Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-03-30
POSTAGE STAMPS
Study Their Backs and You May
Come Across a Prize.
TWO CLASSES OF MARKINGS.

TWO CLASSES OF MARKINGS.
One of These Is Accidental and the
Other Is Intentional, but Either Adds
to the Interest of the Specimen-A
Curious Nicaraguan Issue.
1t really is interesting to study the
things which may be found upon the
backs of Stamps. One might group
these into two classcs-accidental and
intentional. In the first class would
come double ~printings" and "offsets."
In this instance by double printings
we refer to those stamps which were
accidentally printed upon both sides of
the paper. These are very rare. BY
offset we mean where too much ink
| was used or the sheets laid upon each
other while toe wet, so that the color
| from the face Of one sheet came off
on the back Of the n next to it.
These double impressions and offsets
are found in the surcharging of stamps
as well as in the original printings.
| ohoClo o1Lp1ldtlNS ely NollLllOll dliu
vary very much in intensity Of color
and completeness of design. In the
early stamps of Great Britain the color
Of the stamp has changed the gum, or
perhaps the paper, to a beautiful blue,
and, as there was little or nc color on
the portrait in the design. this head
appears in white upon a blue back
| rro,,r3 NJ, +J, 1,onIyN r. tJo etor,, T~h:>
is called an Ivory head" and is very
interesting.
Before we take up the matter OF
what Is Intentionally placed on the
backs of stamps we might say that the
paper upon which such stamps are
printed usually shows best from the
back. 1t may. of course. be either thin
or thick, white or colored partially or
completely through. 1t may have silk
threads here and there like the United
States revenues first issues on silk pa
per or silk all through like the later
issue QS73 revenues. or it may be
granite" paper. like certain stamps
Of Austria. Switzerland and Japan.
Again. there may be embedded in the
paper silk threads running the whole
length of the sheet, as in certain is
sues Of Bavaria. Wurttemberg and es-
pecially Switzerland, where threads of
many colors may be found.
In considering what is Intentionally
placed on the backs OF stamps we ITO
tice first the gum. This can easily be
found in many shades-whitc. yellow
ish brown, dark brown, pink or rose
Some of the old German states espe
cially have a fondness for pink gum.
The second thing to look for. in
tentionally placed on the backs of
stamps, is something in the nature Of
a protection against cleaning or coun
terfeiting. Under this head would
come grills or cmbossings. Excellent
Illustrations of these are found on our
own stamps and again in those 0.
Peru. Watermarks. while not placed
on the backs of stamps. show much
more plainly there and may be fnclud.
ed in ones collection Of "%backs."
AS a protection against counterfeit
ing, n may call attention to the nu.
merals upon the backs of the early is,
sues Of Greece. for there are many
errors and varieties to be found in
these old Grecian stamps. Mexico
protects some of her stamps by print.
ing across the backs a line Of blue
moirc, an irregular arrangement OF
curved lines. Sweden about 1856 com.
menced printing on the backs Of her
postage stamps a small blue picture OF
O post horn. This practice was con.
tinued some years.
AS a protection against counterfeit.
ing and also as a means Of identifying
stolen stamps Spain employs a set of
serial numbers. The postofice depart:
ment keeps Il list of the numbers on
the backs OF the stamps shipped to
every postoffice. SO that if one Of these
is robbed the authorities know and can
identify. if found, the stolen stamps
by the numbers they bear.
Thirdly. we consider those stamps
where the printing on the backs was
intentional. but placed there for other
reasons than to prevent counterfeiting.
In some respects these are the most in.
teresting Of all. We wish to cali at.
tention to three special instances. Por.
tugal in 1895 issued Il series of stamps
commemorative OF the seven hun.
dredth anniversary of the birth Of st.
Anthony Of Padua. There are foul
designs in the series. But what inter.
ests us in this connection is the curl
GUS fact that upon the back Of each
stamp there is printed in tiny blue
letters a Latin prayer. This series was
also surcharged for use in the Azores
When we study Nicaragua we are
bewildered by the multiplicity Of sur
charges, especially after about 1900
But in 1911 matters came to a very
bad pass. There were no more postage
stamps. so the government took some
revenue stamps, already once sur
charged, and upon the backs Of these
revenue stamps printed a surcharge
which made them good for postage
: So here are revenue stamps with post