Smeared ink border

I was wondering if anyone could please tell me how common or uncommon this is. Is this an error that happened at the BEP? Does it hurt the value of the note? Anything I can learn would be most appreciated.

 

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If you look closely at the top left of the note you can see a small blur or smear. Sorry about the lousy pics, but I'm hoping to learn about how this occurs and how significant it is.

 

Alf:

To me it looks like a handling smear or very small portion of an offset, not an actual ink smear error from the printing.
The Fr #37 has 2 varities the Elliot/Burke signatures and the error note Burke/Elliot sigs.
I once owned a $20 Fed Reserve $20 Series 1914 Blue Seal that had the same type of ink smear, it was down graded to AU58 due to this. If I owned it, I would cut it out and send to PMG..they will not accept CGA Crossovers any longer.

I would also scan this with a black background to see the bottom margin better as well. Simply take some black construction paper and tape it the lid of your scanner to achieve this effect.

RickieB

 

Thanks Rickie, was your $20 note a gem and then they downgraded from that to the 58? It seems pretty harsh if that is the case. I was thinking 1 or 2 points but then again what do I know. lol.

 

No, I bought the note "RAW" and in hand it looked and felt Gem.. I was surprised when I sent it to PCGS. I cut it out and sent to PMG and same grade came back. The comment when I asked was due to the small ink smear.

Just letting you know.

RickieB

 

Here's better photo of what I'm talking about.

 

No offset that I can see... more of a handling or stacking smear to me...I am sure others will comment as well.
If you could find the note that was on top of this one...I bet you would see ink transfer on it's reverse from the top of this note.
RickieB

 

Do you know how a stacking or handling smear occurs? Does it happen at the BEP before they're sent out? Sorry about all the questions, just trying to learn.

 

I do not know what the exact process was back then, but when sheets were printed and cut, it could have occured from the fresh printing and that area of the note being not being quite dry completely. It could have also been done when sliding the notes off of each other during counting.. I am sure there were many ways it could have happened.
This is as mentioned, my assumption only.

RickieB

 

Anyone else have comments on is this an error, or how it affects the value of the note?