The
Tuscany stamps were printed in sheets of 240 samples, divided in 3 groups
of 80 pieces each, one on top of the other and separated by a small inter-space
of less than 2 millimeters. All around the composition of 240 pieces a thin
metal (brass?) typographic blade was placed, probably to make more stiff and
solid the printing composition. This thin blade is present as a mark on all
the three issues.
It consists in a color line, of not uniform thickness, placed around the printing
plate and due to the inked mark left by this border.
It is 1.5-1.7 mm from the border set of stamps, it's enough thin in the "Marzocco"
issues while is clearly thicker in the Provisional Government compositions.
Because before the delivery, all the stamps were separated in three half-sheets
of 80 pieces each and the lateral margins were cut, it is very rare to find
this line in the stamp margins, specially for the "Marzocco" issues:
it's relatively more frequent in the values in centesimi (in a ratio 1:10).
The stamps that show in evident way this characteristic are very interesting
and in great demand (the values of the first two issues are very rare on envelopes).
Absolutely rare are the corner stamps that show both the marks vertical and
horizontal.
This variety is found more frequently in the official printing essays, where
larger margins were left by design (Fig. 1-2).
I show here several pieces that show this particular variety (Fig. 1 to
12); pay attention not to confuse the framing line with the beginning
of the adjacent stamp...
Fig. 1: block
of 10 proofs of the official essay of the 1 Crazia
with left sheet border and composition line mark
Fig. 2: block
of 20 proofs of the official essay of the 2 Crazie
with left upper corner of the sheet and double composition line marks
 |
 |
|
Fig.
3: 1
Crazia, 1st issue; the composition
line mark is visible at base |
Fig.
4: 2
Crazie, 2nd issue;
upper composition line mark |
Fig. 5: 9 Crazie, 1st issue;
right composition line mark
Fig. 6: 5
centesimi couple with the right composition mark
Fig. 7: strip
of three values of the 10 centesimi with right composition line mark
 |
 |
|
Fig.
8: 10
centesimi with left
composition line mark |
Fig.
9: 10
centesimi with right
composition line mark |
 |
 |
|
Fig.
10: 20
centesimi with right
composition line mark |
Fig.
11: 20
centesimi with left
composition line mark |
Fig.
12: 40 centesimi with left composition
line mark