by Rolf Weinbrecht
This issued commemorated the annexation
of the Dobruja in 1913. As a result
of the War in the Balkan in 1913 the
Southern Dobruja which was then an
integral part of Bulgaria became part
of Romania. Only in the treaty of
Craiova, dated 7th of November 1940,
the southern part of the Dobruja was
returned to Bulgaria. And so it is
still today. By the way, this is one of
the few if not the only border correction
to survive the second world war
The data given by most catalogues, including the Romanian ones, are usually very meagre. While it is listed in the CMPR ´84 you will not find it in the CMPR ´74. This is due to the fact that in the wake of communist inspired friendship among peoples, in this case between Bulgaria and Romania, was declared. So this issue was from 1948 on prohibited. It could not be exhibited, sold bought etc. Later on it was at least unwanted. This was also responsible for a lack on publications on it.
Even I negected this issue because I thought it to be of little philatelic interest. This changed when I decided to write up this section of my collection a few weeks ago. Only then I had a closer look at this issue and unearthed some quite remarkable facts. The reason for this publication is to share my knowledge on this issue with fellow collectors and enthusiasts of Romanian stamps.
It was issued on 25th of December 1913 and valid for postage until the 8th of January 1914. It was printed by typography on white paper in panes of 50 (5 x 10 ?) using, except for the 1 Ban, two colours. Most catalogues give the correct perforation of 11½ : 13½ for vertical formats and 13½ : 11½ horizontal formats. Some forget to mention that it is a line perforation.
Two Gums were used :
1. Thin shiny bubbly white to colouress gum. This gum occasionally shows cracks but these crack are always weak and short.
2. Thick shiny yellow cracked gum.
The cracks are always strong and long
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As I mentioned above, when I had a closer look at this issue I found various pecularities and varieties that seemed to be interesting enough to carry on research. The differences are partly specific for values or for certain elements of the stamps like frame or centre. Some can be called types while others are rather varieties or plate flaws. The characteristics of the various types, varieties and plate flaws are listed below :
The primary Characteristic of this value are the sunrays consisting of various combinations of dots and strokes. These are listed below :
|
|
sunray to "9" of "1913" |
|
|
|
|
thin and a fat dot | dot between "S" and "T" and "T" and "A" of "POSTA" | |
|
|
two thin dots | dot between "S" and "T" and "T" and "A" of "POSTA" | |
|
|
thin dot and short fat stroke | "9" short at bottom end | thin dot below lower right corner |
|
|
dot joined to "9" | ||
|
|
two thin dots | black stain on flag just below "O" of "ROMANIA" | |
|
|
two thin dots | comma shaped "1" of "1913" | |
|
|
first dot missing, second very thin | comma shaped "1" of "1913" | broken "S" of "POSTA" |
|
|
Diagonal stroke and three fat strokes | ||
|
|
two fatter dots | ||
|
|
thin dot and two fat strokes | sunray to "3" consists of one thin dot and five fat strokes | thin dot below lower right corner |
The dot at "sunray to "9" on "1913" described first is always the one closest to the "9". The numbering is only for easier reference and has nothing to to with positions in the pane.
The types 1 - 6 are constant, i.e.
there are a couple examples known.
There are only very slight differences of the centre known which, depending on application of ink, may be present or not. Therfore a definitive distinction of types is no possible. I only found one variety which is not yet known to be constant :
Break of the frame of the centre at top right
The frame showed no varieties so far.
There are only very slight differences of the centre known which, depending on application of ink, may be present or not. Therfore a definitive distinction of types is no possible. I only found three varieties but only one is known to be constant :
Varieties of the frame :
Break of the outline of the "I" of "ROMANIA" at right in the middle
Break of the inner frame above "M" of "ROMANIA"
Variety of the centre :
Wake of the warship missing on position 1, according to Iliopol-Bausmerth in "Filatelia" 12/93 - constant
In the course of my research I found
quite a number of varieties of this
value which are not mentioned by Stefan
Iliopol-Bausmerth even though he
could inspect a complete pane (counter
sheet). Up to now it is not known if
the (printer´s) sheet consisted
of one ore more panes (counter or post office
sheets). That means that it is not
known how many dies existed and in fact it
is not known to me how the plates
were made. If there are more than 50 stamps
in a sheet it would be easy to understand
that not all varieties I found have
been mentioned by Iliopol-Bausmerth
as well and vice versa. On the other hand
these varieties could have occurred
during the print run and therfore are
only present in a part of the printing.
