Canada #569var 8c Multicoloured Algonkian Couple, 1973 Algonkian Indians Issue, A VFNH Single Earring Variety Due To Leftward Shift of Light Blue, LF/LF3 Vertical Ribbed Paper

A VFNH single of the 8c multicoloured Algonkian Couple from the 1973 Algonkian Indians Issue earring variety due to leftward shift of light blue, LF/LF3 vertical ribbed paper. This issue was printed by BABN using photogravure and engraving on paper that was supposed to be coated with chalk. Initial printings had the chalk coating vertically ribbed, most likely to improve the absorption of cancellation ink. Later printings of the previous Plains Indians issue were on paper that had a smooth chalky coating. These are FAR scarcer than the vertically ribbed stamps, often by a factor of more than 100:1. To date, we are unaware of any printings of this issue on smooth surfaced paper. One printing of this issue, and the 1972 Plains Indians issue was made on a MF uncoated paper (ribbed on that issue only), and is extremely rare on that issue, with only 2.5 pairs being found so far. Unitrade calls this paper "Transparent HB", though it is really only MF, or at very most HF. Some prominent colour shifts are found, which show that the photogravure colours appear to have been printed separately, with the engraving being printed afterwards. While there are not a lot of varieties on these stamps, there are a few that can be collected. Unitrade's listings for fluorescence on these are woefully inadequate in 2 respects. Firstly, the readings on the front and back are usually different, and not just one overall fluorescence level, and many levels exist other than what is listed. On the front the common fluorescence level is DF2, which is close to LF, and either DF2 or LF3 on the back. In addition DF1 and NF can be found on the back as well. Anything that is NF as opposed to DF or LF is scarcer, as is anything that is higher than LF3.

Unitrade values this at $5. 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