TURKS ISLANDS
1d Queen's Neck Flaw
"On the early Turks Islands stamps there is a well known flaw which occurs on the One Penny value, showing as a prominent coloured mark on the Queen's neck. The stamps were printed in sheets of 30 (10 x 3) and the flaw on neck appears on the fourth stamp on the bottom row (No. 24). It occurs in all the printings from the first issue of 1867 to the last of 1889.
Now, how did it happen ? An explanation may have been put forward, but so far as I can find out, no written theory on the subject has been published. Some three or four years ago I was fortunate enough to win the Greer Cup (competed for annually by the North of Ireland Philatelic Society) with an entry of Turks Islands stamps. In this entry was a complete sheet of 30 of the One Penny value. Now the judges that year were Messrs. Robert Bailey and Kenneth Beales, who, I should add, are well known and very knowledgeable philatelists in Ireland. They became interested in my sheet of 30, and the neck flaw, and submitted the following notes to me for consideration:
'These stamps were produced by the recess or line-engraved method of printing, with a transfer roller of soft steel picking up one or more impressions from the hardened master die, and, when the roller was in turn hardened, transferring them to a plate of soft steel, which was then hardened. It is the opinion of the judges that a piece of metal came away from the impression which printed the 28th. stamp on the sheet. The piece of metal became lodged in the transfer roller, and with the rocking-in of each succeeding impression, it shifted slightly in a downwards direction on the roller. If one examines the shadow of relief at the foot of the Queen's neck, a small lump can be seen, and this appears to grow larger on the impressions which follow. The roller evidently travelled in an upwards direction for the three rows of the plate, and the sequence of stamps to show the progress of the flaw is indicated in the accompanying sketch.
We think that after laying down the impression for the 25th. stamp, the piece of metal fell from the roller on to the place where the impression for the 24th stamp was to be laid down. Evidently the piece was not noticed and the transfer roller rocked it into the impression on the plate. Perhaps it was then cleaned off, and the coloured mark on the stamp was caused by ink filling the small hollow on the plate.'
Now, as I have stated, this is not my theory, but having studied the sheet I must say that it is a very feasible one, and one in which I am in whole-hearted agreement. What do other members think?
(Contributed by Mr. Hooton Mitchell.)
(Miss Titford informs me that the late Mr. Percy de Worms, F.R.P.S.L., first noticed this "neck flaw" some 25 to 30 years ago and his comments were more or less the same as are noted above, except for the fact that he inclined to the view that damage may have been caused to the plate with, possibly, a burin or other tool accidentally dropped on to it. To the best of Miss Titford's recollection, she thinks that Mr. de Worms showed her the flaw on a plate proof. - Ed.)