV. 

Here we have the first paper type. The block on the left is a non-fluorescent greyish colour, while the stamp is dull fluorescent ivory. Both have what appears to be very, very deep orange brown ink. 

Gum Types

The stamps printed in this shade of ink seem to exhibit three different types of dextrine gum, which have been illustrated earlier:

1. Smooth cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen. 
2. Streaky deep yellowish cream gum. 
3. Smooth deep yellowish cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen. 

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Pale Dull Orange Brown Stamp

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

I only have three stamps in this shade, and all are printed on cream horizontal wove paper that shows no clear mesh pattern when viewed from the back. When viewed against back lighting, a faint vertical mesh pattern can be seen. This paper has a light surface coating, which prevents stray fibres on the printing surface. 

Appearance Of The Ink And Paper Under UV Light

The three stamps found in this shade are all printed on dull fluorescent paper, as shown below:

The pair on the left is a dull fluorescent deep ivory colour, while the stamp on the right is a dull fluorescent greyish colour. The ink in both cases, is a very deep reddish brown. 

Gum Types

The gum on these stamps is a deep yellowish cream dextrine gum with a semi-gloss sheen. 

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Deep Dull Orange Stamp

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

I have found two distinctly different kinds of paper on the stamps printed in this shade of ink:

1. Very light cream vertical wove paper that shows clear vertical mesh on the back and very light ribbing. When held up to strong back lighting, a very strong vertical mesh pattern is visible. The printed surface of the paper has no surface coating, but has been burnished smooth.
2. A thicker, very light cream vertical wove paper that shows no clear mesh pattern when viewed from the back. When held up to strong back lighting, a faint horizontal mesh pattern is visible. This paper also has no surface coating. 

Appearance Of The Ink And Paper Under UV Light

All the stamps that I have examined that are printed in this shade are on hibrite paper, as shown below:

The block is the first of the two paper types, while the two stamps are the second paper type. The appearance under UV is very similar, except for the ink: on the block, it is a very deep orange brown, whereas on the stamps, it is a very deep reddish brown. 

Gum Types

On this stamp, I have seen two types of dextrine gum, which have been described previously:

1. A streaky, deep yellowish cream gum. 
2. A smooth, cream gum, with a semi-gloss sheen. 

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Deep Cinnamon Stamp

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

I only have a single example of this shade. The paper is a thicker cream vertical wove paper that does not show any clear mesh pattern until it is examined against strong back lighting, at which time, faint vertical and horizontal mesh is visible. The printing surface has no surface coating, but has been burnished smooth.

Appearance Of The Ink And Paper Under UV Light

This stamp is printed on a non-fluorescent greyish paper, in which the ink appears a very dark reddish brown, as shown below:

 

Gum Types

The gum on this stamp is a smooth, deep yellowish cream with a semi-gloss sheen. 

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Slightly Brighter Deep Dull Orange Stamp

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

I only have one single example of this shade. The paper is a light cream coloured, vertical wove paper, that shows no clear mesh pattern until viewed against strong back lighting. At that time, the paper shows a clear horizontal and vertical mesh pattern. This paper has no surface coating, but has been burnished smooth prior to printing. 

Appearance Of The Ink And Paper Under UV Light

This stamp is printed on dull fluorescent greyish paper as shown above. The ink appears much more orangy than the picture would suggest, being a very deep orange brown. 

Gum Types

The gum on this stamp is a cream coloured dextrine gum with a semi-gloss sheen. 

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Brighter Deep Dull Orange Stamp

This is another stamp that is found with both dextrine and PVA gum. 

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

I have found the stamps printed with this shade of ink on the following types of paper:

1. A very light cream coloured vertical wove paper, that shows no clear mesh pattern when viewed from the back. When held up to strong back lighting, a faint horizontal mesh pattern is visible. The printed surface appears to be uncoated, but has been burnished smooth. 
2. A cream coloured, vertical wove paper that shows no clear mesh pattern, even when held up to a strong back light. The printed surface has no surface coating, but has been burnished smooth. 
3. A light cream coloured, vertical wove paper that shows light vertical ribbing on the gum side, and a strong vertical mesh pattern, when held up to a strong back light. This paper has no surface coating, but has been burnished smooth. 

