In the design, it was evidently intended that the outside lines should be equally distant from the top and bottom labels, and the side edges of the block, and that the corners should be exactly mitered. The top and bottom lines are practically always at the same distance from the labels, and one engraver maintains that they were engraved on the die. But specimens are plentiful in which (a) the top and bottom line projects beyond the side line, or (b) does not touch it, or rarely (c) is double or split, or again the side line (d) projects beyond the top or bottom line, or (e) does not touch it. Again, instead of the side line being (f) at the proper distance from the corner blocks, it is not infrequently (g) too far from one or more of them, or (h) too near one or more of them, or (i) touches one or more of them. Again, the side line is found (j) connecting with the next stamp above or below, and occasionally there is a second line (J) near this between two stamps.
In the die itself it will be noticed that the lower left block is almost always a little further to the left than the top one, in fact, that the distance from the right of the right block to the left of the left block is about ¼ of a mm. greater at the bottom than at the top of the stamp. The lower right rosette is a little too far also to the right, ordinarily at least. The blocks vary in size in the same and different stamps, as well as the diamonds in them, which are not of uniform shape or size. The labels above and below are crowded upon the rosettes. The sides of the groundwork should terminate in a straight line, formed by the bases of the little colored triangles, which touch each other. But this line is often broken in appearance as parts of it are too finely cut, or the die was not rocked far enough. In some cases this seems to have been remedied by re-engraving this line, and there is a heavy line, independent of the base lines of the triangles extending, (K) from rosette to rosette, (L) from the lower rosette to the upper triangle, (M) from the lower rosette to the middle of the upper triangle, (N) from the lower rosette to the top of the upper triangle, (O) from the lower rosette to the upper block, (P) a light line extending from the lower rosette to the upper block, (Q) a heavy line extending from the middle of the lower block to the upper triangle, (R) or from the middle of the lower triangle to the upper rosette. Frequently there is a light line (S) from the side of the triangle in the corner to the adjacent block. The triangles are ordinarily shaded by horizontal parallel lines, and are formed by a single fine line on the top and vertical sides, while the curved side is double. But the following variations occur: (T) the triangle has a heavy side line, (U) a double side line, (V) a triple side line, (W) is white or nearly so, the horizontal line having disappeared.