Lot 125 Canada #594viii 10c Multicolored Forest, 1972 Landscape Definitives, A VFNH LL Block Of 4 With MF/HF Smooth Paper, Solid Background, Type 2, Perf 12.5 x 12, 4mm OP2 Tagging

A VFNH LL block of 4 of the 10c multicolored Forest from the 1972 Landscape Definitives with MF/HF smooth paper, solid background, type 2, perf 12.5 x 12, 4mm OP2 tagging.

Unitrade values these at $10. The block offered here grades 75 as follows:

Centering/Margins: 45/70

Paper Freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of Visible Paper Flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10

The 10c Forest, in addition to the two main types can be found with background printing that varies in terms of how solid the printing appears. The coarsest is the screened background, in which individual screening dots are visible in the numerals, postes-postage and the background colour. These dots are clearly separated. The screened background is by far the scarcest of the types. Then, there is the semi-solid background, in which the dots are still visible, but are beginning to merge into one another. The nearly solid background is almost solid, but some screening dots can still be made out. The solid background may have some jaggedness to the lines, but there will be no individually discremable screening dots visible. Nearly all of the type 2 printings are either the nearly solid or solid background. The perf. 13.3 printings all have the solid background.

We have listed the two or three colour shift varieties that can be found on each of the values in this issue. For some strange reason, Unitrade only listed, until recently those varieties related to the 15c and 25c values. They de-listed them in the 2023 edition of the catalogue on the grounds that they aren't constant. However, our position is that this was a poor decision because these varieties are visually striking and thus very much collectible in our opinion. They also are not anywhere near as common as one might think, making up between 5-10% of all the stamps printed for each major printing. For each of the varieties found on the 10c, 20c and 50c that were never listed in Unitrade, we have coined a name for the variety and explained what causes it. We have generally estimated most at between $5-$15 each, which is in line with what Unitrade valued them at before they de-listed them. The main variety that exists on this issue is the Vegetation Invasion issue, in which green ink appears inside one or two letters of "Canada", due to a sideways shift of the deep green colour. I have only found this variety on perf. 12.5 x 12 type 2 printings, which suggests they are limited to plate 2.