Essays, Proofs and Special Printings
of Worldwide Petroleum
Stamps
© Peter A. Scholle, 2000
Introduction:
This article deals with most types of stamp prints or prototypes other than
the printed and released stamps themselves. In many cases, these items are even
more beautiful than the stamps, and they make interesting and unusual additions
to any petro-stamp collection. First, some definitions. Essays are drawings,
painting, engravings, photographs, or other artworks that were created as part
of the stamp design process but that differ, sometime in minor ways and in other
cases quite substantially, from the stamp designs that are eventually printed.
Proofs are prints that are created as part of the stamp creation process
(generally after design selection is complete), most commonly to obtain approval
of the final design, to check the accuracy of the printing dies (engraved or
other), or to find and correct flaws or misregistration problems in the final
printing plates. Special printings are ones that were specifically produced
for dignitaries, postal officials, or collectors in formats that differ from
the normal stamp printing.
These types of philatelic materials can also be usefully dividing them into
two categories: Type 1 materials — original drawings, paintings or photographs
as well as essays, proofs and trial (often imperforate) prints that were genuinely
produced in the process of designing, engraving or printing petro-stamps; and
Type 2 materials — similar items specifically created for distribution
to government officials, for collectors, or for advertising purposes. Material
that falls in the first category comes mainly from the archives of the security
printing companies and then usually only when those companies are sold of cease
operations. Additional Type 1 material can come from the design artists or engravers
who worked on the production of petro-stamps. Many examples of Type 1 materials
are, therefore, unique or exist in very limited numbers. Type 2 materials, on
the other hand, typically exist in larger numbers but may still be quite scarce
where the numbers of produced copies was low or the demand is high. In some
countries, especially France and its former colonies, strict control was exercised,
at least in the post-1956 period, over the number of artist's proofs, deluxe
sheets and imperforate copies that were allowed to be produced, even though
the creation and distribution of those items had little to do with the stamp-making
process.
Essays
As noted earlier, essays can include artwork submitted for stamps
that either were never produced or for which other designs were selected. Several
examples of essays are illustrated below to demonstrate the range of materials
that can constitute essays. If you are interested in the seeing a series of
essays and proofs related to the production of a single stamp series, several
such articles are available at this site (a Venezuelan
example, Colombian examples, and a German-Polish
example). In addition, a pair of pencil sketches from Guatemala (PLATE
1) nicely illustrate the progressive design process — they include
several elements that were eventually used, and yet their overall designs differ
considerably from the final stamp. In another example, an acrylic painting (PLATE
2) on heavy card stock was eventually accepted for an Egyptian offshore
oil production stamp, although the lettering was revised prior to finalization
of the design. In another case, a whole series of essays were painted in acrylic
on posterboard for a 1969 set of Qatari stamps noting oil exploration and production
in that country. Some of these designs were rejected (PLATE
3, PLATE 4,
PLATE 5, ) and are
thus unaccepted essays; others were accepted and were used as the master designs
for selected stamps although the lettering was later slightly modified (PLATE
6, PLATE 7,
PLATE 8, PLATE
9). Some very simple pencil and pen drawings are used as the basis for
general acceptance of a stamp design prior to more formal rendering of the same
subject, as in the case of this example from Bolivia (PLATE
10).
The line between essays and proofs can be a relatively fine one. This Jamaican example (PLATE 11) shows a painting executed for a 6-cent definitive showing an oil refinery along with a photographic bromide print of the die created for printing the stamp. A change of postal rates led to issuance of this stamp as a 5-cent value, making both the painting and the bromide print essays rather than proofs.
Photographs can also be considered as essays when the actual photograph is submitted and/or used to create a stamp design. This process that is becoming increasingly commonplace as photolithography increasingly replaces engraving for the production of stamps, but it also played a role in the creation of many engraved stamps as well. In an example from the Congo Peoples' Republic, photographs were used as the basis for engraving a set of four stamps, two of which are illustrated here. The original photographs from the artist's files (PLATE 12; PLATE 13) show small, evenly spaced pen markings that were used by the engraver to properly scale the stamp engraving (those engravings are shown later in this article). Another example of the use of photographs as the basis for engraved stamps can be seen in the article describing the production of Venezuela's first petroleum stamp.
