Queen Victoria Line Engraved from Elstree Stamps

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Queen Victoria - Line Engraved Stamps

The first postage stamps in Great Britain, from the 1840 imperforate Penny Black to the 1870 perforated 1½d rose were printed using the Line Engraving or Intaglio printing process. The design is recessed into the printing plate which is then covered entirely with ink, and worked into the recess after which the surface of the plate is wiped clean. A sheet of moistened paper is then laid on the engraved surface. Under pressure, the paper is forced against the recessed area containing the ink and the design is reproduced on the paper. This method was abandoned in 1855 as it was unsuitable for the accurate perforating of stamps that was required. Some wonderful "misperfs" of the first perforated 1d reds & 2d blues are synonymous with this method.

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1840 ONE PENNY IMPERFORATE STAMPS

SG 3 1840 1d Grey Black (GC) Plate 1a. A superb 4 good to large margin example, cancelled by central strike of a bright red Maltese cross. 10 & 5 o'clock ray flaws. Showing moderate plate wear. Spec AS2. Order: 7801 - £295.00	SG 2 & 7 1840 1d Black & 1841 1d Red Brown (GH) Plate 1b. Matched pair. A fine used 4 margin black, matched with a 3 margin red, both showing 10 & 7 o'clock ray flaws. Struck by red and black Maltese crosses. Spec AS5 & AS6. Order: 7804 - £195.00
SG 2 1840 1d Black (GA) Plate 1b. A fine used 4 margin example from the left of the sheet, showing part inscription in sheet margin to the left. Cancelled by black Maltese cross, plus part second. Printed on experimental thin paper. Small imperfections but a scarce item. Order: 6414 - £495.00	SG 2 1840 1d Black (QF) Plate 1b. A fine used 4 margin example, cancelled by upright black Maltese cross. Some plate wear. 10 o'clock ray flaw, top line NW square thin. Spec AS5. Order: 6415 - £155.00 - SOLD
SG 2 1840 1d Black (GE/GF) Plate 1b. A very fine used pair with close to large margins all round, which appears to be tied to piece by 2 perfect central strikes of the black Maltese cross. A Stonehaven cancel on what would be the back flap is for 18 May 1840. The crosses are not the distinctive Stonehaven doubles, known from August 1840, but some "doubling" can be seen on the top of the cross on GE. GE has a very weak side line on the NE square, and GF a small dot above "G". Spec AS5. Order: 6417 - £895.00
SG 2 1840 1d Black (PB) Plate 2. A fine used 4 margin example, very lightly struck by red Maltese cross. 10 & 7 o'clock ray flaw. Both letter squares re-cut. Top of letter "P" feint. Right line of "P" square slightly and bottom line "B" square doubled. Spec AS15d. Order: 7806 - £185.00	SG 3 1840 1d Grey Black (PF) Plate 2. A very fine used 4 margin example, cancelled by black Maltese cross - difficult on this plate - printed on "bleuté" paper. 10 & 7 o'clock rays flaws, VGL NE corner. A scarce combination. AS16mn. Order: 6424 - £275.00 - SOLD
SG 2 1840 1d Black (RG) Plate 2. A good used example, 4 margins, just clear SE corner, tied to lettersheet by red Maltese cross to lettersheet from Chester - red forwarding town cancel on reverse for 20th August 1840 to Banbury - Oxon. Neat blue seal on reverse. Stamp showing 10 & 7 o'clock ray flaws, right line extends above. Spec AS15. Order: 7810 - £185.00
SG 2 1840 1d Black (KI) Plate 3. A very fine used 4 margin example, neatly cancelled by full strike of a bright red Maltese cross. Spec AS20. Order: 7812 - £185.00	SG 2 1840 1d Black (IB) Plate 4. A fine used 4 margin example, cancelled by red Maltese cross, showing the distinctive "Dots" in letter squares. Spec AS23. Order: 7815 - £175.00
