Page 9 - BWISC 60th Anniversary Display at RPSL, November 2014
P. 9
Frame 4
CAYMAN ISLANDS – THE KING EDWARD VII KEY PLATE FLAWS
from the collection of James Podger, FRPSL
The Cayman Islands provide some of the scarcest varieties from the De La Rue printings of the British Empire.
This is mainly due to the low quantities printed. This display includes a good selection of the surcharge
provisional issues with ‘Glover Flaw’ and ‘Slotted Frame’, as well as the 1908 ‘1D’ on 4d revenue provisional
with ‘Spaven Flaw’ – one of only three possible.
The ‘Glover Flaw’ is a downward bulge on the name tablet frame, below the first ‘A’ of ‘CAYMAN’. It was
discovered by L. V. S. Glover, a Gambia specialist, and occurs on all values printed from the King Edward VII
‘POSTAGE—POSTAGE’ key plate for the Cayman Islands. It also occurs on all values printed from this key
plate, for the Gambia and Seychelles, although not for the two stamps printed for St. Helena, as the flaw did
not develop until after the ½d and 1d St. Helena values were printed on 9 January 1902. It appears on the last
stamp, No. 6, in the first row of the left hand pane, L1/6.
The ‘Slotted Frame’ is a white vertical line appearing through the name tablet and outer frame line at the
upper right. It was discovered by Robert Schneider and written about in Gibbons Stamp Monthly February
2001 edition by Richard Maisel and Robert Schneider. It occurs on all values printed from the King Edward VII
‘POSTAGE—POSTAGE’ key plate for the Cayman Islands, the Gambia, the Seychelles and St. Helena. It appears
on the fourth stamp, No. 4, in the first row of the left hand pane, L1/4.
Archival piece with both 1s and 5s showing the ‘Slotted Frame’ variety.
Included in the display is an archival piece (RPSL Certificate 2013 states Madagascar Archive but missing the
handstamp) with both 1s and 5s showing the ‘Slotted Frame’ variety. This is the first time this piece has been
illustrated and written about.
The ‘Spaven Flaw’, is an upward indentation in the head plate frame line, coinciding with a break in the upper
corner of the upper left decoration panel. It was discovered by Michael Spaven, a Leeward Island specialist.
It occurs on all values printed from the King Edward VII ‘POSTAGE—REVENUE’ Plate 1 key plate. It appears
on the third stamp, No. 3, in the first row of the left hand pane, L1/3.
CAYMAN ISLANDS – THE KING EDWARD VII KEY PLATE FLAWS
from the collection of James Podger, FRPSL
The Cayman Islands provide some of the scarcest varieties from the De La Rue printings of the British Empire.
This is mainly due to the low quantities printed. This display includes a good selection of the surcharge
provisional issues with ‘Glover Flaw’ and ‘Slotted Frame’, as well as the 1908 ‘1D’ on 4d revenue provisional
with ‘Spaven Flaw’ – one of only three possible.
The ‘Glover Flaw’ is a downward bulge on the name tablet frame, below the first ‘A’ of ‘CAYMAN’. It was
discovered by L. V. S. Glover, a Gambia specialist, and occurs on all values printed from the King Edward VII
‘POSTAGE—POSTAGE’ key plate for the Cayman Islands. It also occurs on all values printed from this key
plate, for the Gambia and Seychelles, although not for the two stamps printed for St. Helena, as the flaw did
not develop until after the ½d and 1d St. Helena values were printed on 9 January 1902. It appears on the last
stamp, No. 6, in the first row of the left hand pane, L1/6.
The ‘Slotted Frame’ is a white vertical line appearing through the name tablet and outer frame line at the
upper right. It was discovered by Robert Schneider and written about in Gibbons Stamp Monthly February
2001 edition by Richard Maisel and Robert Schneider. It occurs on all values printed from the King Edward VII
‘POSTAGE—POSTAGE’ key plate for the Cayman Islands, the Gambia, the Seychelles and St. Helena. It appears
on the fourth stamp, No. 4, in the first row of the left hand pane, L1/4.
Archival piece with both 1s and 5s showing the ‘Slotted Frame’ variety.
Included in the display is an archival piece (RPSL Certificate 2013 states Madagascar Archive but missing the
handstamp) with both 1s and 5s showing the ‘Slotted Frame’ variety. This is the first time this piece has been
illustrated and written about.
The ‘Spaven Flaw’, is an upward indentation in the head plate frame line, coinciding with a break in the upper
corner of the upper left decoration panel. It was discovered by Michael Spaven, a Leeward Island specialist.
It occurs on all values printed from the King Edward VII ‘POSTAGE—REVENUE’ Plate 1 key plate. It appears
on the third stamp, No. 3, in the first row of the left hand pane, L1/3.