Photographs and drawings sometimes are combined in a series of essays or proofs
where photographs constitute only part of the overall design. In this series
of illustrations of a 1988 Tonga issue, several conceptual essay pencil sketches
(PLATE 14) and
pen draftings (PLATE 15)
were produced that incorporated photographic images — none are identical
to the final printed stamp. The photographs themselves were also found in the
printer's archives (PLATE
16) and can be compared with the bromide proofs (discussed later) and
final printed stamp (PLATE
17).
Proofs
Master die proofs represent the next step in the production process after
design selection. These proofs represent pulls (prints) made from the original
engraved (or otherwise produced) die that is the master from which printing
plates are created. In other words, only one original master version of the
stamp die is created and it is later replicated to produce plates needed to
print postage stamp sheets — usually 10 to 200 stamps of identical design.
In most cases, obtaining master die proofs is quite difficult because very few
are produced and because the proofs are securely kept either by the printer
or by the postal administration of the issuing government. Such proofs do occasionally
emerge — some known examples include when printing companies go out of
business and their archives are put on the auction block, when archives are
looted in wartime, when items are legitimately presented to government officials
who then sell them, or when postal officials smuggle material out of archives.
Several auctioned or looted master die proofs are illustrated in the aforementioned
articles on Venezuela, Colombia, and the German-Polish Generalgouvernement and
a few direct links to individual illustrations from those articles are provided
here (PLATE 18,
PLATE 19, PLATE
20) and at other places in this article.
Where multi-stamp sets are being produced and two or more stamps share a single design but different denominations, it is common to see master die proofs with blank denomination frames (PLATE 21, PLATE 22) that accommodate later duplication and insertion of appropriate value tablets. In other cases, partially engraved dies, sometimes showing only frame or vignette designs, are proofed (PLATE 23, PLATE 24, PLATE 25). Proofs of finished master engravings may be annotated by inspectors giving approval to proceed to the generation of printing plates from the master die (PLATE 26, PLATE 27). These proofs, sometimes called "approval proofs", typically are unique and thus highly sought after. Additional proofs may be pulled from the finished master die to be retained in archival files of the printing company (PLATE 28). These items, are often termed "file proofs".
Most master dies, at least for engraved issues, are produced on small pieces of unhardened steel that are later chemically hardened for reproduction. Engravings can be modified or added to prior to hardening but are essentially unalterable after hardening. Die proofs commonly are produced from unhardened dies (so that any needed changes can be made), but care must be taken not to produce too many such proofs or wear will begin to be noticeable on the dies. For engraved issues produced by the French government printing office, both for the country of France and its former colonies and Monaco, two kinds of unhardened die proofs typically exist. Both are easily recognizable as coming from an unhardened die by having slightly incomplete designs (typically the engraver's name remains omitted until just before the plate is hardened).
The first kind, termed "sepia die proofs" or "sepia inspection proofs" , are a legitimate Type 1 product and are the scarcest proofs issued by French-area countries. Printed only in the period before the early to mid-1960's, they were issued in a single color, sepia. These proofs were made on thinner paper than most artist die proofs, contain only a single stamp impression, and have the three hole punching (diamond, crescent, diamond) standard on deluxe sheets. This confirms that these printings were made by the government's stamp printing plant. These impressions are made from unhardened dies to check for minor plate flaws and defects that could cause printing problems. Some examples of sepia die proofs from France and Algeria are shown here (PLATE 29, PLATE 30, PLATE 31). A standard printing normally consists of only 3 to 5 examples, although if flaws are found, another set may be pulled after retouching. Typically, one copy will go to the official archives, one to the Postmaster for his approval (signified by a penciled "OK" in the margin) and one copy to the printing house or Postal Museum. Thus, at most one to three copies may eventually make their way onto the philatelic market.
