Official notch in margin
Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 6:00 pm
Dear All KGVI collectors,
A couple or more decades ago, I saw an item in Murray Payne's list for an "Official notch" in the margin of sheets of the GB 1937 Coronation stamp. The notch was on a series of sheets of the Morocco overprint...
A small order resulted resulted in the arrival of a sheet each of 20 no stop, 20 with stop and a lower third of a sheet of 20 no stop that had a notch cut out of the right side margin. This notch was at the exact level, but the opposite side of the sheet as the control. That is, alongside rows 18 and 19. Dickon Pollard of Murray Payne had invented the term “Official notch”. It turned out he’d inferred that this had to be at least an officially sanctioned action, for it had occurred on a significant number of the sheets Murray Payne had handled in this consignment. My one-third sheet was the last piece.
To cut a long story short, I searched far and wide for sheets of the overprint on both panes of cylinder 20 and ended up with more than 40 of them!
I now understand what happened, and want to write it up. But... ever had one of those days when you cannot find a stamp? After searching all morning I give up. I cannot find that piece with the notch. Sadly, and stupidly, I did not photograph the thing! Today, it would get scanned as a matter of course...
Can anybody help please? At the least I need to see what the notch looks like, and a decent scan will certainly be enough. At the best, I'd be more than happy to discuss and exchange thoughts with anybody who has one of the pieces with the notch...
It occurs to me that the GB stamps used overseas might be "colonial" or not considered genuine GB by some purists. If there is a group somewhere that specializes in GB-used-abroad, might somebody kindly tell me?
Many thanks for ANY response.
Robin Restall
A couple or more decades ago, I saw an item in Murray Payne's list for an "Official notch" in the margin of sheets of the GB 1937 Coronation stamp. The notch was on a series of sheets of the Morocco overprint...
A small order resulted resulted in the arrival of a sheet each of 20 no stop, 20 with stop and a lower third of a sheet of 20 no stop that had a notch cut out of the right side margin. This notch was at the exact level, but the opposite side of the sheet as the control. That is, alongside rows 18 and 19. Dickon Pollard of Murray Payne had invented the term “Official notch”. It turned out he’d inferred that this had to be at least an officially sanctioned action, for it had occurred on a significant number of the sheets Murray Payne had handled in this consignment. My one-third sheet was the last piece.
To cut a long story short, I searched far and wide for sheets of the overprint on both panes of cylinder 20 and ended up with more than 40 of them!
I now understand what happened, and want to write it up. But... ever had one of those days when you cannot find a stamp? After searching all morning I give up. I cannot find that piece with the notch. Sadly, and stupidly, I did not photograph the thing! Today, it would get scanned as a matter of course...
Can anybody help please? At the least I need to see what the notch looks like, and a decent scan will certainly be enough. At the best, I'd be more than happy to discuss and exchange thoughts with anybody who has one of the pieces with the notch...
It occurs to me that the GB stamps used overseas might be "colonial" or not considered genuine GB by some purists. If there is a group somewhere that specializes in GB-used-abroad, might somebody kindly tell me?
Many thanks for ANY response.
Robin Restall