This
article has been extracted, revised, and/or copied from
The Bureau Specialist
United
States Specialized
Stamp Book Leaflets
June
22, 1940
THE
BUREAU SPECIALIST
BOOKLETS AND BOOKLET PANES
June 1940, pp90-92
Flat Plate Stamp Book Leaflet Positions
by
Oliver J Williams, Chairman
Fred A Neill, Ass't Chairman
PUBLICATION REVIEW
Through the kindness and thoughtfulness of Mr Frank Rossi, BIA 823, your comittee had an opportunity to read Volume IV, pp141-9 of the Stanley Gibbons Twentieth Century Stamp Book regarding certain information with illustrations pertaining to booklet pane collecting.
Any publication giving pertinent information on the subject of booklet pane collecting is always of interest, particularly if the data is thorough, concise and reliable. The Stanly Gibbons article covers booklets up to, but not including, the Presidentials. It does not go into any of the various issues as completely as Yeomans or Max Johl. Some of the subjects covered by Gibbons, Yeomans, and Scott's catalogue are debatable.
Paragraph 5 makes no mention of the flat plate variety with the plate number at the bottom of the sheet, nor with side arrows which were, almost always, cut off.
On page 143, paragraph 5, exception is taken to Gibbon's, Scott, and Yoemans whose positions are enumerated that can be secured from a 180 or 360 subject plate.
It is our opinion that these sheets are not cut mathematically in the center of the guide lines. Therefore, both position B and position C cannot be secured from the same sheet. If we want to show the entire line it would require two separate sheets to get one of each of these positions. In like manner, we canot have position F or G from the same sheet, nor H or I. We get either one or the other. But we get one plate number pane from each sheet and from the standpoint of value it is our opinion that the plate number pane is only worth half as much as position B or C and H or I.
The same reasoning can be followed for positions K, L, N, and O. If the sheet is cut to the right or left of the vertical guide line we do not get both F and G, but we get one or the other. Of the four positions K, L, N, and O only one is secured.
As a whole, the Gibbons article is quite interesting and if the author would go into the subject more thoroughly and cover the issues completely and release it as a separate and distinct publication we believe it would fill an existing need.
OJW
The article above by OJ Williams persuaded me that a quality leaflet postion from the flat plate era must have a complete guide line or lines in the gutter margins, no exceptions. The best appearing leaflets are those whose line or lines are almost completely displayed. The vertical perforation should be in the gutterŐs center. I do not think a position N or O can. His examples are for a reasonable pane of 6 points. Have 8 points by Harrigan's method of comparative rarity. Can we have 100% perforations in every gutter and 100% guide lines, too? I am beginning to believe his definition of an 8 point pane will hold only for position A or D, because they are the only 8 point panes I have ever seen. In order to get the best position results, I believe we might have to give up centering. His examples are for a reasonable pane of 6 points.
JPMcGowan