Variety

A variety is a stamp that differs from the standard version of an issue in a recognisable way. Varieties are generally less dramatic than errors, but they are central to specialised collecting, and some are scarce and valuable.

Common Types of Variety

Plate flaws. Damage to or imperfections in a printing plate or cylinder that print as extra marks, broken lines or missing detail. A flaw that recurs on every sheet from the same plate position is a constant variety.

Re-entries and double transfers. In recess printing, if the design was entered onto the plate more than once in slightly different positions, parts of the design appear doubled. See die for how plates are made.

Retouches. Areas of a plate that were repaired by hand, leaving small differences in the design.

Shades. Differences in colour between printings, caused by variations in ink batches. Major shades are listed as separate varieties.

Paper varieties. Different paper thickness, texture, colour or type within one issue.

Perforation varieties. Different gauges or perforating machines used on the same stamp.

Watermark varieties. Inverted, reversed or sideways watermarks, or watermark errors.

Phosphor and gum varieties. On modern issues, differences in phosphor bands or gum type.

Varieties, Errors and Freaks

• Errors are major mistakes — inverts, missing colours, imperforates.
• Varieties are recognisable differences, often constant across many sheets.
• Freaks are one-off accidents that do not repeat — misperfs, paper folds, ink smudges.

Together these are sometimes called EFOs (errors, freaks and oddities).

Why Collectors Seek Varieties

Varieties reveal how stamps were produced and turn a single issue into a subject for study. They are also an exciting reason to search through kiloware and dealers’ stock — a listed plate flaw can be worth many times the normal stamp. Positional varieties are best kept in blocks or with marginal markings that confirm their position.