I VARI TIPI DI CLICHE

PRINTING METHODOLOGY AND KIND OF CLICHE'

The Authority with a Law dated 5 February 1850 establish that the stamps to be prepared were of 1, 2, 3, 6 e 12 kreuzer for Austria and 5, 10, 15, 30 e 60 centesimi for the Lombardy-Venetia Kingdom. After, due to the agreement with Germany Kingdom, the cost of long distance mail were decreased from 12 to 9 kreuzer and from 60 to 45 centesimi (for this reason the stamps of 12 kreuzer and 60 centesimi will not be used).

The engraver was Mr. Tautenhayn, from the draft of Mr. J.J.Hertz; he prepared a steel die from which obtained all the clichè of this first issue. The Authorities in fact decided that the drawing had to be the same for Austria and Lombardy-Venetia with the only difference of value. It was chosen the typographic system probable because of the cost and result compared with the calcographic system and lithographic system.

The die was preserved in the Wien postal museum, it has the drawing in remark and practically was a clichè. From this die, with beating, was obtained ten original copper matrices that were negative respect of the die, they have the drawing carved. The original copper matrices was used to prepare the ten primary stereotype in which were inserted the value in kreuzer for Austria (1, 2, 3, 6, 12 kreuzer) and in “centesimi” for Lombary-Venetia (5, 10, 15, 30, 60 centes.).

From the primary stereotype, in galvanoplastic way, was obtained the secondary matrices (some for each value), from which were prepared all the cliché used in this issue.

In order to give more strength to the iron coat, it was reinforced with steal. Mr. de Frank said this theory for the preparation of the typographic cliché: in the superior part of a press was fixed a secondary iron matrices reinforced with steal; on the flat of the press, in a little container, was put the liquid, and when this start the consolidation, was pressed the matrices. After the complete cooling the thin clichè could be taken off of the matrices and assembled on its steal support.

At this point the clichè was ready to be put into the typographic composition.

The stamps printed with cliché comes out directly from secondary matrices without any retouch is classified as I Type and the common characteristic is the original coat of arms.

The II Type has the original coat of arms and some modification of the value “nn CENTES”.

The III Type has a lot of modification, the common characteristic is the “cleansed coat of arms”.

SUMMARY

THE DIE ==> 10 PRIMARY MATRICES ==> 10 PRIMARY STEREOTYPE ==> SECONDARY MATRICES ==> CLICHE'.

During the eight years and a half of validity of the first issue it happened three kinds of wear and tear of the element useful to the procedure bring out:

1) replacement of some broken clichè with others in the same typographic composition;

2) replacement of some clichè in a new typographic composition;

3) replacement of all clichè with new prepared with a different method, (elettrogalvanic – or harden stereotype).

The wear and tear of the clichè bring out:

1) replacement of the secondary matrices (in the same way as the first one);

2) replacement of the secondary matrices with modification of some details:

- obtaining the new secondary matrices from a clichè of another value behaving like a primary stereotype (15 cent. II type and 45 cent. II type);

- use a matrices of another value modifying the value of derived clichè (45 cent. I type).

The wear and tear of the primary stereotype arise their improvement and cleansed (with retouching) with new preparation of secondary matrices and clichè (III types).

THE CLICHE'

1) STEREOTYPE

They are clichè comes from secondary matrices. Common characteristics are:

- the neatness in the first period and the confused print in the following period;

- the facility of breaking (and consequently constant defect in the stamps).

Causing the confusion of the printing the coat of arms was risen putting some thickness under the coat of arms; the result was firstly bad but after some change was good; it was called “risen eagle".

The stereotype was used from 1850.

2) ELECTROTYPE

They are clichè comes from secondary matrices. Common characteristics are:

- wear and tear resistance;

- doughy printing with not very neatness;

- dots in the drawing a little ovals; the aspects of the stamps are opaque.

A light pressure of the print determined insufficient ink as some 15 cent. 4° plate; on the contrary a strong pressure determined too much ink in the printing as some 15 cent. 5° plate. The electrotype was used from 1852.

