The Solot Stamp
Color Shades of the SolotA clear distinction must be made between faded and damaged stamp colors versus the official colors produced by the Waterlow printing presses. The Solot from the printer came in three main dark blue shades that vary according to the plate. These are: Plate 1: Indigo; Plate 2: Indigo, Prussian Blue and Dull Blue; Plate 2: Indigo and Prussian Blue
For the “Prussian Blue,” the surface of the paper is white with greenish blue. Also, note that the indigo color is the most valuable. |
Issued on August 4th, 1883, the Solot stamp was the lowest value of the series, and it was worth half an Att. Since the lowest postal rate was more, its use was rather limited. Dr. Pipat Choovoravech (2003) wrote that the Solot was withdrawn from use very early on in March 1998 just nine months of use as many items were being sent at the wrong tariff. Dr Pipat writes: “The receivers refused to accept the letters and refused the fines which causes a lot of confusions and problems for the postman”. One must remember that the minimum postal rate for a letter in 1883 was 2 atts (Postal Regulations 1883). These same regulations in state in Article XII that: “For any letter, on which the postage is not fully prepaid, the Superintendent will charge to the addressee double the amount of the deficiency.” Therefore, any errors intentional or not resulted in a fine for the recipient. Today, the Solot remains one of the most fascinating stamps in the series along with the Fueang.
Solot PlatesThere were three plates for the Solot, each with perforations 14.5, 15 and compound perforations.
Unfortunately for Waterlow and Sons, Plate 1 degraded relatively quickly. According to J.R.C. Lyons (1913), there are two recognized states of plate 1. In both, the oval is solid but patchy, but in state 2, the inner lines of the scroll on the left are less defined than that on the right. As the plate continue to deteriorate very quickly, more substantial work was required; for instance, adding the lines in the background of the oval. Mr. Lyons argues that Plate 2 was not a new plate, but a rework of Plate 1 as the same patches can be found under the lines. The engraver, William Ridgeway added his signature to the plate as he made the corrections. The literature considers the reworked engraving as a second plate. Philip Ward (1914) writes: “…this plate (Plate 1) was not used more than a year at most.” Stamp Size / DimensionsThe dimensions of this stamp are 23 x 28 mm. On average, there is an 8% variance in these dimensions which is unusually high, making the differences visible. There are also some cases where the rubber lining has been restored. This led to the "shrinking" of the stamps. These post-gum stamps have little value.
PerforationAs mentioned previously, these stamps have continuous line perforations of 15. Occasionally, some stamps on the same sheet will show a 14.5 perforation or a combination due to a machine fault. The 14.5 perforation is a constant variety. These are rarer and hence more valuable.
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Constant Varieties from Retouches and Engraving
Plate 2 was ruled into rectangles employing light vertical and horizontal lines to help with aligning and spacing the stamps. Position dots were also added, and this leads us to what we know as Plate 3. By comparing Plate 1 to Plate 3, Philip Ward (1914) was able to identify and mark up some prominent differences where the original plate had been re-engraved and repaired. A J Petrie (1962) in his paper on plate retouches attempted to extend the work to the other plates, but limitations in technology prevented a full analysis.
Leveraging the full high-resolution scans for the sheets of each plate, a comprehensive analysis and comparison of all 240 different Solot postage stamps in all positions of the three plates was carried out. Each stamp of the same position from each plate was gathered and compared side by side. Salient features were checked against Mss. Ward and Petrie’s findings. If these were located, they were added; otherwise, they were sketched out below each stamp. In addition, any new features identified were also added. A summary locator heat map was produced for each plate allowing for a quick search of retouches and other varieties. For individual stamps, please review the separate Appendix. The main plate locations of interest have been added to the body. |
Using the Heat Maps of Re-touches (Solot Plates 1, 2 and 3
Each stamp is identified by row (letter) and column (number). The redder the area, the more important the re-touch. Locations are approximated by symbols in the general vicinity reviewed.
Summary Table of Re-touches (Solot Plates 1, 2 and 3)
Only 7 (3%) of stamps out of 240 across the three 3 plates were not a constant variety. The remainder of the retouches were broadly categorized into five areas of study:
- Artefacts
- The Oval (containing the number in the Thai language)
- The Four Numeral Circles
- Guidelines
- Other
Artefacts
This is perhaps the most interesting category even though it only affects 6 stamps out of 240.
Gravers’ Mark/Signature
There are three stamps carrying the graver’s mark (William Ridgeway). They are located on plate 3 on stamps F-7, F-8 and G-6:
There are three stamps carrying the graver’s mark (William Ridgeway). They are located on plate 3 on stamps F-7, F-8 and G-6:
The Star:
On plate 1 in position I-3, an engraved star can be found. By plate 2, this artefact had been mostly erased even though some traces still remain.
“Buddha’s” Triangle:
Located on Plate 2 position F-2. This artefact is very intriguing. Nicknamed “Buddha’s” triangle because of the three angles key to local religion and culture.
Circle:
This artefact is also located on Plate 2. It can be found in position B-2. This strange circular engraving in the form of an atoll is intriguing. It was removed in Plate 3.
Re-touches of the Oval
A total of 102 (43%) out of 240 stamps have some feature with re-touches. However, most of these are dark spots (hickeys). There are 13 stamps with more engraving work worthy of further examination. These are:
- Plate 1: A1, E5, F5, F7, G5, G6, and I5
- Plate 2: J5
- Plate 3: A6, H6, J6, I7 and J5
Examples of Oval Re-touches
The Four Numeral Circles
In total, 363 numeral circles (4 per stamp) contain features of interest (38%). The circles had more re-touches in the earlier plates. The vast majority of these (89%) are circles with spots or hickeys either on the circular frame of the numeral itself. Left: Example of Plate 3 positions C-1 and I-5.
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There are 25 stamps with spokes in the circle frame, most of which are located in plate 1. The main stamps are:
- Plate 1: A3, A7, B2, B8, C1 and C3
- Plate 2: A5, E2 and F2
- Plate 3: B7 and I3
Guidelines
Lines inside and outside of the frame of the engraved stamp are the most common type of re-touches. They can be found on 54% of stamps. The internal guidelines are mostly used for the engraving process whereas the external control marker lines are usually there to help with stamp alignment. Examples of each type follow:
Other Interesting Re-touches
A number of other interesting retouches can be found that do not fall into any of the four categories above. These include:
The following is a small selection of interesting features to explore:
- Plate wear (ex. Plate 2 at E-5 and G-1)
- Margin scribbles (ex: Plate 1 at B-7 and D-7)
- Engraving errors (ex. Plate 1 at A-6 and C-8)
- Cross-hatched engraving (ex. Plate 1 at F-8, Plate 2 at C-2)
- Plate damage (ex. Plate 3 position B-6)
- Damage to the frame (Plate 2 positions C-2, D-2 and at I-2)
The following is a small selection of interesting features to explore:
Other Constant Varieties: Imperforated
The most common other constant varieties are stamps with 14.5 perforations and different types of imperforated pair. There are also partially imperforate horizontal and vertical strips.