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Type I Black Overprint Reading Up

refer to caption — 10-cent Obaldia single

All five denominations of the Seventh Series (1-cent, 2-cent, 5-cent, 8-cent, and 10-cent) exist overprinted with Type I (Scott numbers 31-35). There were as many as five delivery dates of several of these stamps, dating from Oct. 1, 1909, through August 22, 1911. The total numbers delivered were as follows:

1-cent Balboa—4,000,000 (Scott 31)

2-cent Cordoba—4,000,000 (Scott 32)

5-cent Arosemena—2,000,000 (Scott 33)

8-cent Hurtado—200,000 (Scott 34)

10-cent Obaldia—100,000 (Scott 35)

When The Canal Zone Stamps book was published in 1986, it mentioned that the understanding of the printing of this series was incomplete at best. It was a delightful surprise, therefore, when the ABNCo archives were sold at public auction in 1990 (1). A group of collectors was able to buy most of the Canal Zone overprint stamps and make color photocopies and study them before they were distributed among collectors and dealers.

The Specimen stamps were each overprinted “SPECIMEN” in red and had a security hole punched in them (2). The archives contained between one and three sheets of a single domination and printing. Some of the sheets were complete and in good condition, but others were incomplete or in poor condition. When there was more than one sheet of a printing of a single denomination, the group designated each sheet as A, B, or C in order to differentiate the sheets from one another. On the gum side of each stamp, the stamp's position in the sheet, Foreign order number, and sheet letter were written so that future collectors would know exactly from which position on each sheet a particular stamp came.

The 1-cent dark green and black Balboa, Type I overprint, was first issued on November 8, 1909. Because of the 1990 American Bank Note Company archives sale, collectors have identified the two different printings of this stamp by the spacing between the words CANAL ZONE. On the 1909 printing, F 2116, the space is 10.0 mm; on the 1911 printing, F 2932, the space is 8.5 mm. However, multiples of the second printing have not yet come to light.

There is a major error of this stamp with an inverted center and inverted overprint reading down. Only four used copies are recorded, and the years of discovery of the first three are 1913, the 1950’s (which had clipped perorations and was possibly from a handmade booklet pane), and 1969 (which has severe defects). As at least one hundred of these inverts made it to the Canal Zone Postal Service to be sold to the public, and since there is no record of any being found and destroyed before being issued, there is a chance that other copies still exist unrecognized or forgotten.

David Zemer

The 2-cent vermilion and black Cordoba, Type I overprint, was first issued on November 8, 1909. Thanks to the 1990 ABNCo archives sale, collectors have identified the two different printings of this stamp by the very slight differences in the length of the words CANAL ZONE.

The only recorded error of the 2-cent is a vertical pair, imperforate horizontally of which there are an estimated thirty pairs. In addition, handmade booklets were made.

David Zemer

The 5-cent blue and black Arosemena, Type I overprint, was first issued on November 8, 1909. Because of the ABNCo 1990 archives sale, collectors are able to identify the two different printings of this stamp by the very slight differences in the length of the words CANAL ZONE. Since the differences are very small, collectors are referred to the Canal Zone Stamps book for exact measurements.

The first printing did not have an engraved F number but only the red hand stamp F2116 on the upper selvage on the specimen sheets. The second printing, however, did have F-2896 and a reversed “2” engraved in the upper right selvage and was the first Canal Zone ABNCo stamp with an engraved F number. The significance of the reversed “2” is that it shows that this is the second usage of this plate, the first time being April 25, 1911, for a printing of Panama 5-cent stamps. It is interesting to note that the Panama printing had a red F2896 handstamped on the upper selvage but did not have an F 2896 engraved on the selvage.

The only recorded error of the 5-cent is a double overprint of which two hundred copies were issued, and most were saved for collectors.

David Zemer and Robert J. Karrer

The 8-cent violet and black Hurtado, Type I overprint, was first issued on March 18, 1910. There was only one Specimen printing in the 1990 ABNCo archives sale, although the records of the Canal Zone Postal Service refer to two deliveries of the 8-cent stamp of 100,000 stamps each, on October 1, 1909, and September 12, 1910.

The Specimen printing had the red hand stamp F2116 on the upper selvage on the specimen sheets and no engraved F number.

Only one recorded error of the 8-cent, a vertical pair, one without overprint is known to exist. There are twenty copies on record.

David Zemer and Robert J. Karrer

The 10-cent violet and black Obaldia, Type I overprint, was first issued on November 8, 1909. There was only one sheet of ninety stamps of this Specimen printing in the 1990 ABNCo archives sale, and this sheet disappeared before it was distributed to its owners. The Specimen printing had the red hand stamp F2116 on the upper selvage on the specimen sheets and no engraved F number. It has not been recovered.

Canal Zone Postal Service records indicate that there was only one delivery of the 10-cent stamp, totaling 100,000 stamps, on October 1, 1909.

There are no known major errors of the 10-cent Obaldia stamp.

David Zemer

In the selvage at the top of each sheet, the denomination of each stamp was engraved in the color of the stamp. For example, “1 CENTESIMO No.” in green for the 1-cent stamp, and then wording similar to “FOR 1 CENTESIMO REPUBLIC DE PANAMA” in black for the same stamp. These markings appear on the Specimen sheets as well as the production sheets that were sold to the public.

The Specimen sheets, however, contained some of or all of the following additional information at the top of the sheet that had been applied by rubber hand-stamps:

The Foreign (F number) order number in red

A date, (probably the print date)

And a message, usually, but not always, “RETURN TO ISSUE ROOM, To Be held for reference”

Because of these markings, it is now known that there were two separate printings of the Type I series for the Canal Zone. The first was order F2116, August 4, 1909, and the second was F2932, May 26 1911. Because different overprints can now be identified—different overprints on two different printing for some stamps—it may be that some time in the future there will be a new catalogue listing for some of these printings.

Comparing these Specimen printings with issued stamps has presented collectors with new challenges when studying this interesting series.

Order F 2116, Type I, dated August 4, 1909

Denomination Catalogue Number(S added here) Sheets Quantity

1-cent Balboa 31s 2(A, B) 194

2-cent Cordoba 32s 2(A, B) 200

5-cent Arosemena 33s 2(A, B) 200

8-cent Hurtado 34s 3(A, B, C) 300

10-cent Obaldia 35s 1—90

Order F 2932, Type I, dated May 26, 1911

Denomination Catalogue Number(S added here) Sheets Quantity

1-cent Balboa 31s 1 100

2-cent Cordoba 32s 2(A, B) 200

5-cent Arosemena 33s 2(A, B) 200

References:

(1) The American Bank Note Company Archives, Wednesday September 12, 1990, Christie’s, New York.
(2) ABNCo Specimens of the Type I Overprints, Leeds, Crumpacker, Weiss, Zemer, The Canal Zone Philatelist, Vol. 32, No. 2, Whole No. 119, page 13.

David Zemer

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