The second kind of French-area unhardened die proofs are are predominantly Type 2 products. Termed artist's die proofs or printer's die proofs, these items were produced in a variety of colors (PLATE 32, PLATE 33, PLATE 34, PLATE 35) and some are even hand-colored by the artist (PLATE 36). They are produced on heavy, typically watermarked, print stock. In the pre-government control period (1928-1958) such proofs had no embossed printing office seal (PLATE 37); starting in 1959 an embossed control seal guaranteed government control over the proof printings (PLATE 38, PLATE 39) with only 18 copies having been produced. In 1964 a newly designed control seal was introduced (PLATE 40) and between 19 and 28 such proofs were produced for each issue. Artist's die proofs were produced until 1996, mainly for presentation to dignitaries and government officials. The printing totals of die proofs in the 1964-96 period not only vary from stamp to stamp but also from country to country. Monaco typically issued 19 (PLATE 41), France about 22 or 23, French African countries about 25-28. Exact printing numbers were never disclosed by government authorities, however, and some die proofs may have printing totals as low as eight, whereas others may have 28 or more examples, all with control seals. Because these proofs were made from unhardened plates, however, it is virtually impossible to make more than about 30 copies without some damage to the plate, so that provides an approximate upper limit to production. Nevertheless, it is much more difficult to establish exact printing numbers for the pre-government control period when artists were allowed to make prints for their own use, sometimes after the hardening of the plates. From 1959 onward all such proofs had to be turned over to the government printing office along with the unhardened dies.
Most engraved French-area issues have only one master die (and thus one die proof design) because, even for multicolored issues, the engraved areas of the different colors do not overlap (see Plate 40 above, for example). Thus, a single engraving can suffice for such a multicolored issue. In the case of some issues, France Scott 1441, for example, there are overlapping colors and thus two separate engraved dies (and thus die proofs) are required for printing, one for the foreground and another for the background designs (PLATE 42). Such multiple engravings are unusual for French petro-stamps, but are common for other French issues depicting complex subjects.
Some French area issues also have multiple master die proofs where proofs were made at intermediate points in the engraving process rather than just at the end. These typically are marked with a penciled inscription, "1er Etat" (first stage) and show a substantially unfinished design (PLATE 43). Such intermediate-stage proofs have the same artist signature and embossed control seal as seen on the final-stage proofs. In other cases, where multiple engravings are made for various planned denominations of the same design, proofs of unissued values are effectively converted to essays and sometimes are marked as such (PLATE 44).
A final note on French-area artist's die proofs relates to their watermarking. The proofs are made on small sheets cut from much larger cardboard stock. The large cardboard sheets are normally watermarked with the name of the maker of the paper ("B.F.K.", "Marries", "Rives", "Arches", etc.). Only a small percentage (perhaps 5%) of the final artist's proofs will contain such complete watermarks and very specialized collectors and dealers may pay or ask for a premium for such proofs. Incidentally, straight-line watermarks do not increase the value of the proof because they occur throughout the entire cardboard sheet.
Under the category of die proofs one must also distinguish between two printing processes used by the French government — engraving and photogravure/heliography. In the first process, the original stamp design is engraved onto a metal plate from which the final printing plates are prepared. These engraved plates are also used to produce the single-color artists die proofs or sepia proofs discussed above. Photogravure, as the name implies, involves direct reproduction of the original artist's drawing onto a master plate by a photographic process. Proofs from this process are rarely seen but do exist (PLATE 45). Because of the nature of the process involved, these proofs are printed on smoother-surfaced paper than most artist's die proofs and are multicolored. In both of the examples shown, the proof colors are close to, but not identical with the colors used for the final issue, differing mainly in the shades of blue and purple. Note that proofs of the photogravure issues include the official control seal of the French Government (making them official government proofs) as well as the signatures of the artists. The artists' names are neither inscribed on the proofs nor on the final stamps, however.