The word "constant" therfore only has
the meaning that more than one example
has been found and that it can be
assumed that these are not freaks
but real plate flaws."
Varieties of the frame :
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Break of frame below "N" of "ROMANIA" | none | |
|
|
Damaged scroll above "MIRCEA" | none | |
|
|
"O" of "ROMANIA" joined to upper frame | none | constant |
|
|
Break
of frame above "AS" of "BASARAB"
Break of "9" of "1913" |
none | constant |
|
|
Break of bottom frame above second "A" of "BASARAB" | none | |
|
|
"Pearl" in white line of frame at left top corner | none | |
|
|
Break of "9" of "1913" | Violett stain above epaulette on king Ferdinand´s left shoulder | constant |
|
|
Break of frame below first "A" of "ROMANIA" | none | position 13, according to Iliopol-Bausmerth in "Filatelia" 12/93 |
|
|
Break of "N" of "ROMANIA" and the frame above "N" | none | position 21, according to Iliopol-Bausmerth in "Filatelia" 12/93 |
|
|
Break of "I" of "ROMANIA" | none | position 20, according to Iliopol-Bausmerth in "Filatelia" 12/93, constant |
|
|
Left half of "O" of "POSTA" missing, looks like a reversed "C" | none | position
22, according to Iliopol-Bausmerth in "Filatelia" 12/93
constant |
Varieties of portraits :
|
|
Characteristic |
|
|
Serif, i.e. tiny stroke, at bottom of "E" of "REGE" |
|
|
Horizontal white line across Mircea´s chest |
|
|
Break of outline of Ferdinand´s beard at left |
Type 1 : Telegraph line complete, accompanied by a distinctive "running
chicken" in the street at right
Type 2 : Telegraph line broken near the building, the "running chicken
" is weaker to hardly visible as such
Which variety belongs to which main type is shown below :
Main type 1 :
|
|
Centre |
Frame |
Frame |
|
|
|
Last "A" of "ROMANIA" broken at right | |||
|
|
Damaged ornament at lowe right corner | |||
|
|
Additional "Y" - shaped tree above the group of trees at right of the downhill leading street | |||
|
|
Additional branch at right of the group of trees at left |
The variety 1.3 is constant. It occurs on position 13 according to the publication by Stefan Iliopol-Bausmerth in "Filatelia" 12/93. The variety 1.4 is constant, but the position is unknown.
Main type 2 :
|
|
Centre |
Frame |
Frame |
|
|
|
Damaged "brickwork" at top of "M" of "ROMANIA" | Nick at bottom of left leg of "N" of "ROMANIA" | Damaged ornament at top right corner | |
|
|
Short thin stroke at left in "O" of "ROMANIA" | |||
|
|
Break of 7th bulge, from the top, of frame at top right | Inside frame broken at left in the middle | ||
|
|
White stain between the legs of the "R" of "ROMANIA" |
the variety 2.4 is constant. It occurs on position 20 according the publication by Stefan Iliopol-Bausmerth in "Filatelia" 12/93. The variety 2.1 is constant, but the position is unknown.
The remarks made above, 15 Bani, concerning
varieties go for this value as well..
