The
Romagne stamps, as said, do not offer artistic or technical clues to be noticed,
instead they are really simple and not nice looking!
The drawing is "elementary"; the colors are dull, the graphic
is linear and the overall appearance looks like the one of an issue prepared
in a hurry and without be to much concerned about the results itself but only
to the immediate need and to the practicality: and this is not too far away
respect what really happened at that time.
The drawing of the stamps is the same for all of them, being different only
for the color, quite homogeneous for all the issue. The stamps do have in
common some small characteristics carving signs and some values have on top
some small plate defects that are present only on that specific value. We
will see them now in detail by outlining that often are not so visible due
to the inking too abundant (or too weak) of the stamps.
In substance in this "Going deep" we'll look for the "hair
in the egg" (typical Italian sentence...) to a level quite maniacal!
(in fact the catalogues don't talk about them, but only few studies very dedicated
on the subject deal with this matter).
First of all let see what are some of the details common to all values, some well known, some a bit less. I tried to have them present all in a single sample to make their recognition simpler but I repeat what I said before: in some values, due to the inking, they may result not so visible or even not present: but if, on the other side, on your stamps a lot of these details are missing, well, you have then to start to get concerned seriously...
SOME OF THE SIGNS COMMON TO ALL VALUES
|
1
|
The small upper circle of the right upper ornament is open at bottom |
|
2
|
The lower left horizontal trait of the first "L" of "BOLLO" is open |
|
3
|
The vertical right trait of the two "L" of "BOLLO" don't have the same height: the left one if higher |
|
4
|
The "F" of "FRANCO" is open at top |
|
5
|
The "R" of "FRANCO " has the internal small horizontal trait interrupted |
|
6
|
The horizontal small trait of "A" of "FRANCO" is tilted |
|
7
|
The "O" of "FRANCO" is open at the top right |
|
8
|
The lower horizontal trait of the "P" of "POSTALE" is open |
|
9
|
The "L" of "POSTALE is open at bottom |
|
10
|
The "R" and the "O" of ROMAGNE" have the upper corners smoothed (even the "G" presents this characteristic detail) |
|
11
|
The left leg of The "A" of "ROMAGNE" is thinner than the right one |
|
12
|
The vertical trait of the "G" of "ROMAGNE" is pointed at bottom |
|
13
|
The left leg of "N" of "ROMAGNE" is thinner than the right one |
|
14
|
The lower horizontal leg of The "E" of "ROMAGNE" is longer than the other two |
|
15
|
The internal horizontal trait of the "B of "BAJ" is interrupted on the left |
|
16
|
Interruption of the internal frame to the right of the "E" of "POSTALE" |
Let's
see now which values do present in addition small characteristics defects.
1/2 BAI
The right upper dot over the right top ornament is missing.
(it is present only in two stamps of the table:
the 19th and the 120th that are no so frequent)
3 BAI
The bottom right dot of the right top ornament is missing.
In same cases it can be barely visible and in some other
even the lower left dot can be missing.
4 BAI
Interruption of the internal frame to the right of the "O"
of "BOLLO"
5 BAI
1) Upper left circle of the top left ornament:
interrupted at the bottom
2) Vertical left leg of the "N" of
"FRANCO" interrupted
3) Interruption of the internal frame at bottom
left
(this last peculiarity can be found also in other values occasionally)
6 BAI
Small white dot in the upper frame
over the first "O" of "BOLLO"
8 BAI
The external frame corners, specially the upper ones,
look becoming irregular and pointed in a more evident way
with the proceeding of the manufacture
20 BAI
1) Color dot that connects the two frames
at bottom under the "R" of "ROMAGNE"
2)
Color dot that connects the two frames
at bottom under the "N" of "ROMAGNE" (not always visible)
3) Black spot inside the upper half of the "A"
of "FRANCO"