Page 4 - LP1478

The London Philatelist

The first Chainbreaker stamps issued were the 10 and 20 vinar values, the most commonly
used denominations at the time. At first, these stamps were printed on Type B paper (white,
smooth) and not on Type A paper (thin, rough), as is apparent from all catalogue classifications.
Taking the earliest date of usage into account (February 1919, a month after the appearance of
the Chainbreakers), the yellow-brown 20 vinar stamps were without doubt produced during the
first printing, which was done in January and February, since the second printing followed in April
only. According to Priručnik, stamps from this print-run were in dark brown, muddy-brown, lilac-
brown, and yellow-brown. Grey-brown, which was also among the first printing, is missing in the
Priručnik list. However, according to Hammer, who actually ‘discovered’ it, this stamp is supposed
to have been printed second, after the grey-brown ink had been used up.
The composition of the 20 vinar value sheets was, according to Priručnik, as follows:

A sale sheet of 10x10 stamps, with a different arrangement of (sun) rays around the slave figure’s
head, also exists, but it was printed on Type A paper so is not mentioned here.
A close inspection of all the Maribor stamps revealed that they exist with all 10 types of (sun)
rays around the slave’s head. The inference is that they were printed in sheets as described above.
It is not possible to determine the sheet position of the stamps seen, in either the print or the
sale sheets. However, the stamps inspected showed errors and varieties that are not mentioned in
Priručnik. I will only mention some of the major points (Roman numbers denote the type of ray).
Type III: White patch above the right leg of Cyrillic ‘Ž’,
Type III: Tiny white spot between ‘D’ and ‘R’ in ‘DRŽAVA’,
Type IV: White patch left of ‘D’ in ‘DRŽAVA’,
Type VI: Tiny white spot left of ‘D’ in ‘DRŽAVA’ and 3 blurred spots between Cyrillic inscription
on ‘žava’ and ‘CHC’,
Type VII: White spot after ‘CHC’,
Type VIII: Beside the lock on the hand that can be found on all these types of stamp, one white
spot can be found on the left of the last ‘S’ (probably a transitional variety),
Type VII: Short white dash after ‘SHS.’
So, the study of errors produced only limited results. Two 10 x 10 sheets on Type A paper were
inspected (in brown, one on partly so-called ‘marble’ paper). They were different as far as the
distribution of rays is concerned. There was also one sheet on Type B paper (brown) and two 10 x
5 sheets (right, in chocolate brown and lilac brown). No error that appears on the Maribor stamps
was found. Things get even worse. Priručnik mentions five typical errors, four of them in the 10 x
10 sheet format and one in the 10 x 5 sheet format. Only one was found in the sheets inspected
(Position 34 in the right pane of the 10 x 5 sheet).
Typography is easier as far as errors and varieties are concerned, probably because the forme
(assembly of all the joint clichés) is constant during all prints. Lithography offers more possibilities
differences, since after about 200 print-runs the printing stone must be ground off and then, with

129 – 316 September 2020