SG 2 1840 1d Black (IG) Plate 4. A fine looking 3 margin example, neatly tied to piece by full strike of the distinctive Manchester "Fishtails" Maltese cross. Manchester town cancel for March 12 1841 confirms known date range, March to June 1841. Spec AS23ub. Order: 7816 - £175.00
SG 1 & 7 1840 1d Intense Black & 1841 1d Red Brown (MK) Plate 5. A very fine used 4 margin matched pair, both showing vertical lies in left margin. The black is cancelled by a red Maltese cross, showing an extra line in centre, the red lightly cancelled by a black cross. Spec AS24 & AS26. Order: 7817 - £265.00	SG 2 & 7 1840 1d Black (JH) Plate 5. A fine used 4 close to large margin example, tied to front by red Maltese cross to Nottingham, with forwarding town cancel in red of Mansfield for "Sunday" 2nd August 1840. 3 margin Red Brown included for reference show well the weak upper part of the left side. Spec AS25 & AS26. Order: 7818 - £225.00
SG 2 1840 1d Black (NB) Plates 6 State 1 & 2. A fine used 4 margin matched pair from plate 6, showing both states of repair, cancelled by red & black Maltese crosses. The frame lines on state 2 are stronger, and letters weaker. Spec AS41 & AS42. Order: 7820 - £395.00	SG 3 1840 1d Grey Black (ML) Plate 6. A good used 4 margin example - very close SE corner - slight bend - cancelled by distinctive Manchester "Fishtails" Maltese cross, well to the right leaving the profile clear. Substantial plate wear for this plate. Spec AS41ub. Order: 7813 - £225.00 - SOLD
SG 2 1840 1d Black (HF) Plate 6. A fine used 4 margin example, tied to folded lettersheet by a Orange Maltese cross, in the same ink as the Ruthin - Wales, forwarding town cancel for Jan 4th 1841 on the reverse to London. Spec AS41. Order: 7822 - £425.00	SG 2 1840 1d Black (PE) Plate 7. A very fine used 4 margin example, lightly cancelled by red Maltese cross. No "O" flaw - double "E". Spec AS44b. Order: 7823 - £185.00
SG 2 1840 1d Black (LK) Plate 7. A very fine used 4 margin example, struck by full red Maltese cross, on thin experimental paper. No "O" flaw, top right ray NW square incomplete. Spec AS44c. Order: 7824 - £195.00	SG 3 1840 1d Greyish Black (CH) Plate 7. A fine used 4 margin example struck by red Maltese cross, with stage 2 "O" flaw, from worn plate. Spec AS45. Order: 7825 - £175.00
SG 2 & 7 1840 1d Black & 1841 1d Red Brown (PA) Plates 8. A very fine used 4 margin from State 1, showing state 1 "O" flaw, matched with a 3 margin red with very feint "O" flaw. The black has a rather brownish Maltese cross, probably mixed inks. Spec AS46 & AS47. Order: 7826 - £245.00	SG 2 & 7 1840 1d Black (CL) Plate 8, tied to folded lettersheet to Old Kent Road, by Experimental Black London Maltese Cross, for 5th September 1840. T.P King William Street cancel alongside. Matched with damaged 4 margin red for reference. Spec AS46&47. Lovely quality. Order: 7827 - £525.00
SG 2 1840 1d Black (SA) Plate 8. A very fine used 4 close to large margin example, lightly cancelled by red Maltese cross. VGL NE square. Bottom line extends to right. Spec AS46. Order: 6460 - £165.00 - SOLD	SG 2 1840 1d Black (IF) Plate 10. A fine used 4 margin example, cancelled by a red Maltese Cross. Note spot in front of neck appears to be a printing flaw, possibly from dirt on the plate. "O" flaw, feint scratches in NW square. Spec AS66h. Order: 7829 - £385.00

1840 TWO PENNY IMPERFORATE STAMPS

SG 4
1840 2d Pale Blue (IH) Plate 1. A fine used 4 margin example, tied to folded lettersheet by full bright red Maltese cross to Horbling in Lincolnshire, from London, forwarding on reverse for 2 July 1840.
Order: 7832 - £395.00 - SOLD