3) HARDEN STEREOTYPE

They are normal stereotype that in electrogalvanic way became more hard because a little iron layer.

They were used from 6/1854 to 6/1855.

In the life of the first issue there were four period: stereotype, the first electrotype, the harden stereotype and the definitive electrotype.

I underline that the first issue has to be an experimental, so the Authorities proceeded by attempt to reach a good result.

The first issue was born on June 1850; the first stamps were neatness but already at the end of 1850 the aspect became badly so the Authorities ordered the replacement of a lot of plate.

To the second period belong the “risen coat of arms” and the “risen eagle” (1851). The results was not good so in 1852 started the experimental of the electrotype.

In 1853 there was experimented the harden stereotype: these were the better stamps of all the issue. The reasons of the abandon of this method at the end of 1854 were probably the high cost and time of the preparation.

On 1854 comes back the electrotype with better printing than the previous one.

Here below the estimated number of the stamps printed of this issue:

5 CENTES: hand made paper 3.550.000 stamps;

10 CENTES: hand made paper: 2.410.000 stamps;

machine made paper: 815.000 stamps;

15 CENTES: hand made paper: Plate 1 - 975.000 stamps;

Plate 2 - 1.155.000 stamps;

Plate 3 - 2.430.000 stamps;

Plate 4 - 1.000.000 stamps ;

Plate 5 - 5.640.000 stamps;

machine made paper: 14.600.000 stamps;

30 CENTES: hand made paper: Plate 1 - 4.200.000 stamps;

Plate 2 - 2.875.000 stamps;

Plate 3 - 975.000 stamps;

machine made paper: 8.981.000 stamps;

45 CENTES: hand made paper: Plate 1 - 3.910.000 stamps;

Plate 2 - 3.940.000 stamps;

Plate 3 - 3.740.000 stamps;

machine made paper: 5.265.000 stamps.

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

PROBABLE ORDER OF VALUE INSERT (BASED ON THE POSITION OF THE WORD “CENTES”):

With an examination of the position of the word CENTES it is possible to guess the order of inserting the value in the preparation of the stamps:

the first attempt was probably the 30 CENTES in which the “S“ was located in line with the other letters but it touch the superior value frame (the V). This fault is not present in the other value so was immediately corrected, probably in the 10 CENTES value, put the “S” in a lower position respecting the word CENTES.

The third stamps was probably the 15 CENTES in which all the value CENTES was put more on the left side. In this way the entire word could be aligned without touching the superior frame (the V).

The 5 CENTES, because more short of the other value could be put on the left side without any trouble.

Based on the reprinting of the 60 CENTES (it is not know any stamps of 60 CENTES) we can note that the ornament above “CENTES” (the V) was curtailed as the one on the right side so to not create problem inserting the entire value.

All the difficulties were due because of the big letter; in the Austria stamps the value was inserted with more little character (in Kreuzer).

To complete the information this should be the order of the printing of Austria stamps:

6, 3, 2, 1, 12 Kreuzer.

THE PROBABLE CHOICE OF 45 CENTES CLICHE’:

The order to replace the 60 CENTES and the 12 Kreuzer was given 14 days before the date of selling of the stamps; so in a speedy way was printed a large number of 45 CENTES.

To gain time it was decided to transforming an existing clichè of other existing value. This procedure gave rise serious disadvantages and damaged the image of the new stamp.

Why was utilized the clichè of 30 CENTES to produce the 45 CENTES ?

The 60 CENTES was not utilized because, as clear in the reprinting, has a fault in the word “KK Post” in fact in the drawing was written “KF Post”. The 15 CENTES could be easily changed into 45 but, because of this fault, the same of 60 CENTES, was rejected. It was impossible to utilize the 5 CENTES because of the lack of spaces to insert the “4”. Between the 10 and 30 CENTES, was chosen the 30 because of a visible fault in the 10 CENTES: the second E has an imperfection in the lower line.