(Part 4 of 4) The 1951 provisional Korean stamps were issued with overprinted inflationary denominations of 100, 200, and 300 won on the basic stamps whose values range from 4 to 100 won. These overprinted stamps afford not only an exciting challenge to the casual collector, but also an excellent opportunity for specialization by the most exacting connoisseur. Recent interest in this provisional issue, reflected by fluctuating catalogue prices of individual stamps becoming more or less available, has resulted in the gradual realization by many Korean stamps collectors during the past ten years that differences in these overprints were not minor flyspeck varieties, but were separate printings.
Figure 15Third Printing – Dec. 3, 1951
No. 196-204 (535-43, Sc 174/181) – The final printing of the provisional issue consists of 9 stamps, typographed in blue or brown by the Tongyang Chungpan Printing Co . and released on Dec. 3, 1951. The same printing plate was used to surcharge the 300 won slanted numerals on 8 stamps of the 1948-49 regular issue in: blue on 4 won rose carmine, Li Jun (No 196, Sc 174), brown on 10 won blue green, Cranes (No. 197, Sc 175), brown on 14 won deep blue, Observatory (No 198, Sc 176), blue on 15 won vermilion, Hibiscus (No. 199, Sc 177 ), blue on 20 won orange brown, Diamond Mountains (No 200, Sc unlisted), brown on 30 won blue green , Ginseng (No. 201, Sc 178), brown on 50 won violet blue, South Gate (No. 202, Sc 179), and blue on 100 .won dull yellow green, Pagoda (No. Sc 181 ). The plate was then changed by narrowing the spacing between the Tae Guk and numeral sk„ from 6½ to 3½ mm to accommodate the horizontal format of the ninth stamp, surcharged in brown on 65 won .deep blue, Map of Korea and Magpies (No. 203, Sc 180).
