PISC Discussion Forums

There is a new variety in the 1c on 31c overprint; some stamps show a 4mm gap between the c and the first x instead of the normal 3mm gap. In the scan here, the gap in the first two columns is 4mm (stamps 5 and 6 of rows 9 and 10) while in the 3rd and 4th columns it is the normal 3mm. I don't know how many times this variety occurs in the sheet. I understand that the 4mm spacing variety can also now be found in the 5c on 31c.

John

It is rather odd, but the printers seem to have produced an entirely new overprint matrix. As John said in his post of 16th March, this has been used to produce sheets of the 1c and 5c overprints on 31c original. Since they have been using the previous matrix to produce overprints in 23c and 31c stamps at regular intervals from 2010 onward, it makes one wonder why they felt the need to go to the trouble of producing a new matrix.

The overall registration of the overprints looks rather haphazard on the new matrix and (as John spotted) the gap between "c" and "xxx" is also variable. It is not as if it is an improvement over the 2010 matrix!

The relative layout is the same on the sheet of 5c stamps as it is on the sheet of 1c so that suggests that the printers have performed their usual find and replace procedure to convert the 1c matrix into a 5c matrix (or vice versa).

To add further interest, I have also seen a block of the 1c on 31c which was pretty obviously produced using the earlier 2009 overprint matrix - which gives a wider overprint and to my eyes at least, has a slightly larger "xxx" obliterator. That means that there are known examples of three different overprint matrices having been used to produce 1c on 31c stamps.

I've posted a picture of that block on the Stampboards thread I set up. You can find it on page 3 at http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=39235&start=100

I will post pictures illustrating the layout of the stamps over the sheet when I get a bit of time and have a scanner nearby.

Here are pictures of mint blocks of the 1c and 5c in the corresponding position to John's used block. I've also added a picture of another block from the upper right segment of the section of the sheet just below the gutter separating rows 5 and 6. This illustrates the irregular pattern of the surcharges on this particular overprint matrix. It also includes a stamp with a reduced gap - that one is sheet position Row 7 column 10. It is probably not a coincidence that Row 7 column 10 is the sheet position where the no gap between "c" and "xxx" stamp appears in regular sheets of 20c, 40c and 50c overprints. That could be regarded as evidence suggesting that this overprint matrix (like several others) has been derived from the standard 20c overprint matrix.

Feedback I've received from Fiji suggest that neither the 1c on 31c or the 5c on 31c using this newly discovered overprint matrix is common - only a very limited number of mint stamps have been located. It is also thought that they have been in circulation for a while - it was not until John spotted the variety that anyone seemed to have noticed that they were different.

All in all, both of these overprints remain a bit of a mystery at this time!

Thanks for the continued updates on the overprints. Will have to check my sources in Fiji for examples of the various 1c on 31c overprints.

The latest new overprints I've seen are:

1c on 31c with uppercase XX obliterator. Two notable varieties on this one, R6 C1 has a supersized "XX" and R8 C7 shows variety "1c" omitted.

20c on 44c produced using the original large "20" overprint matrix which has "no gap between 20c and xxx at positions R7 C10 and R8 C9.
The "large 20" 20c on 44c exists with overprint double.

1c on 44c (standard 2010 setting overprint)

Another new variety has been spotted in kiloware. I've not seen a mint example yet but I'm pretty certain that they aren't going to turn out to be plentiful (based on the assumption that these were produced and released at the same time as the other 2010 setting overprints on the 13c original and as a consequence what few were printed and released will have been used up between then and now).

This could turn out to be a very scarce stamp indeed (even by Fiji overprint standards).

Edit: 21 December - Subsequent to my initial post, I understand that two blocks of mint stamps have been located in Fiji, I'm not sure how big the blocks are but I'm advised that there are somewhere around 50 mint examples of this stamp altogether.

Yet another new variety has been spotted in kiloware. This one is the 2c on 23c with the wider (2009 setting) surcharge : variety - overprint inverted.

Another new stamp, a 20 cents on 63 cents this time. To the best of my knowledge this is the first instance of the 63c original being used for overprinting. The standard 20c overprint matrix appears to have been used with the no gap variety occurring in sheet position R7 C10 as would be expected. The cancel on the used block is dated 7th January 2016 and is probably an early usage. I'd guess it was first issued at the beginning of January.

And now here's the first example of the 81c stamp being used for overprinting; a 1c on 81c has appeared. Standard spacing on this one appears to be approx 3½mm but the stamps in sheet positions R1C1 and R1C2 have a narrower gap between "c" and "xxx" of approx 2¼mm.

The stamp in sheet position R6C1 has a wider gap.

Latest new issues comprise 3c and 4c overprints on 44c original.

I've not figured out which overprint matrix (or matrices) were used as yet but a picture of some I received in the mail this week are shown.

Thank you, Les. Have you seen any full sheets and are there any spacing varieties that you know of?

John

Hi John,

I've seen a full sheet of each and there do not appear to be any spacing varieties on the new 3c or 4c on 44c overprints.

The 20c on 63c "regular" overprint has a further spacing variety occurring once in each sheet. The stamp at R1/3 has a 3¼mm gap.

Some printings of the 20c on 44c used the same matrix so the 20c on 44c is also known with the stamp at R1/3 having a 3¼mm gap. Early indications are that that one is likely to prove difficult.

A very small number of large "20" 20c on 63c stamps have also been seen.

Dear Les,
Thank you for the info on the 3c and 4c on 44c.

John

Large package arrived from the bureau today.

Contained 2c, 3c, 4c, 5c (which I knew about) + 23c ( a bit of a surprise, that one) all on 44c.

23c only has 2 small "x" as obliterator.