Today I will present you with a small study on the mini-sheet "For Security and Cooperation in Europe - Madrid 1980" (BK 2931), conducted on 116 issues of the edition. The examined sheets include both the first printing (from number 1 to number 40,000) and the reprinting (from number 40,001 to number 55,000). The initial goal of the study was to determine whether there were color differences between the initial and additional circulation, as described in the article by Mr. Kuzman Dragiev in issue 5 of 2022 of the magazine "Philatelen Pregled". However, during the examination, I found several recurring printing errors, which I will describe now.First, regarding the color differences and discrepancies in the circulations. I found that no two sheets were identical. In all 116 small sheets that I examined, there were discrepancies in the overlay and hue of the colors. Somewhere the colors matched, but there were discrepancies in their overlay, which led to light and shade. In other cases, it was the opposite.
Regarding printing errors. So far, one error has been known - the wrong number at the top of the sheet. It is not known how much of the circulation is affected. In addition to this error, three more errors clearly stood out in specific places.
Error 1: Dot on the letter "R". This error occurs in about 14% of the initial circulation (12 issues). You can usually find it in sheets around number 4000, but also up to number 6000. The dot is located 27 mm from the top edge and 18 mm from the right edge of the mini sheet. This is the most common error.
Error 2: Dot in the left hand corner of the letter "U". This error occurs in about 8% of the initial circulation (9 issues) and is found in issues 4000 to 6000. The dot is 30 mm from the top edge and 57 mm from the right edge of the mini-sheet. It is difficult to see with the naked eye.
Error 3: A spot between the two claws of the letter "U". This error is interesting because it occurs only in the reprint - in sheets with numbers 40536, 40742 and 41553. The spot is clearly pronounced and rare (3 pieces or about 3.5% of the examined sheets). It is located 46 mm from the top edge and 56 mm from the right edge of the mini sheet.
If we compare the results of the survey with the printed copies in the corresponding circulation, we obtain estimated data:
- Mini sheets with error 1 - about 5600 pieces
- Mini sheets with error 2 - about 3200 pieces
- Mini sheets with error 3 - about 525 pieces
These figures are indicative and based on statistics from the 116 issues surveyed.
In conclusion, we can say that the small sheet "On Security and Cooperation in Europe - Madrid 1980" (BK 2931) has extremely poor printing quality, which leads to the described errors.
