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PLATING THE MORE DISTINCTIVE RE-ENTRIES IN THE HALF
CENT MAPLE LEAF STAMP I. PLATING CRITERIA AND DETAILED
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PRINTINGS
By Ken Kershaw, 2006, Spiral Bound, 136 pages, 8.5 x 11; ISBN: 0-919854-73-7 (B&W only). Published by
the British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS). Retail Price: $C34.95 plus shipping. For payment by
cheque or money order add 10% in Canada, 15% to the US, 20% for overseas. Credit card orders (Visa,
Mastercard) will be billed for exact amount of shipping plus $2 per order. GST is payable for Canadian
orders. BNAPS members receive a 40% discount from retail prices. Available from Ian Kimmerly Stamps,
112 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5B6, Canada Phone: (613) 235-9119. Internet orders can be placed at
www.iankimmerly.com/books/
Until recently, plating enthusiasts of Canada’s 1897 Half Cent
Maple Leaf issue have not had an overabundance of help in the
pursuit of their specialty. But that is about to change. With the
release of Kenneth Kershaw’s current work on the first and second
printings of this issue, published by the British North America
Philatelic Society, re-entry aficionados will be able to identify many
of the varieties in their collections with a renewed confidence.
With access to what are probably the world’s two top collections
of the Half Cent Maple Leaf stamps and the die and plate
proof material from the National Archives Philatelic Section in
Ottawa, Kershaw has been able to take this issue to a new level of
understanding in terms of re-entries, re-touches, and tool marks.
And with the latest printing and computer technology at the
author’s disposal, he provides readers with a plethora of illustrations
of the reworked plates discussed in this groundbreaking text.
Following a brief review of two published works on the topic
in which the author points out their still-relevant and correct
information, but also their shortcomings, Kershaw proceeds to
introduce readers to the terminology he uses in his text. To ensure
that readers clearly understand his explanations he uses a blow-up
photo print of the ½ -cent stamp accompanied by a list of terms that
identify its various features such as spandrels, leaf veins, frame
margins and oval frames, and precisely where on the stamp these
features are found.
A detailed table of contents gives readers a useful map to
navigate what can be an intimidating topic for the uninitiated.
For example, an understanding of what are “constant” varieties,
guide dots, double re-entries, standard re-entries, tool marks
and retouches is required to appreciate the numerous repairs that
engravers made to the various plates used to print this issue of
two million stamps.
Dr. Kershaw, a retired botanist who spent a significant part of
his career in the identification of plants of all kinds in many parts
of the world, explains his plating work on stamps as the “taxonomy
of bits of paper.” After reflecting on this plant taxonomist’s
foray into the minutiae of the One-Half Cent Maple Leaf issue I
suspect that his “glib” description of his philatelic work may be an
oversimplification. Indeed, our hobby is indebted to this dedicated
individual for his research.
While we would not want to give away the end result of the
author’s work, it is fair game to tell readers that Kershaw’s extensive
research revealed that of the four printings, the majority of
the plate positions had to be re-entered by the time that the final
stamps were printed. Many, in fact, we are told, were re-entered
several times.
This BNAPS publication is by far the most comprehensive
work on the first and second printings. It is a reference that should
be owned by anyone with an interest in the art of postage stamp
printing, especially so for the engraved issues that introduced philately
to the world as a new hobby 150 years ago.
Tony Shaman
PLATING THE MORE DISTINCTIVE RE-ENTRIES IN THE HALF
CENT MAPLE LEAF STAMP II. PLATING CRITERIA, AND DETAILED
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH PRINTING
By Kenneth A. Kershaw. Spiral Bound, 220 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches. ISBN: 0-919854-82-6 (B&W only).
Published by the British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS) 2006. $C41.95; Shipping extra. Credit
card orders (Visa, Mastercard) will be billed for exact amount of shipping plus $2 per order. For payment
by cheque or money order add 10% in Canada, 15% to the US, 20% overseas. GST is payable for Canadian
orders. BNAPS members receive a 40% discount from retail prices. BNAPS books are available from Ian
Kimmerly Stamps, 112 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5B6, Canada; Phone: (613) 235-9119. Internet
orders can be placed via http://www.iankimmerly.com/books/
This second work by Dr.
Kershaw on the Half Cent Maple Leaf issue is a companion
publication to Part I, (see preceding review above). We
would like to thank Mike Street, BNAPS Book Department
Co-ordinator-Publishing, for providing us with this follow-up
publication in the timely manner that has allowed
us to print this follow-up review in the same issue of The
Canadian Philatelist.
302 • the CP / le PC • SO06