Color Shifts in First Day Cover Cachets
(Published: February, 2025, Volume 23, Number 1, Issue #54) (Table Of Contents)(Author: Larry Fillion)
Philatelists are always looking for Errors Freaks and Oddities (EFOs) of their favorite stamps, and of course
there are lots of these when it comes to Anti-Malaria stamps. First will be a quick definition of an EFO which
would apply to a stamp and also to cachets on First Day Covers (FDCs).
Below is a condensed version of the definition of an EFO for Wikipedia.
In philately, errors, freaks, and oddities (EFO) refers to all the kinds of things that can go wrong when producing postage stamps. It encompasses everything from major design errors to stamps that are just poorly printed and includes both some of the most sought-after and expensive of all stamps and others that attract the attention of only a few specialists.
Produced for Ryuku Islands Scott 95-96 (created by an unknown producer), the colors are registered correctly.
The black on the same cachet is shifted down and the right, at first glance it looks like the mosquito has 12 legs.
Now switching to this FDC from United Arab Republic. I have seen many examples of this FDC and none of them seem to have perfectly registered colors but the one below is close. This will be named "Close to Correct". Below will be groups of two cachets. The left side will always be the "Close to Correct" and on the right will be varities with Color Shift.
Below is a condensed version of the definition of an EFO for Wikipedia.
In philately, errors, freaks, and oddities (EFO) refers to all the kinds of things that can go wrong when producing postage stamps. It encompasses everything from major design errors to stamps that are just poorly printed and includes both some of the most sought-after and expensive of all stamps and others that attract the attention of only a few specialists.
- Errors - A postage stamp error is any of several types of failure in the stamp printing process that results in stamps not having the intended appearance. Errors include use of the wrong colors, wrong denominations, missing parts of the design, misplaced or inverted design elements, etc. Major types of errors would include Design error (wrong subject), Value error, Missing color, Missing overprint, Double impression, Invert error, and more.
- Freaks - A freak is a one-time mishap in the production process. Freaks include paper folds resulting in half-printed half-blank stamps, "crazy perfs" running diagonally across stamps, and insects embedded in stamps, underneath the ink.
- Oddities - An oddity is something that is within the bounds of usability for the stamp, but still has a distinctive appearance. The usual sort of oddity is misregistration on a multi-colored stamp, which can result in shirts apparently with two sets of buttons, eyes above the top of a person's head, and so forth.
Produced for Ryuku Islands Scott 95-96 (created by an unknown producer), the colors are registered correctly.
The black on the same cachet is shifted down and the right, at first glance it looks like the mosquito has 12 legs.
The colors are registered correctly. |
The black is shifted down and the right. It is clear to see the black around the red snake does not match up along with the black around the purple of the mosquito. |
Now switching to this FDC from United Arab Republic. I have seen many examples of this FDC and none of them seem to have perfectly registered colors but the one below is close. This will be named "Close to Correct". Below will be groups of two cachets. The left side will always be the "Close to Correct" and on the right will be varities with Color Shift.
Close to Correct |
Black and Red are Shifted Up |
|
Close to Correct |
Black is Shifted Up |
|
Close to Correct |
Black is Shifted Down |
|
Close to Correct |
Black and Red are Shifted Down |