II. Large Crown Watermark in Ellipses. A view of the Hungarian Crown from below, set within interlaced ellipses.
The ellipses measure approximately 47 × 43 mm, while the crown is 27–28 mm at its widest point. The distance between the centres of the ellipses is approximately 40 mm horizontally and 44 mm vertically.
On stamps, this watermark occurs only in a sideways orientation, in four possible positions. The design is asymmetrical because of the angle of the cross on the crown, so the direction in which the cross leans identifies the watermark position. The exact position can therefore be determined only on examples where the crown cross is visible.
Possible watermark orientations and positions
- B1: crown lying to the left, with the cross leaning to the left;
- B2: crown lying to the left, with the cross leaning to the right;
- B3: crown lying to the right, with the cross leaning to the left;
- B4: crown lying to the right, with the cross leaning to the right.
Issues on which the watermark occurs
1898 Black-Numeral Krajcár Issue, 1898 Newspaper Stamp, 1898 Newspaper Tax Stamp.
Distinguishing Watermarks II and III
Although Watermark III was intended to be essentially identical to the preceding type, its different execution is explained by the fact that, one year after the dandy roll for Watermark II had been made, the Nagyszlabos paper mill received another supply order in 1899. The watermark design therefore had to be adapted to the mill's wider machine.
On some examples of the Black-Numeral Krajcár issue, the similar crown motifs of Watermarks II and III can be distinguished by the following features:
- The distance between the suspension elements is 23 mm in Watermark II and 26 mm in Watermark III.
- In Watermark II, the two outer crown points on each side are of the same form and approximately the same height; in Watermark III, the outer point is low and narrow, while the adjacent one is tall and broad.
- In Watermark II, the pointed crown element is narrow and approximately the same height as the two outer elements; in Watermark III, it is broad and lower than the adjacent elements.
- The arcs representing the lower-view brow band of the crown close at the outermost point of the band in Watermark II, while in Watermark III they close farther inward, at the hooks representing the crown chains.
- The space between the lines representing the two side bands of the crown is narrow in Watermark II and wider in Watermark III.
- The lower line of the band ends at the outer edge of the second crown point in Watermark II, and at the top of the second crown point in Watermark III.
The lines of Watermark II appear sharp both when viewed through the paper and under oblique light. The lines of Watermark III appear blurred in transmitted light and are less distinct under oblique light than those of Watermark II.
In addition to details of the watermark design, the paper and the colour of the stamps can also help distinguish Black-Numeral Krajcár stamps bearing the large-crown watermark.