The monochrome Sheet A had a number of varieties and errors. Firstly, the overprint can also be found in two distinct shades, a carmine red and crimson. Examples have then been found with the overprint missing, misplaced, with doubled overprint and even trebled overprint. Not all have been seen but the existence of some and the nature of the sheet layout implies that these errors should exist for all.
Missing Overprint
Perforate examples of the Royal Field Artillery and Royal Flying Corps vignettes have been found without the red overprint. That suggests that the other perforate vignettes from that sheet should also exist without overprint. Imperforate examples of 12 of the British vignettes on Sheet A exist without overprint which implies that the remaining three should also exist.
Perforate examples of Royal Field Artillery (a) normal (b) with the ‘1915’ overprint in lower right corner missing.
Misplaced overprint
There is a degree of variability of centring and placement across all the delandre issues, unsurprising given the conditions of the time, and should be considered normal. However, some examples can be found with the overprint completely outside the frame on the design.
Lovat Scouts Yeomanry with major misplacement of overprint.
Duplicated and trebled overprint
The imperforate vignettes have been found with the overprint applied twice and three times.
Royal Fusiliers with doubled overprint and 5th Bn London Regiment with trebled overprint.
Enlargement of the doubled and trebled overprint.
