Robin Harris, the long-time editor of the Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps, has identified a variety-worthy flaw on one of this year’s Lunar New Year stamps.
The uncut press sheet, one of three formats in the 2021 “Lunar New Year Cycle” set, features each of the 12 designs from the 2009-20 series as souvenir sheets, all denominated at $2.71 (the international rate). In the press sheet’s bottom-left corner, the 2016 Year of the Monkey stamp has been reported with a “squiggle” variety, Harris wrote earlier this year on the online Stamp Community Forum.
“Based on a few contacts, so far it seems the squiggle is the more plentiful variety.”
After gathering data from other collectors who acquired the 2021 press sheet – just 8,000 of which were printed – Harris said the “no flaw” variety (the regular press sheet) is “definitely far less common,” he told CSN.
“Second, the uncut press sheet has a date and time printed at the bottom of the sheet. There are two different times, and they seem to match up with the flaw/no flaw printings,” he added in his original forum post.