Many proofs of photolithographic or photogravure issues exist from non-French-area countries. Some show just a single imperforate stamp printed on heavy stock with wide margins (PLATE 46). Quite commonly, however, such proofs include multiple stamps printed on the same sheetlet (although not stamps that were later printed in the same sheet) and most have color registration marks to check the precise overlay of multiple color separations (PLATE 47, PLATE 48). Some die proofs show stamps in regular and enlarged versions that allow better checking for design flaws or registration problems (PLATE 49, PLATE 50). Some led to substantive changes in stamp layout where individual design elements are found to be unsuitable (PLATE 51, PLATE 52), making these items essays rather than proofs. Although most die proofs traditionally were printed on paper, plastic stock is becoming an increasingly common medium for proof printing (PLATE 53).
Progressive color proofs are commonly used to check registration and final color accuracy. In this technique separate prints are made of the individual colors used (typically in four-color printing those colors are magenta, cyan, yellow, and black). Those colors are then combined in a progression that eventually leads to a superimposition of all the colors used (PLATE 54, PLATE 55). In recent years, some countries have included progressive color printings on issued stamps of sheets (as labels without postal value), presumably as a philatelic sales gimmick (PLATE 56).
Bromide proofs are another type of photographic trial printing used mainly
as a quick and inexpensive method of checking designs for any small flaws (PLATE
57). Because such proofs are monocolored, they are not suitable for
checking on color registration problems. In recent years, bromide proofs have
been used as philatelic sales items for some countries and thus may exist in
larger than normal numbers.
Presentation and inspection or approval proofs and essays
These types of proofs have uncertain and probably varied functions. They are
characterized by full-color, typically imperforate prints of stamps or stamp
sets that are mounted on a card, sheet or booklet that may be inscribed with
the name of the printing company or national government. In some cases these
are, most likely, created for presentation to postal officials, national rulers
or other dignitaries (PLATE
58, PLATE 59,
PLATE 60)and have
no design function. In other cases, however, such proofs have been used to select
final print colors (PLATE
61) or to solicit design approval or changes. When changes are requested
as a result of these inspection proofs/essays, the changes most commonly are
relatively minor (PLATE
62). In rare examples, however, this process can lead to nearly complete
revision of designs or selection of alternate designs from other printers (PLATE
63).
Plate proofs (including printer's proofs, trial-color plate proofs, progressive
color proofs, and imprimatur printings)
Plate proofs are those made from original printing plates that were reproduced from the final, hardened master dies. Plate proofs are used to check the quality of image transfers from die to plate and, in some cases, are also used to determine the exact final printing colors. French-area color trial proofs also serve some philatelic uses as presentation items.
Printer's plate proofs or trial-color plate proofs from non-French-area countries are not easily found because they generally are kept in the archives of the printing company. Most such proofs are produced on the normal paper stock used for stamp printing. In some cases, however, scrap paper or papers recycled from previous test printings are used, as in this example from Argentina (PLATE 64). In exceptional cases, one can find file copies of such test printings on which errors were detected and noted by printing plant inspectors and supervisors (PLATE 65, PLATE 66); in even rarer cases, such sheet proofs contain inspectors approval and instructions for final stamp printing (PLATE 67). Others show approval markings from the postal administration of the issuing country (PLATE 68). Most plate proofs have no such markings and so are difficult to distinguish from imperforate errors, printer's waste, or intentional imperforate printings unless one knows the provenance of the material. Three examples of known plate proofs are shown here (PLATE 69, PLATE 70, PLATE 71). Color-trial proofs, of course, generally can be distinguished from non-proof material by the fact that most are produced in colors that differ from the issued stamp or include more than one color version in a single block or sheet of stamps (PLATE 72, PLATE 73).
