Definition Of Re-Engraved In Connection With Intaglio-Printed Stamps

I've recently been carefully studying the Newfoundland stamp series. There are several instances where an existing design from a given bank note company was copied by a second company. For example, the National Bank Note Co. version of the 1c Prince of Wales (Scott #32) was replaced by the American Bank Note Co. version (Scott #32A). The later version is described as "Re-engraved". But, is "re-engraved" being used correctly here? Clearly, we are dealing with a completely new die, not the manufacture of the second die via a roll from the first.

So, how is that not re-engraving? The die is engraved afresh, based on the image used for the old one.

Some very experienced collectors I know feel that re-engraving should not strictly apply to a copy. They might prefer a term like reworking. Of course, I appreciate that re-engraving can be used in the sense of engraving afresh. Understand, though, I'm not arguing one way or the other. I'm attempting to get a reading on how people view the appropriateness of using re-engraving to refer to both copying a die and revising a die via a roll.

The example that comes to mind for my area are the 1934 - 1935 re-engraved Seahorses. These were engraved from the old 5s images. Re-engraved, in this case was the engraving of a new master die.

Two further examples of changes are the 2d orange Mackennal surface printed and the 5d 'Jubilee' issue of Queen Victoria. I have no clear information on whether these were adapted (as I think they were) or newly engraved. These have never been referred to as 're-engraved.'

Re-engraving is a word with a number of meanings in printing and as such context is required to discern the implied meaning.

See here of a listing of the meanings of "re-engraving" as used in printing and consistent with philately: https://en.mimi.hu/philately/re-engraved.html

Edit:

I re-painted today. Begs the information of what I repainted. Did I repaint the entire object (car, house, chair, sign or ...)? Did I just repaint a portion (where I could reach on the house, only the striped part of the car, only the blue color area of the chair, the hours on the sign or....). Did I just repaint a place where there is no paint because of a failure or alteration (the sanded new replacement car door, around the newly installed plaster around the replaced windows, the part of the chair which was too close to the fire, the sign back on the replaced broken front door window glass to the shop, or ....)

One word many meaning. Of course I did none of the above, I repainted toenails.


Edit again. Even if done by hand on new steel, while a copy attempt, it is still a re-engraving in my opinion, which is an opinion consistent and covered within the meanings of the link provided. The third down seems to cover it and discusses American Bank Note re-engraving.

I think you are looking for a distinction in the term which offers yet more detail such as "copy re-engraving" or "re-engraved onto a new die" as two possible examples.

Another which after a while of thinking on the question is Re(production)-engraving.

Yes, Parcelpostguy, I would be pleased to see some kind of terminology difference applied to a copy vs.a second die achieved through effective modification of the first. The difference seems so fundamental to me that my inner spirit begs that the consensus is that they not be lumped together under a single umbrella. I've been collecting 75 years and my inner spirit doesn't kick up very often, but there is an occasional twinge. And I hope those nails work out!

Having examined many proof sheets from the Smithsonian's BEP Certified Proof Collection, I can tell you what the term means from the Bureau's perspective. Reengraving on a master plate occured when the plate became worn from use. Rather than creating a new plate using a transfer press, it was more cost effective to simply have an engraver recut some of the lines. The portraits tended to be what wore down the quickest and you frequently see the notation "heads re-engraved" on those sheets.

Very interesting. You seem to be talking about direct modification of an existing engraving, yet a third process. I no longer have any connections in the bank note companies in Ottawa (I used to when I worked for the National Currency Collection at the Bank of Canada). It would be interesting to know if the BABN or CBN ever resorted to that process. I rather doubt it.

In the late 1940's and possibly early 1950's, Lebanon issued definitives that are referred to by Scott as reengraved. In all cases, there are slight changes to the designs but I do not know if these stamps were printed by different engravers.

This is an instance where Scott uses the term "reengraved" for stamps that were reworked from an earlier design, possibly by the same entity as the original.

The 1d and 2d plates of the New South Wales 'Sydney Views' stamps were re-engraved once and four times respectively.

In these cases, the entire plate was re-engraved, one stamp at a time.