NUMBER 28`

SUMMER.1958

PRO PATRIA - 115s :

(Illustrated on Page 4.)

Faithful to their last year'spromise, the PTT are startingus off this year on what pro-mises to be a truly delightfulnew series; minerals, rocks andfossils: All of us who havevisited Switzerland have seenand admired the beautiful cry-stals on sale at most souve-nir stands in the mountain re.gion. Some of us havesearched for them and foundgreat joy upon discoveringeven the smallest fragment. Thenew series will bring backmany pleasant memories andwill also be of very great educational value. To judgefrom pre-release colour ill-ustrations, we shall have avery attractive set to add toour collection. Sale commen-ces on 31st May and thestamps remain valid until 31Dec. 1958. The four stamps ofthe mineral section are prin-ted in rotogravure by Cour-voisier, on slightly coatedpaper with admixture of col-oured fibres. The fifth valueis printed on ordinary paperin the line engraving processby the PTT printing works.This stamp is in aid of theNational Day collection insupport of needy Mothers &carries the design of aMother holding a baby.Designers: 5c. Donald Brun, Basel.(engraving by Albert Yersin)All other values:

Niklaus Stoecklin.

Contd. P.4.

1949-1955THE

"WHITE ROOF" VARIETIES

By Courtesy of Gibbons Stamp Monthly

(concluded)

AIR MAIL4y L. N. and M. WILLIAMS

50 c.Although this stamp was first issued in 1941, andmany copies of the "white roof" varieties are known,we have seen no used copy bearing a postmark earlierthan September 1946, and we have no record of anylater than March 1949. The probabilities, therefore.are that sheets bearing the varieties were on saleduring the latter part of 1946 and throughout 1947and possibly, 1948. (The stamp was demonetized onDecember 31st 1555, having gone off sale about eighteen months earlier. The 500. value was in consider-able demand, 5,298,000 copies being sold).The comparative frequency with which the "white

roofs" are encounterex, the nature, distribution andappearance of the flaw, are facts which render itdifficult to account for the variety.These Swiss rota ry line-engraved stamps were wet

printed "in the web" - that is, on continuous reelsof surface-dampened paper - at the rate of 4,000sheets per hour. The printing cylinder is placed inthe machine and electrically heated internally towarm the outer surface. (In line-engraving, the heating of printing plates and cylinders is normal prac-tics, to assist in working the comparatively stiffinks used in this process). This does not occurevenly, the right side takes longer to warm up thanthe left.

After the cylinder has been placed in position, theink duct is introduced, the machine is started, androllers spread ink into the recesses and over thenon-printing surface of the cylinder. The next oper-ation is to remove all traces of ink from the non-printing surface, leaving ink in the recesses.This removal is effected in two stages, as the cy-

linder revolves. First, all but a slight film of inkis removed by means of a mechanically adjusted lengtof clean, d ry cloth or paper which moves rapidly toand fro over the non-printing surface. Next, thissurface comes into contact with a similarly movinglength of fine cloth, damp with lye water, and theslight film of ink is removed.(Lye water, or lye, isthe normal cleansing agent for printing plates, andis also an ink solvent). The printing cylinder thenmeets the paper, which is pressed into heavy contactby the impression cylinder, and sucks the ink out ofthe recesses.The edges of the fine cloth are always more damp

than its centre.The Swiss Direction Generale des PTT, Section for

Postage Stamps, have provided the writers with theofficial explanation of how the "white roof" varie-ties occurred, and thefollowing is a quotation fromthisexplanation:-

"It may happen that the (printing) cylinder is notwarm enough when inked the first time and the secondcloth just a little too wet; the lye water willdissolve the colour and the mixture pressed againstthe stamp paper will leave blots on the sheet. Atthe same time water penetrates into the inmost re-cesses of the engraving and prevents the penetrationof colour. As the cylinder gets warmer, the waterevaporates, all spots of the engraving get filledwith ink and the design is complete. Butin the mean.;Jae as a greatmany sheets have left the machine, whichprints 4,000 sheets per hour.Of course such cases are very rare; if noticed at

'once the machine can be stopped and the cylinder

cleaned. Later, spoiled sheets and the ones with badprinting are sorted out as waste".This explanation is satisfying, but not entirely

comprehensive. The inquiring mind is left wonderingabout the exact combination of circumstances result-ing in seemingly only a part of the design of eachstamp in the right-hand column being affected, andwhy that part should be similarly positioned oneach of the stamps.A clue to the answers to these questions is, pro-

bably, to be found in the last sentence of the quo-tation above. During the first part of the run orruns of the machine other portions of the stampswere affected, and the resultant sheets were dis-carded. However, in all probability, it was con-sidered unnecessary to discard the sheets contain-ing stamps with only the "white roof". It is per-haps, significant that no copy of this stamp hasbeen discovered bearing an absence of colour ex-tending beneath the lowest of the fourteen linescomprising the roof.

SWITZERLAND I900THE ISSUE FOR THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF

i FOUNDATION OF THE PageUNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION

Editor's foreward: The publishers of the 'SwissPhilatelist' gratefully acknowledge that thisarticle has been translated from SchweizerBriefmarken-Zeitung", March 1958. it representsthe most up-to-date research on the fascinatingissue of Swiss stamps and we advise collectorsto preserve this instalment, and all those tofollow, most carefully.

Date of issue: July 2, 1900.Period of sale and validity: Until Dec. 31st. 1900.Design: Eugéne Grasset, -Paris.Engraving: Frédéric Florian, Paris (real name:

Frédéric Rognan).Printer: Max Girardet, Berne.

This issue is marked - like none other - by itsrichness in varieties. Time and again, collectorsoccupy themselves in detail with these stamps, aslarge gaps still remain in their exploration.At the National Exhibition 1955. Lausanne, Mr. R.