As a slight variant, some countries produce what are known as imprimatur printings. These test impressions are made after the printing plate is finished and they may or may not differ from the final issued stamps in the paper used, the stamp color, gumming or perforation. In most modern cases, these items have an imprint on the back of the stamps to designate them as imprimatur tests rather than stamp printing errors. An example from Great Britain is shown here (PLATE 74).
French-area trial-color plate proofs serve a different function than those
from other countries. Although they played a role in the selection of final
printing colors, these proofs were produced in quite substantial numbers in
order to serve as presentation material for government officials. For a typical
French or French-area issue, between 400 and 700 trial-color proof stamps (not
sheets) are issued as compared with a normal issuance of about 1000 normal-color
imperforate copies of the stamps. The color proofs normally are printed in imperforate,
gummed sheets of 10, 25 or 50 (2 x 5, 5 x 5 or 5 x 10), and depending on the
stamp format, strips of single- and multicolored stamps are laid out vertically
or horizontally. Depending on stamp format, a 25-stamp sheet would be laid out
with three different single color stamps aligned in rows or columns, a fourth
row or column that repeated one of the single colors, and a fifth row or column
with two or more colors combined differently in each stamp (PLATE
75; PLATE 76).
Some trial-color sheets were produced in colors that differ substantially from
the printed stamp; others show only subtly different shades or color arrangements
(PLATE 77,
PLATE 78, PLATE
79). The columnar pattern shown in these three Algerian sheets was not
always followed, however, as in this example (PLATE
80).
In 10-stamp sheets, formats vary but in most cases one column of 5 contains
single-color prints whilst the second column contains a series of multicolor
combinations (PLATE
81). In a 50 stamp sheet, three different colors are repeated sequentially
three times with a single row of multicolor stamps in the bottom strip (and
in one vertical column, an additional multicolor stamp replaces a monocolored
one). Thus, one can find varied single-colored stamps, even for multicolored
stamp issues (PLATE
82). However, the scarcest and most valuable of these trial color proofs
are the copies with multiple colors. In the large-format sheets of 50, there
are only six multicolored stamps; in the 25 stamp sheets, there normally would
only be five multicolored stamps; in 10 stamp sheets there would be five or
less. In addition, many different sheets were printed, in most cases, testing
different colors and combinations. Thus, one can collect not just a single color
trial strip, but a multitude of different, virtually unique combinations should
one be so inclined.
Trial-color proof printings were discontinued for France and its colonies
in 1982 and for Monaco in 1996.
Special printings
Deluxe sheets: These sheetlets are produced mainly by France and French-area
countries. Deluxe sheets normally are ungummed and feature a single stamp —
for stamps issues in sets, each stamp will have a separate deluxe sheet. These
items have no stamp design or production role, but typically are given to government
officials and lesser dignitaries. They are far scarcer than the stamps they
depict, but exist in much larger numbers (typically between 122 and 250) than
die proofs. Those printed by the French government are produced on heavy paper
stock and, at least in the post-1948 period, had a standard size 99x129mm (PLATE
83). They also include the printer's inscription ("IMPRIMERIE DES
TIMBRES-POSTE - PARIS") and a distinctive 3-part security punching along
the lower edge. Deluxe sheets were even produced for overprinted/surcharged
issues designed for use in overseas territories (PLATE
84).
Standard French deluxe sheet printings were discontinued in 1992, but a new
type of sheetlet was produced during the period from 1995-1998. These are single-color
prints (even for multicolor stamps) that were produced on heavy die-proof-type
paper with dimensions of 140x62mm and inscriptions of "LA POSTE" and
"IMPRIMERIE DES TIMBRES-POSTE" (PLATE
85). They thus have characteristics that lie somewhere between traditional
die proofs and deluxe sheets (both of which are no longer produced) and their
exact role is not clear to me at this time.
Deluxe sheets from post-colonial French-African countries are a bit more complex.
Ones printed by the French government continue the style of earlier issues in
terms of design, size, and inscription although security punching generally
is lacking (PLATE 86).
