Confirmed varieties of Sulkhan S. Orbeliani

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The 1959 USSR stamp “Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani” was issued to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Georgian educator, writer, diplomat, and poet. Catalogued under Scott 2190 / Standard Collection 2208 / Michel 2215, the stamp is printed in photogravure technique, with colors in brown-red and black, and a combined perforation of 12 × 12½. The print run reached about 2,000,000 copies. The design features a finely detailed portrait of Orbeliani, aimed at emphasizing his intellectual stature and cultural significance.

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For philatelists, the stamp is notable not only for its historical and aesthetic value, but also for rare print variations. In specialist catalogs one may find a variety Orbeliani in the context of broken pattern elements, where small decorative parts of the frame or border ornamentation appear as discontinuous or fractured. Another recognized variety Orbeliani in the context of broken pattern elements involves interruption or gaps in the ornament lines surrounding the portrait, making such specimens of particular interest to collectors. The value of a given copy further depends on the condition: the integrity of perforation, brightness and consistency of color, absence of gum defects or staining, and whether the stamp is mint or canceled.

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Postage stamp specification:

• Design: R. Zhitkov

• Print: Intaglio

• Raster: Square

• Perforation: Line 12½

• Circulation: 2 000 000 pcs

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Confirmed varieties of the stamp of Sulkhan S. Orbeliani

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1. broken "Е" in "ОРБЕЛИАНИ": Lyapin's catalog P3(2244)

2. broken "Б" in "САБА"

3. broken lower frame

4. broken ornament

5. spots on the background

6. dot next to the feather

7. black spot under the lower frame

8. spot over the head