The interest in this article is not what is recorded in the Perkins Bacon Engraving books, this information is available to all scholars to study, and one which has undoubtedly been very well researched over the years.

What is of interest here is the information that was not logged or entered in the Engraving books.

While there is no doubt that events of all manner relating to the printing of the postage stamps was recorded in the Perkins Bacon Engraving books, it does certainly appear that information, some of which is of much interest, certainly was not.

It is the discovery of interesting philatelic matter for which there is no record in the Engraving books that raises the question; why would such information not be logged or entered? More importantly it is also the discovery of 'major' philatelic enigmas for which again there is also no record that the same interesting question is raised.

Explanations for the failure to record information in the Day books may include one or more of the following reason, needless to say other explanations may also exist:

1- A clerical error whereby an entry has failed to be entered by the clerk completing the Engraving books.

2- The work carried out or such information that may not have been regarded of significance to warrant an entry.

3- A failure of an 'operator' to pass on information for entry into the Engraving books.

4- An oversight that resulted in the failure to make such an entry.

5- Too many 'numerous' entries for work which was ongoing.

6- Work of perhaps 'confidential' nature that may not be seen proper to enter into the Engraving books.

7- Work resulting from a major error that was deemed unacceptable or perhaps too 'embarrassing' to enter.

8- Work carried out which was not authorised or of which the management was not aware.

9- Work carried out for which it was felt that 'no record' should be kept.

10- Work which was perhaps regarded as a 'trade secret'.

11- 'Secret' marks on plates for which no record was deemed necessary

Here are two examples of work known to have been executed by Perkins Bacon but for which there is no record in the  Engraving books. This information has been extracted from 'The Line Engraved Stamps of Great Britain Vols I and II, printed by Perkins Bacon & Co. 1920 written  by E D Bacon:

Page 64

"Dr E. W. Floyd of Manchester has shown us two specimens, which prove the existence of another interesting variety, of a somewhat  analogous description to the one on Plate 77.  This occurred on Plate 40 of the One Penny, Original Die, the stamp being lettered "KB".  The first specimen shows a clear "double entry" and the letter "B" on this and also on the "KB" stamp of the Imprimatur sheet, which corresponds in every particular, was punched so far to the left that it practically touches the right frame-line of the corner in the printed impressions.  An alteration must have been subsequently made on the plate, because the other specimen which exhibits the same "double entry", has the letter "B" in the centre of the square and shows a new frame-line at the right side of the square.  We have found no mention of any alteration or repair to Plate 40 in the records of Messrs. Perkins, Bacon & Co., although it is obvious that one was effected."

Page 137
Plate 155, the repair of which was probably of a similar nature, was put to press, according to the records, as far back as November 30th, 1852, and could not therefore, we think, be one of the unhardened plates referred to.
We have noticed before omissions in the Engraving Book of repairs that we know were made to some of the plates, and a strict account of all the repairs that took place was evidently not included in the book.  It may be therefore, that other plates besides the two mentioned were re-entered in March, April, or May, 1854.

Here are two examples of work known to have been executed by Perkins Bacon but for which there is no detail of note in the Daybooks. This information has been extracted from 'The Line Engraved Stamps of Great Britain Vols I and II, printed by Perkins Bacon & Co. 1920 written  by E D Bacon:

Page 154

An entry in the Engraving Book shows that Plate 51 was repaired on April 26th, 1861. What the nature of the repair was we do not know, but we suspect it consisted of re-entering some of the impressions on the plate.

Page 155

The Engraving Book states that Plate 41 of the One Penny was repaired on March 2nd, 1857. We have no particulars of the nature of the repair, but, as in the case of other entries of this kind in the same book, we believe that it consisted of re-entering some of the impressions on the plate.

Here are two statements of work known to have been executed by Perkins Bacon but for which there is no detail of note in the Engraving books. The two statements below were made by GC Ackerman in his 'Penny Plates Study Circle' Notes:

1-

"In addition there is evidence of repairs not recorded in the Engraving Book some of these were found by Dr. Osborne."

2-

In a footnote at the end of plate 80 section, one of the early repaired plates, he states the following:

"Note. The repairs to SA, SB, TA, TB, TC were described by Dr. Osborne in 'Repaired Impressions'. He states that SB and TA are known used in a repaired state prior to the 'official 'repair of 25.2.68."

The paragraph cited below is extracted from E D Bacon's 1929 book 'SUPPLEMENT TO LINEENGRAVED POSTAGE STAMPS', section headed 'Production of the Plate-numbered One Penny and Two Pence Stamps with Four Letters', page 26.

It is clear that the text below does does intimate that technical information was not always outlined or declared.

 

It is perfectly clear from the foregoing that 'Open Minds' will undoubtedly reap rewards when it comes to the advancement of serious philately, as one thing is for certain- We will never know everything!