"Plate reconstructing" is another favourite work of the specialist. Let us first explain that many of the early British stamps contained various letters in the four corners. In a sheet of 240 stamps, the specimens found in the first row were all lettered A, in the lower left-hand corner, those in the second row B, in the third row C, and so on throughout the twenty rows. In the right-hand lower corner the first stamp of every row was lettered A, the second B, and so on until the twelfth stamp bore the letter L. The following diagram will make the arrangement quite clear:
Row 1. AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, ... AL.
" 2. BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, BF, ... BL.
" 3. CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, ... CL.
" 4. DA, DB, DC, DD, DE, DF, ... DL.
" 5. EA, EB, EC, ED, EE, EF, ... EL.
. . . . .
" 20. TA, TB, TC, TD, TE, TF, ... TL.
Specimen Stamps 1 Imperforated stamp 2 A perforated stamp 3 A rouletted stamp 4 A line-engraved stamp 5 A lithographed stamp 6 A surface-printed stamp 7 An embossed stamp 8 } 9 } Three of the best known rarities 10 }
The work of plate reconstructing consists in obtaining one stamp of each of the combinations of letters, placing them in their correct positions as given above, and so remaking a whole sheet of stamps.
Such is the way in which a specialist's collection should be managed. Our remarks have been directed more particularly to the stamps of Great Britain, but the suggestions apply equally well to any country which the philatelist may select for particular study.
CHAPTER IV
THE STAMPS OF GREAT BRITAIN