Recently, reviewing the stamps in my collection, I found the five varieties of the 5 piastres stamp of the first issue of the republic (Star & Crescent series) mentioned in the Michel catalog. Looking closely at the stamps, the differences seems to be more than just simple differences in the perforation and the size of number 5 at the bottom left of the stamp.

Scott catalog gives only two varieties of this stamp. Though Michel catalog identifies these 5 varieties: (1 and 2) 1923 on thin paper but with two different printings of the number 5 and with perforation 13 1/4; (3) 1924 on thicker paper with perforation 12 and with smaller printing of the number 5; (4) 1925 on thicker paper with perforation 11 and smaller printing of the number 5; and (5) 1926 on thicker paper with perforation 13 1/4 and with smaller printing of the number 5. The catalog also identifies the existence of various tone differences.

In the picture below the 5 different printings from my collection are displayed. I have not analyzed the paper thickness but I noticed subtle differences in the stamps.

The difference in the number 5 is easily identifiable. The first stamp on top left is 1923 printing on thin paper. The rest have a smaller number 5. The perforation of the two stamps on top left are the same (13 1/4). The bottom two stamps also have the same perforation (12). The stamp on the top right has perforation 11.

So here is the rundown:

Top left: 1923 with large number 5

Top middle: 1923 small 5 or 1926 small 5 (depending on the paper thickness)

Top right: 1925 small 5

Bottom row: 1924 small 5

Even though the bottom row supposed to come from a single printing in 1924, as you can clearly see from the picture, there is a big difference in the two stamps displayed here. If you look carefully to the horizontal lines at the top left corner of the stamps (around the star and crescent) you will see that the bottom left stamp has the lines parallel to the stamp's frame but the one on the bottom right has the lines angling away from the frame.Therefore we can conclude that what is shown as the 1924 printing has two different varieties.

Similar analysis of the four stamps with small number 5 shows that the lines on the top left corner of the stamp are all different.

Top middle: 7 horizontal lines. 6th line is thick.

Top right: 7 lines at a slight angle to the frame. 6th line is thick.

Bottom left: 7 horizontal lines. No thick lines

Bottom right: 9 lines at a definite angle to the frame.

Based on the results shown in this analysis, it seems like there are more than five variaties of this stamp incuding the variety (based on paper thickness) not shown here.