The
group inter-space
The Modena sheets composition was characterized, as for the other Duchies, by the presence of the "inter-space" between the various groups of stamps present on the sheet: in essence it is a not printed space of different dimensions depending on the issues.
In the introduction to the single issues I have already given the dimensions of these spaces: I summarize them shortly here, by outlining that these dimensions may vary by fractions of millimeter because the printing plates had large tolerances in comparison to the today printing techniques.
The stamps and especially the couples with group inter-space are very much in demand and some are also very rare (the used couples, very few, are an exceptional rarity). To make things easy I call horizontal inter-space the one that is placed horizontally for the viewer and vertical inter-space the other one (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1: the position of the inter-space in the center of the sheet of the first issue
Issue Composition Horizontal
inter-space Vertical
inter-space1st - without dot 240 pieces in 4 groups of 60
(2 above and 2 below) 10 millimeters 10 millimeters2nd - with dot 240 pieces in 4 groups of 60
(2 above and 2 below) 10 millimeters 10 millimeters2nd - with dot - 1 LIRA 240 pieces in 4 groups of 60
(2 above and 2 below) 25 millimeters 10 millimetersProvisional Government 120 pieces in 4 groups of 30
(2 above and 2 below) 11 millimeters 9,5 millimetersNewspapers, big "BG" 120 pieces in 2 groups of 60
(maybe side by side) - - - - - UnknownNewspapers, little "BG" 240 pieces in 4 groups of 60
(2 above and 2 below) 10 millimeters 10 millimetersNewspapers - 9 & 10 cent. 240 pieces in 4 groups of 60
(2 above and 2 below) 10 millimeters 10 millimetersNewspapers - "Aquilotto" 240 pieces - - - - - - - - - -Please note as at the center of the horizontal inter-space of the first issue there is a double horizontal line (Fig. 1), while in the vertical one there are two lines, always vertical close to the stamp of the last column.
Here are some samples showing part of the inter-space (Fig. from 2 to 8).
Fig. 2: horizontal inter-space of the 25 centesimi
Fig. 3: horizontal inter-space Fig. 4: horizontal plus vertical inter-spaces
Fig. 5: horizontal inter-space (above))
Fig. 6: horizontal inter-space and
right margin of the sheet Fig. 7: horizontal inter-space and
left margin of the sheet
Fig. 8: the center of the 240 sample sheet (I don't have at this time genuine samples...)
(from "Modena - francobolli ed annullamenti", P. Vaccari editor, 1985)