Is this a "missing color" or "registration error" on US 15c Smithsonian?

[Arnie Janson]

Hi all:

Is the following item "missing red" as claimed in the seller's description or actually a "registration error".? The stamps are clearly from the top of the sheet (i.e. the selvedge is the correct size).

The black printing should have been at the top of the stamp with the red "Architecture USA, 15c" below. The red printing is not missing as it should never appear above the black. The black is in the wrong location which suggests a registration error. It does not appear to be a perforation error either.

[satsuma]

Why not upload a normal example as well?

[Number-O-Ne]

What printing technique was used? Some errors are impossible based on how the stamp was printed.

[Allanswood]

[Arnie Janson]

Thanks! The red printing cannot be above the black so it cannot be missing...

[BigSaint]

Arnie

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[BigSaint]

Arnie

I would have thought what you are showing here is a perforation error & somewhere out there, there are stamps with the red print at the top of the stamp with that red print not matching the image?

[Number-O-Ne]

I agree. It looks like a perforation variety more than anything else.

[Arnie Janson]

I considered a perforation error - but it seems to me that the perfs are in the correct locations, i.e. identical to the locations on the block that Allanswood posted (thanks!). The error is that the black printing is significantly lower than it should have been; that implies a registration (alignment) error.

[Allanswood]

Seems the printing process was prone to "waste".

[drkohler]

Is the following item "missing red" as claimed in the seller's description or actually a "registration error".? The stamps are clearly from the top of the sheet (i.e. the selvedge is the correct size).

This comes from a misperforated sheet (trimming and perforating happened at the same time, so the tab is always the right size). The misperforation comes in various degrees. If the red color disappears completely, it is a true color error (sometimes, traces of the red can be seen in the bottom horizontal perforation row, so it would not count).

This plate block sold at auction in 2007 for $120:

[Arnie Janson]

Thank you for all your comments. The comments suggest it is a perforation error. I think we can agree that it is not a "missing red" error since the red should not even be on the portion of the stamp offered for sale. Again, sincere thanks.

[drkohler]

.. since the red should not even be on the portion of the stamp offered for sale.

Huh?

If the stamp (like in the first post) shows no red, it is a true colour omitted error.

However, the stamps must be carefully examined under magnification. The Americans are very fussy about that, even a tiny drop of residual red ink would disqualify it from being a colour omitted error.