Lot 327 Canada #596iv,vi 20c Multicolored Prairies, 1972-1977 Caricature Issue, 2 F/VFNH UR Scarce Field Stock Block Of 4 On DF & MF Smooth Papers, GT4(4mm) Tagging

2 F/VFNH UR field stock blocks of 4 of the 20c multicolored prairies from the 1972-1977 Caricature Issue on DF & MF smooth papers, GT4(4mm) tagging. These are some of the key plate blocks of this issue, as the vast majority of the OP-2 tagged stamps are on vertically ribbed paper and have 3 mm wide tagging. Most of the stamps with 4 mm tagging are perf. 13.3.

Unitrade values these at $23. The blocks offered here grade 70 & 75 as follows:

Centering/Margins: 40/70, 45/70

Paper Freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of Visible Paper Flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10

The caricature and landscape definitive issue is an important issue in the sense that there are several aspects to the stamps that appear on the philatelic scene for the very first time. The most remarkable is that it is the first issue in which the fluorescence of the paper on the front of the stamps can differ from the fluorescence on the back, due both to the properties of the newly developed PVA gum and the chalk coatings found on the mid values. The scarcity of many of these varieties is vastly underestimated by many collectors, largely because Unitrade gives the impression that many are of equal scarcity. However, this is not the case at all. The vast majority, being about 75-85% of all stamps you examine will fall into a fairly narrow range of varieties. On the low values this would be the low fluorescent paper, and on the mid values it would be the vertically ribbed DF or NF paper on the perf. 12.5 x 12 type 1's, or most of the perf. 13.3 type 2's. The perf. 12.5 x 12 type 2 stamps, are much scarcer than the catalogue prices would indicate. The second aspect is the scarcity of field stock corner blocks. Indeed, the vast majority of the better printings are found on field stock corners. A third aspect to this issue is that there are many unlisted combinations of front and back fluorescence that are not listed, and these can be readily identified by comparing them to blocks of other values.