There are quit a few types of the values 3 Bani, 1 Leu and 2 Lei which can be distinguished by the hatching above, below and to the right of the value and how this hatching is joined to the palm leaf. This hatching around the value and the value itself is slightly inclided in various angles towards the frame at left, compared with the rest of the stamp. The various variations or types are shown below (the lines are always counted from the value) :
| Nr | Hatching above value | Hatching below value | Hatching to the right of value | Further characteristic |
|
|
3rd white line wide | 3rd white line a little wider | Wavy and sloping toward the palm leaf | Short stroke below 2nd "1" of "1913" |
|
|
3rd white line wide | 4th white line a little wider | Wavy and sloping toward the palm leaf | |
|
|
4th white line wedge shaped, thinner at left | 4th and 5th wegde shaped against each other | ends horizontal at palm leaf | |
|
|
4th white line wedge shaped, thinner at left | 4th white line a little wider and even | ends horizontal at palm leaf | |
|
|
3rd and 4th coloured lines thin | even | Sloping towards the palm leaf | |
|
|
2nd coloured line fat | even | even and ending horizontally at the palm leaf | |
|
|
4th coloured line fat | 4th white line alittle wider | Irregular at the palm leaf | |
|
|
4th coloured line a little wider | 4th and 5th white lines wedge shaped | Irregular at the palm leaf | |
|
|
4th white line wide | Wider 4th line split at palm leaf | Sloping towards the palm leaf | |
|
|
3rd coloured line thin | Wider 4th white line | Irregular and sloping towards the palm leaf | |
|
|
2nd and
3rd coloured line thin
4th white line wider |
3rd and 4th white line wedge shaped against each other | 3rd white
line split at palm leaf
Irregular wavy and sloping towards the palm leaf |
|
|
|
4th coloured line fat | 4th line a little wider | even and horizontal at palm leaf | |
|
|
4th line thinner and sloping towards the medaillon | 4th white line thin | even | Break of palm leaf near bottom frame |
|
|
4th white line wide | 3th coloured line fat and white line below wedge shaped, thinner at left | Even but wavy and sloping towards the palm leaf | |
|
|
3rd coloured
line fat
3rd white line wedge shaped, thinner at left |
even | even and ending horizontally at the palm leaf | |
|
|
3rd and 4th coloured line thin touching at frame | even | Wavy but ending horizontally at the palm leaf | |
|
|
Wide 4th
wdge shaped white line thinner at left
3rd coloured line slightly bet at medaillon |
Wider 4th white line | Stronger displacement of lines, "wavy", and sloping towards the palm leaf | Vertikal scratch between "A" of "ROMANIA" and the inner frame at top down into the bottom frame |
|
|
3rd coloured line sloping downwards at the frame | 2nd coloured line fat and 3rd white line wide | Even, but 2nd coloured line below value sloping towards the palm leaf | Diagonal, almost vertical scratch from medaill between "3" and "B" down to the bottom frame |
|
|
even |
|
Strond displacement of lines, hatchind divided by a white line reaching from medaillon down to the bottom frame, lines end horizontal at the palm leaf | |
|
|
3rd white
line wide
4th coloured line fat |
4th white line wider, wedge shaped, thinner at left | No displacement only slightly wavy |
| Nr | Hatching above value | Hatching below value | Hatching to the right of value | Further characteristic |
|
|
2nd white line wider, others even | 3rd white line wedge shaped with a length of only 1/3 | Even and ending horizontally at the palm leaf | Three white
starlike lines beginning below medaillon downwards
"R" of "ROMANIA" broken at top left and inner frame broken at left of "R" |
|
|
1st coloured
line stronger
3rd white line wider |
3rd white line wedge shaped, only half length from palm leaf | Irregular and sloping towars the palm leaf | Diagonal
white scratch from meaillon to frame at right below middle of frame
Shadow of "O" of "ROMANIA" broken at bottom right |
|
|
2nd white and 2nd coloured line thin. farbige Linie dünn | even | Displacement | |
|
|
2nd and 3rd white line wedge shaped, thinner at left | 2nd coloured line after ¼ of length from palm leaf replaced by two thin lines | Wavy | |
|
|
2nd white
line very wide
2nd coloured line fatter and wedge shaped, thinner at left |
2nd coloured line fat | even, only near the palm leaf a little wavy | |
|
|
Even | 2nd white
line slightly wedge shaped, thinner at left
3rd white line very wide |
Even, slightly wavy at the palm leaf | |
|
|
Even | 2nd and 3rd coloured line thinn | Even, slightly wavy at the palm leaf | |
|
|
Even | 2nd coloured line wedge shaped, thinner at left, white lines above and below join at half length to the frame | Displacement | |
|
|
1st and
2nd coloured line fat
2nd white line very wide |
3rd coloured line wedge shaped thinner at left and sloping towards the palm leaf | Displacement | |
|
|
3rd white line wide | Even | Displacement | |
|
|
Even | 1st coloured
line fat and a little thinner at the palmleaf
2nd coloured line thinn and a little fatter at the palm leaf |
Displacement at bottom half and horizontally ending at the palm leaf | |
|
|