For African-area issues produced by other printers, the deluxe sheets are highly
variable. Most were produced on thin card stock, can be either slightly larger
or smaller than than the French government-produced deluxe sheets, are at least
slightly embossed, and lack the printer's inscription and/or control hole punching
(PLATE 87). It
is also quite common to find multi-stamp deluxe sheets, especially for se-tenant
issues, from African countries (PLATE
88). Finally the number copies of post-colonial deluxe sheets produced
also varies from issue to issue far more than in earlier (colonial) days; in
some cases the numbers are far higher than the 250 normally produced for French
issues.
Compound or collective deluxe sheets: Multi-stamp deluxe sheets do exist for earlier French and French-territorial issues but these are very scarce items. For stamps issued in sets rather than as a single value (such as France Scott 774), imperforate presentation sheets with two or more imprinted stamps were issued in addition to the normal single-stamp deluxe sheets. These are called compound deluxe sheets (or sometimes "collective presentation proofs", and typically only about 25 copies were printed. Likewise, for certain issues in the time interval from 1946 to 1959, some deluxe sheets were issued on gummed paper and with perforations around the stamp designs. In most cases, these were compound sheets and printings generally were less than 20 copies (typically 15 to 18). Sizes of these sheets vary, but they can be up to 180x102mm. As with the normal single-stamp deluxe sheets, they carry the imprint "IMPRIMERIE DES TIMBRES-POSTE - PARIS" and the three-part security punching. Examples of perforate and imperforate compound deluxe sheets for the main French petroleum issues are shown in PLATE 89, PLATE 90, and PLATE 91. The issues depicted are France 774-79, 831 plus 838-39, and 920-23.
Smaller compound deluxe sheets also exist for some French-area issues. An example
is the French Southern and Antarctic Territories set Scott 69-75 that includes
two stamps showing marine algae that are potential sources of petroleum. The
algal stamps in this set (Scott 69 and 71) not only have individual deluxe sheets
but also were printed together in a deluxe sheet identical in size and design
except for having two stamps (PLATE
92).
Black prints: Several countries produce blackline proof/essay printings that appear to be exclusively for presentation purposes and serve no role in the design process. For example, Belgium puts out what are commonly termed "black proofs" or "minister proofs" of all commemoratives. This example (PLATE 93) is 140x141 mm and contains a single copy of Scott 624. The stamp size is the same as that of the final issue but is printed in black rather than the blue and black of the issued stamp. The stamp design, while very similar to the final design (including issue date and designer initials at the bottom), is not precisely the same. In the issued stamp, the lettering "A. Kekule" is lined up with the base of the "F" in the value. In the proof, the lettering lines up with the top of the "F". The proof sheet also has a large (47 mm diameter) embossed seal inscribed in Flemish and French, "Ministry of Posts, Telegraph, and Telephone". Apparently, between 40 and 50 of these black-line proofs are printed for a typical issue and are exclusively given to high officials of the Belgian Government. Unlike the French artist-signed die proofs that are similarly distribute, these sheets rarely make their way onto the philatelic market. Thus, despite printings nearly twice those of the French die proofs, the Belgian Minister proofs are less frequently offered for sale.
Austria too produces similar proofs and presentation issues. Although full-color
imperforate copies exist of a number of Austrian petro-stamps (PLATE
94), and die proofs are occasionally seen, the most common Austrian
presentation items are "black-line proofs". These are booklets that are
210x297 mm in size and have single imperforate copy of the commemorative stamp
(or stamps) printed in black and pasted on the main descriptive sheet (PLATE
95). The booklets also contain an extensive descriptive text written
in German. In most cases, these booklets are several pages long and they cover
the entire set of stamps where more than one stamp appeared in the issue. These
black-line stamps are sometimes removed from the booklets and are sold separately
(PLATE 96). About
2000 copies are issued for typical commemorative issues.