Appearance Of The Ink And Paper Under UV Light

The stamps on paper types 2 and 3 are all printed on dull fluorescent paper, while paper type 1 is a variation of the so-called low fluorescent paper, as used for the PVA gum printings. 

The stamp on the third paper type appears dull fluorescent greyish as the previous stamp, so it is not shown again here. 

Here we have the second paper type. The two stamps on the left are both dull fluorescent ivory under the light, while the stamp on the right is another variation of the so-called low fluorescent flecked paper. It is actually a dull fluorescent greyish paper that contains a very sparse concentration of both low and medium fluorescent fibres, which give the paper the appearance of being low fluorescent. 

The next picture shows the two varieties of the first paper type:

Both of these are very similar in appearance. The block on the left is printed on a dull fluorescent greyish blue paper that contains sparse concentrations of low and medium fluorescent fibres, as well as a very sparse concentration of high fluorescent fibres. The block on the right is printed on a paper that is a brighter bluish grey and has the same fluorescent fibre content. The inks in both cases appear to bleed through the back of the stamp, as with the other PVA gum printings, and both appear to be very deep orange brown, with the ink of the block on the right appearing to be slightly brighter. 

Gum Types

I have found one type of dextrine gum and two types of PVA gum on the stamps printed in this shade:

1. A colourless, smooth PVA gum that has an eggshell sheen. 
2. A colourless, smooth PVA gum that has a satin sheen. 
3. A cream coloured, smooth dextrine gum with a semi-gloss sheen. 

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

Ink, Paper, Gum and Perforation Characteristics of the Pale Orange Brown Stamp

Paper Characteristics Other Than Fluorescence

I have found two types of paper on the stamps printed in this shade of ink:

1. A cream coloured vertical wove paper that shows no obvious mesh pattern when viewed from the back. There is a strong surface coating on the printed surface. When viewed against strong back light, a clear pattern of horizontal and vertical mesh can be seen. 
2. A cream coloured vertical wove paper that shows no obvious mesh pattern from the back. When held up to strong back light, clear horizontal mesh is visible. The printing surface is burnished smooth, but is uncoated. 
3. A cream coloured vertical wove paper that shows a faint vertical mesh pattern when viewed from the back, and a strong pattern of horizontal and vertical mesh when viewed against back lighting. The printing surface of the paper is uncoated, but burnished smooth. 

Appearance Of The Ink And Paper Under UV Light

All of the stamps printed in this shade are all variations of the dull fluorescent paper, as shown in the pictures below:

This is the third paper type above. This stamp is dull fluorescent deep grey, with a very sparse concentration of low fluorescent fibres in the paper. 

This is the second paper type. The paper appears similar to the stamp above, but instead of being  deep grey colour under the UV light, it is more of an ivory grey. The ink colour is a deep orange brown. 

Finally here we have the first paper type above. The stamps on the left are printed on non-fluorescent greyish paper. The stamp at the top right is dull fluorescent ivory grey, and contains very few low, medium and high fluorescent fibres. The pair on the bottom is dull fluorescent greyish, containing very few low and medium fluorescent fibres. In terms of inks, the stamps on the left, and the top right stamp appear dark brown under the lamp, while the bottom pair appears a very dark shade of orange brown. 

Gum Types

I have found two types of dextrine gum on the stamps printed in this shade of ink:

1. A streaky deep yellowish cream gum. 
2. A smooth cream gum with a semi-gloss sheen. 

Perforations

These stamps can be found in four different line perforations, being 11.85, 11.95, 11.85 x 11.95, and 11.95 x 11.85. 

So, this concludes my examination of the 50c value of this series. It is worth mentioning that all the dextrine gum printings were printed from 2 plates, so that plate blocks may be collected for most all varieties, except for the hibrite papers, which are only known in field stock blocks. The PVA gum printings all came from plate 2, and so only one set of plates may be collected for each of those varieties. 

Next week, I will complete my exploration of this issue with the $1 Edmonton Oilfield stamp.