Lot 450 Canada #705, 705xx, 781 1c Lilac & Multicolored Bottle Gentian, 1977-1983 Floral Definitives, 5 VFNH Singles Showing Minor Shifts Of Both The Steel Engraving & Flower Color, Different Paper Types, Tagging Intensities & PVA Gums

5 VFNH singles of the 1c lilac & multicolored Bottle Gentian from the 1977-1983 Floral Definitives showing minor shifts of both the steel engraving & flower color, different paper types, tagging intensities & PVA gums. The lot includes:
• 705xx – NF/NF bluish tinted surface, precancel, eggshell PVA
• 705i – NF/LF eggshell PVA, bluish tinted surface
• 705 NF/NF off-white paper, light tagging, eggshell PVA
• NF/DF off-white paper, light tagging
• 781 – NF/DF grayish white, downward shift of green bottled background, satin PVA gum, invisible tagging

Unitrade values these at $5. The stamps offered here grade between 75 and 80 as follows:

Centering/Margins: 45/70, 50/70

Paper Freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of Visible Paper Flaws: 5/5

Cancellation: 10/10

The Floral Issue low value stamps show very few varieties in Unitrade, and even then most of these have only appeared in the last decade or so. This issue does show considerable variability, though the variations are much more subtle than for previous issues, and consequently a lot more patience is needed when working with these stamps. Close examination of the gum will reveal differences in sheen, the paper shows slight variations in fluorescence, giving rise to different colours under UV light. Then there is the colour of the paper itself, which can be either a bright white on both sides, and off-white cream, or bright white on the coated side and off-white on the back. The tagging also appears differently on the stamps, with some where the tagging shows as definite yellow bands, and others where the tagging is, for all intents and purposes invisible. There are other differences as well, all of which are covered in this week's blog post, which you are encouraged to read.