By
opening any Modena catalogue we will be struck by the high number of composition
errors that can be found. In these stamps, as I explained in the introduction
of the single issues, the stamp lower plug where the value lies was made by
a set of mobile graphic characters that each time were inserted in the plate
depending of the value of the piece to be printed.
Therefore due to this continuous manual work several wrong sets of characters
were often generated, with letters upside down or in the wrong position or
with wrong spaces etc.. These mistakes, that are not only exclusive of Modena
stamps, are found in great variety on all the issues with the exception of
the newspaper 10 centesimi value of the "aquilotto" type
that was hand printed, as already seen, with a single stroke without the possibility
to create similar errors.
In
the here below tables I list the main mistakes that can be found; some
of them, that were immediately noted and therefore can be found only on part
of the issue are really very rare, specially on a complete document. I want
to outline one point: sometimes it happens to classify "typographic errors
or plate-errors" also some nice and recurrent variety that do not have
at all this origin I show here below two pieces (Fig. 1, 1a) with very
evident printing flaw that I saw being quickly catalogueed by some as typographic
errors independently from being rare or not; in reality they are plate defects.
This is why in my tables (that can be eventually updated in the future) I
will insert only the varieties due by sure only to composition errors, avoiding
printing errors, plate faults and other strange effects of uncertain origin.
I want to warn you about the several forgeries or falsifications existent
on the philatelic market, both of existent varieties as well as brand new
invented varieties and sold as rare stamps.
Fig. 1-1a: two
striking varieties that have nothing in common with composition errors...
Duchy issue with and without the dot after the value
|
Value
|
Variety
|
|
10
c. without dot
|
No
dot after "CENT"
|
|
"
" "
|
"EENT.
10" instead of "CENT. 10"
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT.
10" with "1" upside-down
|
|
"
" "
|
Without
the horizontal line below the scroll
|
|
15
c. without dot
|
No
dot after "CENT"
|
|
"
" "
|
"CETN
15." instead of "CENT. 15"
|
|
"
" "
|
"C"
of "CENT" shifted to bottom
|
|
"
" "
|
Without
the horizontal line under the scroll
|
|
25
c. without dot
|
No
dot after "CENT"
|
|
"
" "
|
Dot
after "CENT" shifted up
|
|
"
" "
|
Without
the "N" of "CENT"
|
|
40
c. without dot (pale blue)
|
No
dot after "CENT"
|
|
40
c. without dot (blue)
|
No
dot after "CENT"
|
|
"
" "
|
Without
the "N" of "CENT"
|
|
5c.
with dot (green)
|
Without
the "C" of "CENT"
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT
.5" instead of "CENT. 5."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CEN
T. 5" (space between "N" and "T")
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT.5"
all together
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT5"
all together and without dot
|
|
"
" "
|
Without
the horizontal line under the scroll
|
|
"
" "
|
"CNET.
5." instead of "CENT. 5."
|
|
"
" "
|
"E"
of "CENT" lain horizontally
|
|
5c.
with dot (olive)
|
"CENT.
5." with dot after "5" shifted up
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT
.5" instead of "CENT. 5."
|
|
"
" "
|
No
dot after "5"
|
|
"
" "
|
"CNET.
5." instead of "CENT. 5."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CEN1
5." instead of "CENT. 5."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT.
." (without "5")
|
|
10
c. with dot
|
"C"
of "CENT" shifted below
|
|
"
" "
|
"CE6T.
10." instead of "CENT. 10"
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENE.
10." instead of "CENT. 10."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CNET.
10." instead of "CENT. 10."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CNET.
10" instead of "CENT. 10."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT.
10." with dot after "10" shifted up
|
|
"
" "
|
"N"
of "CENT" lain horizontally
|
|
40
c. with dot
|
"CENT.
49." instead of "CENT. 40."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT
.40." (dot before"4")
|
|
"
" "
|
"CE6T.
40." instead of "CENT. 40."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENE.
40." instead of "CENT. 40."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CEN.T
40." instead of "CENT. 40."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CNET.
40." instead of "CENT. 40."
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT.
4C." instead of "CENT. 40."
|
|
1
Lira
|
"LIRA.
1" instead of "LIRA 1."
|
|
"
" "
|
"LIRA
1" without dot after "1"
|
Provisional Government issue
|
Value
|
Variety
|
|
15
c. (brown)
|
".CENT.
15." (dot up before "CENT")
|
|
"
" "
|
No
dot after "15"
|
|
15
c. (gray)
|
".CENT.
15." (dot up before "CENT")
|
|
"
" "
|
No
dot after "15"
|
|
20
c. (slate)
|
No
dot after "20"
|
|
20
c. (lilac-gray)
|
"ECNT.
20" instead of "CENT. 20."
|
|
"
" "
|
"N"
of "CENT" upside-down
|
|
"
" "
|
No
dot after "20"
|
|
40
centesimi
|
".CENT.
40." (dot up before"CENT")
|
|
"
" "
|
"5CENT.
40" (a "5" upside down before "C")
|
|
"
" "
|
No
dot after "40"
|
|
80
centesimi
|
"CENT.
8 ." without "0"
|
|
"
" "
|
"CENT.
0." without "8"
|
|
"
" "
|
"N"
of "CENT" upside-down
|
|
"
" "
|
No
dot ater "80"
|
Newspaper issues
|
Value
|
Variety
|
|
"B.G."
large
|
"B"
shifted down
|
|
"B.G."
small
|
No
dot after "9"
|
|
"
" "
|
"B"
shifted down
|
|
9
centesimi
|
No
dot after the value
|
|
"
" "
|
No
dot after "CENT"
|
|
10
centesimi
|
"CEN1.
10." instead of "CENT. 10."
|
|
"
" "
|
No
line under the scroll
|
Here
you find some pieces showing the listed varieties (Fig. from 2 to 5).
Fig. 2: dot
in front of "5".
This piece has also an evident plate break
Fig. 3: very
rare 40c. pale blue without dot after "CENT"
Fig. 4: "CENT.
49." instead of "40"
Fig. 5: no
dot after "CENT"