EARLY SINGLE DIE PROOFS OF PHILIPPINE CHRISTMAS SEALS 

By Nemy L. Rivera 

A single die proof is one of the last two stages of proofing before final printing of the seals.  This usually consists of a single seal printed alone on a large sheet of paper, sometimes accompanied by a color bar meant  to indicate the proportionate use of basic colors in printing the seal.    

Single die proofs are not intended to be issued as regular accessories of the seal.  These are sparingly provided to principals involved in the printing of the seal.  In addition, in the case of US-made single dies,  some enterprising parties secure these directly from the printer, for sharing with other collectors / dealers.  In other cases,  the single dies, or more specifically   printer’s proofs, were never planned to be issued, and were merely scrounged by collectors from printer’s waste. The single die proofs of 1981, 1982 and 1985 were made in very limited quantities and not everyone was made aware of their availability. 

These materials are listed and described as follows: 

1949 Single Die Proof  (Extremely Scarce)

1949 Single Die Proof.  Single seal, with guidelines around it, printed on 255 x 203 (10” x 8”)   gummed paper,  with 4 color bars – yellow, red, lt. blue and dark blue – each 25 x 98 (except dark blue which is 25 x 60),  color spelled out on top within each bar (except dark blue), and numbers  1 to 15 printed downward in same color along both sides of each bar,  2 bars at left and 2 at right. Printed by Eureka Specialty Printing Co., Pennsylvania,    USA. 

1966 Single Die Proof: 

1966 Single Die Proof  (Very Scarce)

Variety A.)  Single seal, with guidelines around it, printed on top of 201 x 256  (7 7/8” x 10 1/32”) gummed paper.  With 2 ¼ color bars 8.5 x 201 printed        horizontally across middle of sheet, plus another 3 horizontal color bars 83 x 13, in yellow, blue and red, with numbers 6 to 21 inside each bar,  printed overlapping each other at bottom of sheet.          

Variety B.)  Same as Variety A, except that there is no red bar at bottom of sheet.

Printed by Eureka-Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA. 

1978 Single Die Proof.  Horizontal strip of 10 seals 10 x 1, printed on large sheet of thick paper.  Printed by Paragon Printing Corp., Quezon City.

Printer's Single Die Proof on Thick Paper

1980 Single Die Proof.  Vertical strip of 5 seals 1 x 5, printed on large sheet of gummed paper.  10mm square of dark color printed 80mm above strip of seals. Printed by Paragon Printing Corp., Quezon City.

1980 Single Die Proof  (Extremely Rare)

1981 Single Die Proof.  Two vertical blocks of 10 seals 2 x 5, printed tete-beche, with 46..5 mm  gutter between, and irregularly shaped blocks of 10 x 10 in green around each block,  printed on large sheet of gummed paper.  Printed by Paragon Printing Corp, Quezon City. 

1981 Single Die Proof

1982 Single Die Proof.  Vertical strip of 5 seals 1 x 5, printed alone on large sheet of gummed paper.  Printed by Paragon Printing Corp., Quezon City.

1982 Single Die Proof

1985 Single Die Proof.   

Variety A.)  Trial proof on large sheet of scrap paper.  Horizontal color bar 6.5 x 192, and horizontal strip of 5 seal designs – eagle, butterfly, sampaguita, milkfish and tamaraw , printed on top of clean side of scrap paper;  caption “75 YEARS OF SERVICE IN TB CONTROL / 1910 – 1985” at middle of sheet, and reprint of 1910 Rizal seal, butterfly, jubilee emblem, sampaguita seals and reprint of 1946 seal (with black TB cross instead of red inside) in horizontal strip, and below, reprint of Quezon 2.1 and 2.2  strip seals 125 x 23  each (instead of actual size of 131 x 250),  and caption “DIAMOND JUBILEE SOUVENIR PANE /COLLECTORS’ LIMITED EDITION” at bottom of sheet.

1985 Trial Single Die Proof on Scrap Paper

(Note Black Cross instead of Red on 1946 Seal)

Variety B.)   Initial printer’s single die proof.  Same as Variety A, except that TB cross inside 1946 seal reprint is red instead of black, and  proof is printed on large sheet of clean gummed paper.  Disapproved because Quezon seals were smaller than actual.

1985 Initial Printer's Single Die Proof

Disapproved  because the Quezon seals were smaller than actual.  (Very Scarce)

 

Variety C.)  Accepted single die proof. Texts “Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc.” added to horizontal middle caption, and reprint of Quezon seals now in correct size of 131 x 25. Except for these, all other details same as Variety B.

1985 Complete Single Die Proof

(Rizal Green still a little lighter)

Other varieties.  There are at least 2 other varieties.  All details the same as Variety C, except that either the reprinted Rizal seal, or both the reprinted Rizal and Quezon seals are omitted from main sheet and proofed separately on another sheet of paper.

 All 1985 proofs were printed by Kyodo Printing Co., Quezon City. 

The foregoing materials were previously unlisted in Green’s Catalog of TB Christmas Seals of the World, and were officially listed only in 1985 – 86. 

It is possible that other single die proofs were made during this period,  which the author is unaware of.  We shall be grateful if collectors or owners of these materials can contact us and give us details and description  thereof. 

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