2nd white line wide but a little thinner at the medaillon due to coloured line above becoming a little fatter | Rather even but 2nd und 3rd white line a little wider at the palm leaf | Displacement, white line directly below "L" split by fat coloured line at the palm leaf | |
|
|
3rd and 4th white line wedge shaped against each other | 2nd coloured line wedge shaped thinner at left and white lines above and below joined at frame | Displacement especially at the lower part of the palm leaf | |
|
|
3rd white line wide | Rather even only 2nd white line a little wider | Displacement at the lower part sloping towards the palm leaf | |
|
|
2nd white
line thin
3rd white line normal |
3rd and 4th white line thin | Slight displacement resulting in wavyness |
| Nr | Hatching above value | Hatching below value | Hatching to the right of value | Further characteristic |
|
|
1st and 2nd coloured line joined at the medaillon | 1st and
2nd colourd line wedge shaped against each other
3rd white line split by thin coloured line at left |
Colourec line between "=" below "L" split by white line at the palm leaf | |
|
|
1st and 2nd coloured line joined at medaillon | 1st and
2nd colourd line wedge shaped against each other
3rd white line split by thin coloured line at left |
Coloured line between "=", below "L", split by white line at palm leaf | |
|
|
Even | 1st coloured line very fat and wedge shaped thinner at left | Slight displacement, hrizontal at palm leaf | |
|
|
1st and
2nd coloured line fat
2nd and 3rd white line wide |
1st colourec line fat | Slight displacement, hrizontal at palm leaf | |
|
|
2nd and 3rd coloured line thin and very thin white line between | Rather even | Coloured
line below the lower line of the "=", below "L", split by white line at
palm leaf
White line at the upper end of the "L" split by coloured line at the palm leaf |
|
|
|
2nd coloured line fat other lines even | 1st coloured line fat 2nd and 3rd thin, 2nd coloured line broken just below bottom left corner of "2" | Strong displacement, coloured line from between "=" split by white line at the palm leaf | |
|
|
Rather even | 2nd and 3rd coloured line thin, white line between them very thin and interupted repeatedly | Strong displacement and a couple of coloured lines split by white lines at the palm leaf | |
|
|
2nd white line wide, others even | 2nd coloured line fatter, others normal | Coloured lind from lower line of "=" split by white line at the palm leaf | White spot joins the long and short sunray above "1913" |
The attentive reader will have realized that the 50 Bani has not been mentioned and is not included in the above tables. The reason is simple : It does not show any of the characteristics of the frames of the 3 Bani, 1 Leu and 3 Lei values. There are no varieties of hatching around the values. All examples I had the chance to inspect showed an even hatching around the value and the value itself is always absolutely upright.
But there are varieties as far as the medaillon is concerned. The varieties known to the author are listed below :
|
|
|
|
|
|
White spot joins the long and short sunray above "1913" | Constant occurs on 2 Lei as well |
|
|
Blue spot at right below the medaillon between the 6th and 7th "feather" of the palm leaf | |
|
|
Thin blue stroke at right below the medaillon between the 6th and 7th "feather" of the palm leaf |
As we have seen above the 50 Bani does not show any of the characteristics of the frames of the 3 Bani, 1 Leu and 3 Lei values and no scratches as well. Therefore it could be assumed that the plates or the dies for the 3 Bani, 1 Leu and 2 Lei were made on the basis of the 50 Bani plate or dies and that the valued were then inserted individually for each position or die. The number of different types would support this assumption. One could even speculate that the values of 3 Bani, 1 Leu and 3 Lei have not initially been part of the issue but have been amended later. But this is only a speculation. Maybe someday someone will study the relevant papers in some archive in Bucharest or elswhere and find an answer.
Most positions of types or varieties or flaws are not yet known because no panes or multiples could be inspected by the author. A few have been mentioned in Stefan iliopol-Bausmerth´s article in "Filatelia" 12 / 93 and these are given here.
Some readers may complain about the lack of illustrations and I fully understand that but a publication in the internet and the formats for illustrations used there would not show the varieties sufficiently clear. Besides this the necessary space probably would exceed the size of an ordinary homepage. So I hope that you will excuse this. I hope do include all these illustrations in the specialized catalogue on Romanian stamps up to 1965 that I am preparing, for more than 5 years now.
This publication is copyright protected. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without prior permission of the author.
Maybe this little publication will
instigate the one or other reader to further researches. Questions, suggestions,
reports of finds or new types (scans would be appreciated) are alwas welcome.
Please contact me at : rowein01@aol.com
