Flaw 5: White scratch through oval to lower part of “5”

Click the image to zoom in.

The above flaw description comes from the BW catalogue for the flaw BW D11d. As such it falls considerable short in describing what is a rather complex grouping of 4 separate flaws on the 1 stamp.

But first I want to point out that once again the flaw is not listed as a NSW 5/- flaw although the flaw as described in BW D11d for the Australian blank base 5/- exists as shown in the earlier NSW block of 4 scan. For the sake of clarity I will call this flaw, Flaw 5a.

So my summation of the 4 flaws is:

  • Flaw 5a – A scratch flaw going from the right curve of the “5” through the oval curve between the base of the right fern and the second S of “SHILLINGS”.
  • Flaw 5b – A small scratch from the right of the vertical right frame to the bottom of the right fern.
  • Flaw 5c – a 1 or 2 line fine scratch from the base of the number “5” in a downward left direction until it crosses the oval frame between the letters HI of “SHILLINGS”.
  • Flaw 5d – 2 adjacent flaws. The first, a small white flaw on the left top of the second S of “SHILLINGS”. The second, a small white dot in the vignette to the left of the S flaw.

In the above scan Flaws 5a to 5c appear on all 4 of the stamps scanned.

The 2 adjacent flaws in Flaw 5d appear only on stamps 3 and 4 of the scan.

So, all a bit of a bugger’s muddle, but worth persevering with!