(RCSD) Looking Back #192 - Embossed

Embossed

Raised, or in low relief. A process allied to printing,
whereby the whole or part of a design is raised up
out of the surface of the paper by means of a pair
of dies, or a die and a matrix, one die bearing the
convex (male) design, and the other being
concave (female). The process has been used
for the production of stamps in both plain ('blind')
or colour embossing, and in G.B. and U.S.A.
especially for the stamping of postal stationery.

Examples of embossed stamps are Germany's issues
1872-5; Heligoland 1867-75; Gambia 1869; Italy 1862;
Portugal 1853-84; Sardinia 1851-5; and G.B. 1847-54.

In the main it has been the fashion for the portrait head
to be plain or colourless, but there have been exceptions.
The embossed Portuguese colonial issues of Luis 1870
give the 'Embossed' title to this keytype.

- R. J. Sutton 6th edition revised by K. W. Anthony
The Stamp Collector's Encyclopaedia
Published 1966

Embossing is always in relief - though it can be tricky to the eye.

We had a discussion on another board a while back about the grills on the US
1867-71 stamps. Needless to say much misleading information has been
reported over the years, and even today certain 'experts' still believe the
production grills were crreated by raised impressions on a plate or roller.
Fact is, according the coorespondence of the manufacturer, the grill pattern
was cut onto a standard brass (or iron) calender roller. The calender is a
machine used in the paper industry to smooth paper and give it a glossy
surface. As sheets of stamps were passed through the calender the grills
were embossed in the paper (on the unprinted side, but occassionaly on the
printed side). Of course, this does not include the early grill experiments
which were accomplished using a variety of methods, none of which were
suitable for use on a large scale. The only way to achieve the high levels
of production required by the Post Office was to use a calender machine. The
calender machine had been perfected for high speed use over a number of
years (since 1830) by the paper industry.

- A


"Blair (TC)" wrote in message
ups.com...
Embossed

Raised, or in low relief. A process allied to printing,
whereby the whole or part of a design is raised up
out of the surface of the paper by means of a pair
of dies, or a die and a matrix, one die bearing the
convex (male) design, and the other being
concave (female). The process has been used
for the production of stamps in both plain ('blind')
or colour embossing, and in G.B. and U.S.A.
especially for the stamping of postal stationery.

Examples of embossed stamps are Germany's issues
1872-5; Heligoland 1867-75; Gambia 1869; Italy 1862;
Portugal 1853-84; Sardinia 1851-5; and G.B. 1847-54.

In the main it has been the fashion for the portrait head
to be plain or colourless, but there have been exceptions.
The embossed Portuguese colonial issues of Luis 1870
give the 'Embossed' title to this keytype.

- R. J. Sutton 6th edition revised by K. W. Anthony
The Stamp Collector's Encyclopaedia
Published 1966