Lot 22 Canada #537ii 6c Multicolored Autumn, 1971 Maple Leaves, A VFNH Single On HB12/HB10 Horizontal Wove Paper

A VFNH single of the 6c multicolored Autumn from the 1971 Maple Leaves on HB12/HB10 horizontal wove paper.

Most 537's are on horizontal wove paper, but most are not HB on the front or back. This one is HB12 on front and HB10 on back with no fluorescent flecks or woodpulp fibers.

Unitrade values this at $20. The stamp offered here grades 84 as follows:

Centering/Margins: 54/70

Paper Freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of Visible Paper Flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10

This issue continues the use of a new type of paper, which is chalk-surfaced, and either horizontal, or vertical wove. It usually has clearly visible mesh, which resembles ribbing. So, I tend to call it horizontal ribbed, even though the surface of the paper is smooth. The fluorescence readings on this paper are nearly always different on the front and back, and the gum is usually a very matte PVA that has very little surface sheen.

In describing fluorescence on these issues and all the stamps issued after 1970, it is critical to understand the Irwin-Freeman scale of fluorescence, which ranges from 0 to 12 and that a particular designation like say HB or HF will correspond to more than one fluorescence level. One pitfall that many collectors fall into is to compare the papers, rank the fluorescent reactions from low to high and then try to force them into the DF/LF/MF/HF and HB nomenclature, rather than recognizing that three different levels of reaction may actually correspond to the same designation. This is why Unitrade's listings for this period are so confusing. Generally HB corresponds to levels 10 through 12; HF, levels 8 and 9; MF, levels 7 and 6; F, level 5; LF, levels 3 and 4; DF, levels 1 and 2 and finally NF corresponds to 0.