While checking Trevors blog I found an interesting article about combined overprints. As a rule of thumb, combined overprints are more rare as the “simple” ones. Exceptions are special types like the small boxed overprints on low kopeck values. Besides this, I have to agree, that sometimes the final result of two or three times applying an surcharge produces more or less messy results. Still there are interesting things one can find. Sometimes when applying a second surcharge – e.g. ruble type – the clerk took extra care to prevent parts of the cancel to print – leaving only the value digits.
Of course I had to check my collecting regarding the example shown. And lo and behold I found one too:
As you can see, it is another sibling of the off center printed kind. Funny.
I am currently working through 20 years accumulation of 5 R HH surcharges for the current Forgery Guide (The three 5R. HH Surcharges to be published March/April 2013) and from the 500+ accumulation I have already found five examples of one or other of the 5 Rub. surcharges applied on top of un-framed Z’s, one on framed Z (small) and 3 with value only overprinted, so far all used as I have yet to check the mint combinations. There will be more examples when I start on the mint (mostly forgeries) and then with the 10R and 25 Rub. HH late in 2013.
If you reckon that some of the combinations were created on only one or a few sheets, then you are going to see the same variations in the basic stamp and recognition of such variations can be used to supplement normal methods of authentication.