Imperforate printings: Imperforate stamps can result from printers' errors or through intentional production. In the case of stamps from France and French-area countries (both colonial and post-colonial), production of limited-edition imperforate stamps has been and remains quite routine. The number of imperforate stamps issued varies by country and time period, but for French-printed issues is typically 1000 copies for commemorative issues. These items are not only common, they apparently serve no purpose other than to relieve collectors of their money. Thus, only a three examples will be shown here — full sheet of imperforate stamps from Algeria (PLATE 97) and Senegal (PLATE 98) and a date-inscription block from Gabon (PLATE 99). French government-produced imperforate printings were terminated in 1996.
The Belgian Government also regularly prints imperforate copies of all commemorative issues. These differ from the French imperforates in a number of characteristics, some of which can be seen in PLATE 100 which depicts the front and back of an imperforate pair of Scott 624. The Belgian imperforates are issued without gum and each stamp is sequentially numbered on the reverse in numerals 5.5 mm high. Thus, they can be clearly distinguished from any possible imperforate errors. I do not know the exact printing numbers for Belgian imperforates, but I have seen ones with numbers as high as 342, so presumably this is a minimum issue number.
Many other countries throughout the world have emulated French-area countries
in producing purely philatelic imperforate issues — indeed, far too many
to illustrate here. One example from Tonga will suffice, I think, to cover this
topic (PLATE 101).
Information sheets and booklets: Another type of special sheetlet has been put out by the French since about 1975. These items, termed Documents Philatelique Oficiel, are issued by the French Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and are similar to the U.S.P.S. Commemorative Panels. The French panels (PLATE 102) measure about 295x210 mm and include a copy of the issued stamp with first-day cancellation, a monocolor engraving of the same stamp, a descriptive text, and a larger topical engraving, as well as the same embossed control seal found on late-issue artist die proofs. These panels are printed on medium-weight cardboard stock and collectors should be aware of these not just for their intrinsic interest, but also because the monocolor engravings and control seals can be trimmed out of the panels and sold by the unscrupulous as die proofs. Unlike die proofs, these panels are not especially scarce, although I do not know the exact issue numbers.
Many countries produce free philatelic sales flyers, booklets, or postcards to announce the issuance of new stamps. These are generally available free at post offices or by mail subscription. I include these here only because these items commonly illustrate the stamps involved. While they make interesting collectibles in and of themselves, some of the illustrated stamp have been cut out and sold as items they are not (such as black-line prints or proofs). Quite a few novices and even some experienced collectors have been duped by such items. A few illustrations of such free information items are provided here: a bulletin from Tonga (PLATE 103) and a postcard from Canada (PLATE 104).
Other such items are created for sale. Italy produces multi-page information booklets (75x250 mm in size) for collectors, termed Ministry of Posts Bulletins (PLATE 105). Imprinted with full-colored imperforate renditions of the final stamp or stamp set, these bulletins also contain extensive background information on the stamps, written in Italian and French. They must be printed in large numbers because they are generally sold at very low prices despite the fact that few dealers carry them.
The United States is another country that issues information sheets of a variety of types. Commemorative Panels include a mint block of four, topical engravings and a descriptive text (PLATE 106). The panels consist of a single sheet, printed on one side on cardboard stock (285x215 mm), and sealed in a plastic sleeve. U.S.P.S. Official Souvenir Pages (266x203 mm) contain an oversize black print of the stamp issue, a copy of the issued stamp or stamps tied to the sheet with a first-day cancel, and a descriptive text on a single sheet (PLATE 107). These pages were first issued in 1959 on sulfide-wood paper as advertising flyers and were unofficially, locally turned into first-day items. Not widely collected, these early issues are rather scarce. Starting in 1972, such pages were printed on bond paper and were officially issued with and without affixed stamps and first-day cancels. Printing numbers are not released, but it is estimated that between 40,000 and 50,000 sheets are produced for each issue at present. Numbers for earlier issues presumably were smaller. Despite the fact that the Commemorative Panels and U.S.P.S. Souvenir Pages are issued in significant numbers, they are not always easily obtained because currently both are available only through subscription to the full series of all U.S. issues.
