Lot 184 Canada #401xx-405xx 1c-5c Brown - Violet Blue Crystals/Agriculture, 1962-1963 Cameo Issue, 5 VFNH Precancelled Partial Warning Strips Of 8 From The Left & Right Sides Of The Sheet

5 VFNH precancelled warning strips of 8 of the 1c-5c brown - violet blue Crystals/Agriculture from the 1962-1963 Cameo Issue from the left & right sides of the sheet, minor perf separation of the 5c in the right margin, opposite the centre row.

The 1c, 2c & 4c blocks are from the left side of the sheet, and the 3c & 5c are from the right side. Each block has one horizontal fold.

Unitrade values these at $216 for full strips of 20. So our estimate of the value is $75. The blocks offered here grade between 75 and 84 as follows:

Centering/Margins: 45/70, 50/70, 54/70

Paper Freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of Visible Paper Flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10

The Cameo issue is the first issue to fully develop Winnipeg tagging, which was introduced at the very end of the Wilding period. There were several trials conducted in the UK to develop the ideal taggant compound, and it is apparent from examining the stamps of this issue that the composition of the taggant either changed during the life of the issue, or several different types of taggant were used. These differences are best seen using short-wave, rather than the more commonly used long-wave ultra violet light. Under short wave light the bands that appear dark yellow will glow a very bright electric blue. The regular tagging that appears of medim darkness will either glow bluish white or will not be visible at all under the short wave lamp. The bright electric blue taqgging has a prolonged after-glow that is visible after the light is switched off, usually 2-4 seconds. In contrast the less visible tagging has either just 1 second of afterglow, or no afterglow at all.

The paper used on the low values and the 15c is a vertical ribbed paper that appears smooth on the front surface and can be either smooth on the back, or horizontal ribbed. The paper used for the booklet and cello-paq printings of the low values, 7c, 8c and $1 is a horizontal wove paper that is smooth on the front, but can appear vertical ribbed on the back or be smooth. The default level of fluorescence is DF for most all stamps of this issue. A low fluorescent paper exists on very few stamps of this issue and it tends to be a light bluish white under long-wave UV. This paper can include very few fluorescent fibres also.

The gum found on this issue is usually either a smooth or streaky semi-gloss cream to yellowish cream gum. However, a gum with a satin sheen can also be found, as well as a gum that has a satin sheen and a grainy surface texture. So far we have only seen this last type of gum on printings of the 4c value from plate 5. However, it may exist on other values.

Perforations are not measured or described on these stamps, as we simply did not have time to measure them. Unitrade lists the standard line perforation as 12, but it can be either 12, 11.85 or 11.95 and combinations of both these measurements, for all stamps in the set.