Gees, Heerbrugg, at the urging of his tutor, H.Wirth-Buzzi, St.Gallen, exhibited for the first timehis collection "Jubilee 1900". Ir. order to thoroughly explore this issue, co-operation by several coll-ectors was necessary. The material and time requiredexceeded the resources of individual collectors.Thus the following collectors joined together, inorder to make publication possible: H.Wirth-Buzzi,(St.Gallen); R.Gees, (Heerbrugg); J. Kung, (Zofingen);and Dr.E. Kopp, (Berne).

Support from the Postal Administration, Berne, es-pecially on the part of Messrs. Gaudard, Hagnauer andMesserli, was extraordinarily welcome. The tradealso - especially Messrs. Zumstein & Cie, E. Kottelat,Schenker AG, Kilchher etc.- gladly put their mater-ial at our disposal. We owe them thanks.

In 1906 there appeared a work by M. Neuveu-Balluetin Lausanne: "Etude sur les timbres du Jubilé del'Union Postale Universelle". The varieties dis-covered were detailed on eight whole-page drawings,and 1045 of them were individually described. Theauthor examined, according to his depositions,53,00C stamps between September 1,1902 and July 31,1903. He points out that his numbering is purelyfortuitous. and that it would be better to allocatethe sheet position to each of his varieties. Afterconclusion of his work,46 half sheets were put athis disposal by friends, so that he could allocatethe sheet positions (1-50) of 465 of his varieties.On this occasion he found another 24 interestingvarieties,and he asks himself at the end of hisexpositions, what caused these characteristic differ-ences - was it bad printing or badly maintainedclichés' He gladly leaves this task for anothergeneration to discover.

:In 1953,in BBZ No.3., there appeared an article byMr. Hertsch, which, with his permission, we reprintin extract form,and supplement as far as possible.

The issue of 1900 (Zumstein No.77-79) was printedfrom plates with four divisions of 5 x 10 - 50positions, a total of 200 positions. Then the printedsheets were divided into four parts, and the result-ing sheets of 50 copies were perforated. Some sheetsof 50 still remain in existence. Later the sheetswere divided vertically down the middle, and delivered as sheets of 25(counter half-sheets) to the postoffices.

The printing plates were renewed twice, so thatthe specialist differentiates between three issues:Issue A: Line perforated;division between po-

sitions; horizontally 2.2mm; vertically 2.4mm.Issue B: Harrow perforated; division between po-

sitions: horizontally 2.7mm; vertically 2.6mm.Issue C: Plate from newly engraved original dies

Distances between positions as Issue B.Further details about the various issues can be

found, by those interested, in the Zumstein Special-ised Catalogue. We also find position number 1-200allocated to varieties.

The left upper division of the printed sheet(Panel of 50 copies), was numbered 1-50; the rightupper division (Pane II of 50 copies),was numbered51-100;the left lower division(Pane III of 50 (opies)was numbered 101-150; and the right lower position(Pane IV of 50 copies) was numbered 151-200.

The sketch represents a printed sheet (200 posi-tions) of Issue A with Line Perforation. The thickvertical line divided the panes of 50 into counter(half) panes of 25. Thus Counter Half 1/45 (1st stamptop left. 45th stamp bottom right) represents theleft half of the upper left group of 50. The copperplates of all three issues received register marksabove, respectively below,certain designatedpositions, which render valuable services during thereconstruction of printed sheets. (these marks on issueEA consist of oblongs (5 and 25 rp). (contd. Page 4,

1958 PRO PATRIE Page1

Subjects Colours:5c. Mother & child (Brownish carmine)10c. Fluorite (green, brown, yell, grey).20c. Ammonite (red, brownish/vell,grey).30c, Garnet (Brownish/yell, carmine, grey)40c. Rock Crysal (blue, It.blue, grey).Size of stamps is 29x24mm. Pict. 26x21mm.All values printed in sheets of 50.

May we kindly asknew issue subscrib-ers to settle in-voices immediatelyafter receipt, thusobviating the needto book these verysmall amounts ontheir folios.

U.P.U. 1900 N CON TINUEDor near squares (10 rp. value), which were app-

lied to the copper plate by means of a roulette. They bearin the centre a colourless circle of approximately 1mm. dia.which served as Register Position. Before perforation,thesheets were pinned through this uncoloured point,or thecentre of a register cross (issues B and C).A thin vertical line which runs from the edge of the

sheet margin through the perforation to the edge of thestamp image cn the 25 rp. divides the oblongs into two hal-ves. Remains of this line can be easily detected betweenthe edge of the image and the perforation on stamps inthe appropriate positions.Issue B with Harrow Perforation: This issue shows register crosses instead of squares or oblongs, and these were app-lied with a roulette above and below the same sheet po-sitions as was the case with Issue A. The arms of the cro-sses are unequal. The register crosses show, between thelines produced by the roulette, another, finer cross engravedwith a burin, which marked the position for the registercrosses.Issue C (so-called re-engraved issue), Harrow Perforation: Here also we find register crosses. These crosses were en-graved into the copper plate with a burin. Their arms are ofunequal lengths, one arm being often twice as long asanother, (thin and heavy lines running close together). Thin'working' lines can often be detected near the registercrosses.The outer margins of the printed sheets (200 positions)

are generally wider than the halves of the gutter margins.However, very often this indication has been lost by trim-ming. As can be seen by the sketch of the printed sheet andthe table, it is easily possible to determine with the aidof the register oblongs, squares or crosses,(particularlyconsidering their size and distance from the edge of thestamps) the exact positioh of the panes of 50 in relation tothe printed sheets of 200 subjects. There are a very fewexceptions where the dimensions between two halves of acounter sheet correspond exactly. (to be continued).