163 AG

Large scan. The imprimatur.

Features to look for are the open left side which has had the bottom 25% re-cut. The base line is very delicate and wore quickly. The diffuse blur lower left was shallow and wore away quickly.

Large scan. e [ST]

Showing wear to base line and blur. Lovely stamp!

Large scan. d [ST]

Another state 1 example showing some wear similar to above.

Large scan. c [ST]

This looks to be a state 2 with a strengthening of the left side as well as the top of the right side.There is a shallow TRL down the left side. The impression looks to be slightly non coincident being shunted left. The fact that this imperforate shows that this has to be state 2. The other alternative is that it is another plate - 157 or 164? Some more examples would be helpful.

Large scan. f [ST]

This stamp is clearly different from the one above (c). There is a new clear linear TRL down the left side of the stamp closer than the last one. The check letters are still relatively strong, though the thin parts of the A are thinning. The background lattice work has suffered a lot of damage through the re-entry process.

Large scan. b [ST]

It is difficult to tell as this is a poor quality scan, but this stamp seems to be sister to the one above (f).

Large scan. a [ST]

At first look this looks like a more worn copy of f and b above, but the top right of both this stamp and the next (g) is doubled.The top right star is definitely carrying more ink, yet the check letters have been further compressed both being thinned.

Large scan. g [ST]

A sister to a above. The stamp is all but destroyed. Perkins Bacon were squeezing the last drop out of this plate.