Canada #337 1c Violet Brown, Reddish Violet Brown & Chocolate Brown, 1954-1962 Wilding Issue, 15 VFNH Singles DF1 & DF2 Ribbed/Ribbed, DF1 Ribbed/Smooth, DF1 & DF2 Smooth/Smooth, And DF1 & DF2 Smooth/Ribbed Papers, Various Shades & Gums

15 VFNH singles of the 1c violet brown, reddish violet brown & chocolate brown Queen Elizabeth II from the 1954-1962 Wilding Issue DF1 & DF2 ribbed/ribbed, DF1 ribbed/smooth, DF1 & DF2 smooth/smooth, and DF1 & DF2 smooth/ribbed papers, various shades & gums. Includes: (1) DF1 ribbed/smooth paper, semi-gloss cream gum, violet brown; (2) DF1 ribbed/smooth, semi-gloss cream gum, reddish violet brown; (3-5) DF1 ribbed/ribbed paper, semi-gloss cream gum, 3 slightly different shades of violet brown; (6-8) DF2 ribbed/ribbed, semi-gloss cream gum, reddish violet brown and 2 shades of chocolate brown; (9) DF2 smooth/smooth, streaky semi-gloss gum, reddish chocolate; (10-12) DF2 smooth/ribbed paper, streaky semi-gloss and semi-gloss cream gum, violet brown & chocolate; (13) DF1 smooth/ribbed paper, streaky semi-gloss cream gum, violet brown; (14) DF1 greyish white smooth/smooth paper, streaky semi-gloss cream gum, chocolate; (15) DF1 light violet smooth/smooth, semi-gloss cream gum, light reddish violet brown. This lot gives you a flavour of the variation that can be found on these printings, but it is by no means exhaustive: there are other shade/paper and gum combinations that can be collected.

Unitrade values this at $3.75. The stamps offered here grade 75-84 as follows:

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

Paper Freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of Visible Paper Flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10

The Wilding Issue is considerably more complex than both Harris and Unitrade suggest. In addition to the basic horizontal/vertical ribbed paper distinction, the horizontal ribbed paper can be found with ribbing on both the front, and the back, as well as ribbed on front and smooth on back. Then, starting in the later half of the 1950's, the paper becomes smooth on front and ribbed on back, before finally becoming smooth on both sides. Each value can be collected thus, and in addition, the DF paper can actually be broken down into two fluorescence levels and two predominant colours under UV for each of these levels. The dullest paper is DF1, and can be found to give either a light violet glow under UV, or a brownish grey colour. Then, there is a brighter DF2 paper, which is not quite bright enough to be LF, but is noticeably brighter than the DF1 paper. It can be give either a bluish white glow under UV, or a cream glow under UV. Finally, there is a true LF paper, which is bluish white under UV and is quite scarce. For these printings, a plethora of shade varieties can be found, especially on the 4c and 5c values. Each value can be found in at least 2 shades though. Finally, the gum exhibits collectible differences also, with the early printings having a glossy yellowish to yellowish cream gum, which becomes less glossy and more streaky as one progresses through the 1950's. The printings made on the vertical ribbed paper, between 1960 and 1963 can be found with clear vertical ribbing on the gum side, and with no clear ribbing, and in a variety of levels of fluorescence other than those listed. The subcategories of DF paper, described previously for the horizontal wove paper, can more or less be found on the vertical ribbed papers also. Satin and semi-gloss yellowish gums can be found on these printings, and there are a variety of shades to be found on these also.