The 4a Single-Die Oilcolors
There is a rare 4a yellow-green oilcolor experimental printing on horizontally laid paper attested from 1878. The basis of the dating is unknown to us, but items on laid paper are generally assigned to the transitional period in accord with the (increasingly questioned) maxim that no reprinting was done with this paper. Black and yellow-green watercolors on rare papers (listed for 1877 on the watercolor page) are the other transitionals attested for this die.
Reprints
The Séfi & Mortimer chronicle is given in the table. Dating is uncertain, but as reprints they are perforce after May 1878. The 1886-88 period is often mentioned, reasons here unknown. And the smooth white wove paper is associated with the latest printings 1889-90.
A 4a yellow-green oilcolor reprint pair on waxy native paper. A similar shade is reported on toned wove paper.
4a Oilcolor Reprints
| black | native |
| black | toned wove |
| blue | native |
| dull blue | toned wove |
| dull blue | white wove |
| brownish-red | toned wove |
| orange-vermilion | toned wove |
| orange | native |
| orange | white wove |
| ochre | toned wove |
| yellow-green | native |
| yellow-green | toned wove |
| purple | native |
| purple | toned wove |
| purple | white wove |
4a Kashmir Missing-Die Forgeries
The 4a red oilcolor forgery on thin wove paper. The absence of dots in the spandrels and the extra white line that surrounds the entire design are two of the main diagnostics for this forgery. The lines at the top have a noticeable curve to them, too low on the left side. They come on four kinds of papers: native, thin toned wove, thin white woves, and thin white laid paper. Stocks of them were found in the Official Treasury.
The 4a Kashmir Missing-Dies (Oil)
| black | native |
| black | thin toned wove |
| black | thin white wove |
| blue | native |
| blue | thin toned woves |
| deep blue | thin toned woves |
| dull ultramarine | thin white laid |
| grey-blue | white wove |
| red | native |
| orange-red | white laid |
| red | thin toned wove |
| vermilion | white wove |
| orange | native |
| yellow | thin white wove |
| olive-yellow | white laid |
| green | thin toned wove |
| green | thin white wove |
| purple | white laid |
| orange-brown | native |
| purple-brown | thin toned wove |
| brown | thin toned wove |
| purple-brown | thin white wove |
| chocolate-brown | white laid |
4a Brightons (on tissue)
| bluish-green oilcolor |
| olive-green oilcolor |
Staal-Sharma Reprint (ink 1981)
Of the 4a Kashmir Die, 8 reprint impressions were done in purple ink and 14 in grey-black ink.
