1962 | Singapore Variety Stamp

Although a somewhat awkward mixture of small and large formats, and of subjects, this issue was nevertheless an attractive one by modern standards. Hidden within the designs is mush of sufficient interest to allow the formation of a specialised collection.

The stamps were produced by the photogravure process, the lower values being printed by Harrison, and the 50c to $5 value by De La Rue. The watermark is Block CA, later printings of the horizontal format values having sideways watermark in common with printings of other Commonwealth countries stamps; the change was due to the decision of the Crown Agents to maintain stocks only of paper showing watermarks reading across the grain.

Plate numbers are all 1A for the Harrison stamps and 1 for the De La Rue, except for part of the last release of $5 stamps, for which Plate 2 was used. The sheet make-up was 100, (10 x 10).

Date of Issue: 10 March 1963, Description: 1c Aranchnis Maggie Oei

This stamp provides an interesting example of the history of a flaw through the various printings. In the original, there is a large green blob of ink on the flower next to the top left-hand leaf, joining it to the lower leaf. Also, a spray of fine green dots appears aobe on the pink background. It is constant flaw appear on row 5/3.

Error a: Green patch leaf flaw as show from the red arrow

Another Yellow color shift, considered normal in the series of 1962 definitive

Error b: Yellow color shift down

Error c: Heavy ribbed paper, can observe the different from the gum side

Date of Issue: 31 March 1962, Description: 4c Tiger barb

Error a: Black color omitted, the first three columns of a sheet were affected. An example sold for £700 plus premiums at an 8 December 2009 Spink auction.

Error b: White spot on the pectoral fin (top stamp), constant flaw at row 6/10.

Error c: block of 4, black color misplaced

Date of Issue: 31 March 1962, Description: 5c Clown Fish

Error a: Paper crease (center stamp) and red color shift (all 3 stamps)

Error b: Red color omitted

Error c: Orange Clownfish fine unmounted mint vertical strip of four, the two middle stamps showing vast proportion of red missing, one with only the faintest.

Date of Issue: 31 March 1962, Description: 6c Acher Fish

Error a: “Y” instead of “T” in the word “JACULATOR” (left stamp)

Error b: White spot in fish head (left stamp, constant flaw)

Error c: Black color shift down

Error d: Partial yellow missing (bottom Stamp)

Error e: Additional perforation misplace at margin

Date of Issue: 31 March 1962, Description: 8c Vanda Tan Chay Yan

Error: Broken “N” on CENTS, constant flaw at Pane 1A Row8/2

Date of Issue: 31 March 1962, Description: 10c Ikan Bada

Error a: Orange color shift

Error b: Orange omitted

Error c: 10c Fish. Horizontal pair, left stamp ‘Orange omitted’

Error d: A complete UNMOUNTED mint sheet of 100 (10 X 10), vertical rows 5 and 6 with RED-ORANGE OMITTED and row 4 with partial omission (fish tail).

Error e: Black color totally missing. The error affected the last two columns of a sheet.

Date of Issue: 9 November 1966, Description: 15c Black-naped Sterna

Error a: Orange (from eye) omitted

Error b: Black-naped Tern, marginal, variety stone (shading in wings) omitted, fine unmounted mint

Error c: Red eye shift up, block of four

Date of Issue: 31 March 1962, Description: 20c Butterfly Fish

Error a: 20c Orange and blue. ‘Orange Omitted’, Brilliant fresh unmounted mint in vertical pair with normal.

Error b: Nick in fin, constant flaw at P1 1A R1/1

Date of Issue: 31 March 1962, Description: 25c Two-spot Goramy

Error: Missing dark color resulted in the loss of inscriptions and detail from the fish

Date of Issue: 10 March 1963, Description: 30c Vanda Miss Joaquim

Error a: Yellow color shift

Error b: Orchid yellow color omitted

Error c: 1962-66 6c. top left corner block of twenty (5×4) with top row showing strip of double paper on reverse; and 30c. block of thirty (3×10) with margin at left showing progressive shift of green to lower left. Also 1971 “Dish” Aerial 15c. marginal block of nine showing silver colour shifted upward by 2mm.