Stamp Collector

66 MAY 2020 www.allaboutstamps.co.uk from there, as do the 2 covers. No mint stamps are known. SG148 – 50. 1/- pale green plate 14. Watermark Spray of Rose Printing of the 1/- green in this series began with plate 8 in 1873. Plate 13 was put to press in 1876 and was also used to print the 1/- orange brown with the Spray of Rose watermark. Plate 14 eventually printed the 1/- orange brown of 1880 with the Imperial Crown watermark. This is the rarest of the abnormals. No mint copies are known and only 5 used ones We have been unable to find images of this item. 152. 4d vermilion plate 16. Watermark Large Garter 153. 4d sage green plate 17. Watermark Large Garter The 4d stamps went through two changes of colour from 1876 to 1880. Each produced an abnormal. Plate 16 was registered in 1874 in vermilion but eventually used to print the sage green. Plate 17 was registered in 1877 in sage green but eventually used to Right: the last abnormal marks the end of an ad- hoc approach to stamp issuing and the dawn of a more formalised age Left: a superb used example of the 6d pale chestnut shade (image courtesy of Stanley Gibbons) • One might have expected more copies to be found as stamp collecting became more popular, but this is still an elusive item (image courtesy of BB Stamps) Right: this stamp was cut from the imprimatur sheet; we were unable to find a scan of the actual abnormal (image courtesy of Stanley Gibbons) Left: a fine matched pair: stamp L.F. from plate 13 in the abnormal buff and the regular grey print the grey brown. There are no mint copies of either stamp. Eleven used plate 16s have turned up and 26 or 27 plate 17s. The end of the abnormals Everything changed from 1880. British stamps would be designed and printed in sets, on the same paper and by the same process. Stamps also lost their visible plate numbers and (eventually) the check letters too. The logic of Stanley Gibbons’ numbering system means that some abnormals have their own numbers, while others don’t, but this appears not to affect collectability. Actual prices are difficult to quote. Many sales are conducted confidentially. And the rarity of these items ensures that stamps of all qualities, from fine mint to space-filler, will be collectable. So the price will depend on the condition of each individual stamp. As with all ‘escapees’, prices will ultimately hinge on the number of survivors. For instance, there is evidence that the 9d hair lines was once very highly prized… until thirteen mint and 68 used copies appeared. Nevertheless, the 1/- green plate 14 (five copies known) is much scarcer than the 1d red plate 77 (ten copies plus the Victor Hugo cover) yet is unlikely to reach the same six- figure sum. Forgeries, of course, have been detected, of SG78, 91 and 109 – and no doubt many more besides. So if you decide to fill a major gap in your collection, buy only from a member of the PTS and insist on a recent certificate of authenticity. Alternatively, cut out and keep the list above. Stamp dealers know these numbers like a London cabbie knows the back street of the West End. So keep looking and see if you can find one more. Acknowledgements. Many thanks to BB Stamps, Stanley Gibbons, ‘Great Britain Surface Printed Postage Stamps, 1855 – 1883’ by Robert B Galland and Karl Louis and www. mystampworld.com for images and information used in this article. COLLECTING GUIDE