The Mexican Postal Service also produces a series of numbered information sheets
with first-day cancelled copies of the stamps (PLATE
108) — these are issued in rather large numbers and thus are reasonably
inexpensive.
Presentation folders: Many countries, including the United States, produce presentation folder that contain regular printings of stamps in elaborate covers for distribution to officials. In the US, such presentation folders are made up for first-day ceremonies and presented to dignitaries at these events. Typically, about 20 are made up and No. 1 automatically goes to the President of the US These folders rarely make their way onto the philatelic marketplace, but occasionally can be found (PLATE 109).
Considerably more common are the small program folders the US Postal Service
produces for first-day of issue ceremonies, some of which are quite elaborate
(PLATE 110). These
are provided for attendees at the first-day ceremonies and issue numbers are
quite variable; most are not especially scarce but some are quite elusive. These
folders come in various sizes but typically are single folded sheets of paper
or card stock with a cover design and an interior portion with explanatory text
and a first-day cancelled stamp or stamp set.
Corporate printings: A final type of special printing, rarely discussed, involves items made by printing companies for advertising purposes. For example, Waterlow & Sons (London) have printed several petroleum-related issues, including ones for Colombia (Scott 412), Peru (Scott 358, 359), and Venezuela (Scott 349). These issues all exist in the form of special company printings, one of which is illustrated here (PLATE 111). These "proofs" look very similar to the actual stamp issues — the designs are identical, they are the same size, have the same perforations, and the same gumming as the regular issues. Yet the specimens are printed in a different color from the final stamps (in the illustrated case, deep blue rather than the normal carmine red), they are overprinted with the company name and "specimen", and in some cases they are also hole-punched.
Although these stamps are overprinted with the word "specimen", it is clear from the flyer shown in PLATE 110 that these are advertising stamps rather than specimens in the true sense of the word. Specimens are actual postage stamps sent to post offices, foreign philatelic agencies, the UPU, etc. as examples of valid postal issues. Overprinting with the word "specimen", "muestra", or equivalents prevents unauthorized usage of these genuine stamps. The company printings are different in that they do not reflect valid postal issues but are color variants used as examples of the quality of work done by the company. It is always possible that they also served as trial-color proofs or essays prior to the advertising applications. One such example, that may have been purely a printing sample for demonstration of printing capabilities, or that may have been an essay for a particular issue, is shown here (PLATE 112).
Concluding remarks
Proofs and special printings provide a broad area of interests for stamp collectors and provide invaluable insights into stamp design and production processes. Finding proofs and specimens is always a difficult challenge! Because they are issued in very small numbers and are widely sought after, locating them can be a long and sometimes frustrating task. But they add greatly to the luster of a collection and sometimes can be found for a surprisingly low price, especially because they frequently go unrecognized. Several of the items illustrated in this article cost less than $10 apiece (although that does not including the "cost" of several hundred hours of time looking through "junk boxes"). Happy hunting!
Acknowledgment:
My thanks to those who provide information and illustrations of this largely
unique material. If you find errors of fact or omissions, or if you simply want
to discuss or trade petro-stamps, I hope that you will contact me at: scholle1@nmt.edu
I would like to acknowledge the very considerable assistance of a series of
short notes and brochures put out by S. Serebrakian and Pierre Wertheimer (France
International) on French-area proofs. Much of the France
International and Serebrakian
information can now be viewed at their Web sites. These notes also are an amplification
of the excellent article on petroleum-related proofs by John Slater (343) in
the Summer 1982 Petro-Philatelist (Whole No. 17) and one by this author in Petro-Philatelist,
v. 5 (1984), no. 2 (Whole No. 20).
An additional site that contains excellent illustrations of a wide range of proofs is run by Giorgio Leccese and can be viewed at www.dieproof.it.
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Last revised: 1 December 2001