The study of the printing pattern of postal stamps was a permanent preoccupation of researchers in the field of traditional philately, starting with the last century.
      In the classical period of Romanian philately, the most famous retouch, thus named the "great retouch" was discovered in the year 1879 to the 4 Bani stamp "Carol with whiskers" (Carol cu favoriti) from the 1968 issue (fig.1 right), being observed in a vertical pair belonging to the collection of count FERRARI. This discovery was published in the famous magazine Postal Stamps (Timbre Postale). Later, the stamp was sold at the 11th auction in November 1924, being purchased by DORNING BECKTON, and after his death by Sir JOHN WILSON, custodian of the British royal collection.
      The stamp is a bright blue color, type 8 of report block, belonging to the first issues.       The retouch was realized on the finished file and it consists of the fact that, on the down right side, in the space situated between the curbed line of the circle in which the effigy is placed and the border line (space in which the horizontal lines of the normal stamps appear), because of the wear of the cliché, the lines were erased being completed by pointed lines, highly irregular in design.
      An affliction, slightly similar to the great retouch to the 4 Bani - 1868 stamp, I discovered to the 10 Bani, straight edged stamp, from the PARIS - 1872 issue (fig. 2 left). The meander design from the right-hand upper side was affected, being retouched rudimentary by blue colored points.
      This situation is also observed on the marginal border, on the lower right side. This stamp is also affected on the circle that rings the pearls around the effigy, on the upper right side. Going to the origin of this cliché's print, we observe that this afflictions to the right side border, as well as the pearled circle appear to the 10 bani cliché of the cutout of this stamp (fig. 3 right), which proves that this retouch comes from the very first issues of the 10 Bani value.
      I consider that this major and spectacular retouch discovered to the 10 Bani Paris - 1872 issue, is a great philatelic rarity, of postclassical Romanian philately.
      These presentations offers the chance of a similar major retouch discovery to the lacepatern edged stamp, event that we expect with great emotion.
      The stamps presented are from the author's collection.

Leonard PASCANU