SG 5
1840 2d Blue (QG) Plate 2. A very fine used 4 margin example, cancelled by a full red Maltese cross. Scarce on this plate. SG Cat £1200.00
Order: 7831 - £395.00

1841 IMPERFORATE 1d RED

SG 8
1841 1d RED BROWN (LJ/LK) Plate 75
UNION JACK RE-ENTRY PAIR ON PART COVER.
Cut into on the right margin, but very scarce as a multiple and even scarcer tied to part dated lettersheet from Penryn to Chumley for March 5 1849 in blue.
SG CAT £2700 as a fine used single.
Order: 6513 - £595.00 - SOLD

1841 IMPERFORATE TWO PENCE STAMPS

SG 14
1841 2d Blue (BH) Plate 4. A fine 4 margin - just clear to large - example of this scarce listed variety "BH without spectacle" from the early printing. Cancelled in London. SG Cat £1200.00 Spec ES14n.
Order: 6518 - £295.00

1854 PERFORATE STAMPS

SG 29
1856 1d Red Brown (FG) Watermark Large Crown, perf 14, Alph III, lightly blued paper. A fine mint example, hinged with part original gum. Very fresh. Spec C8.
Order: 6348 - £75.00 - SOLD

SG 34wi
1855 2d Blue (EF) Plate 5. Watermark Large Crown - INVERTED, perf 14, Die I, Alph II. A fine used example struck by London "26" cancellation. Spec F6(1)c.
Order: 5726 - £45.00 - SOLD

Recently acquired - a lovely collection of 1858/69 2d Blues perforated Plates 7 – 15.

1858 CORNER LETTERS

1d Reds, 2d Blues, ½d Reds and 1½d Reds

SG 45 1858 2d Blue (FI) Plate 8. A fine used example, cancelled by a CDS - perhaps Louth for October 3 1880. Order Code: 7869 - £18.50	SG 45 1858 2d Blue (QF) Plate 8. A very fine used example, neatly struck by parts Belfast Duplex. Tiny part red PD - stamp was probably on cover sideways. Order Code: 7870 - £29.50
SG 45 1858 2d Blue (HI) Plate 8. A superb used example, neatly struck by Dublin CDS to the right leaving profile clear. Order Code: 7871 - £29.50	SG 45 1858 2d Blue (FA/FB) Plate 8. A fine used pair, struck by Hull duplex. Order Code: 7873 - £19.50
SG 45 1858 2d Blue (GD/DH) Plate 8. A fine used pair, struck by Sheffield "700" cancels. Small part red PD on DG. Order Code: 7874 - £24.50	SG 45 1858 2d Blue (RG) Plate 9. A very fine used example, cancelled by Perth CDS for 16th July 1867. Small part red "PD" cancel. Order Code: 7877 - £14.50
SG 45 1858 2d Blue (NE) Plate 9. A very fine used example, neatly struck by scarce "312" Loughrea Irish cancel. Order Code: 7878 - £24.50	SG 45 1858 2d Blue (KI) Plate 9. A very fine used example, neatly struck by upright Glasgow CDS - part of duplex - for 26th January 1865. Order Code: 7879 - £17.50
SG 45 1858 2d Blue (DJ) Plate 9. A fine used example, cancelled by CDS for 5th February 1862. Order Code: 7881 - £9.50	SG 45 1858 2d Blue (QH/QI) Plate 9. A very fine used pair, neatly cancelled by a scarce London NW district duplex for 2nd May 1862. Order Code: 7883 - £22.50
SG 45 1858 2d Blue (OJ) Plate 12. A very fine used example, neatly struck by Glasgow "159" cancel. Order Code: 7885 - £22.50
SG 46 1869 2d Blue (BC) Plate 13. A very fine used example, cancelled by London CDS and part red "PD". Order Code: 7886 - £34.50	SG 46 1869 2d Blue (HG) Plate 13. A fine used example, cancelled by London CDS for 29th March 1870. Order Code: 7887 - £24.50
SG 46 1869 2d Blue (ID) Plate 13. A fine used example, cancelled by upright London CDS for 5th August 1869. Order Code: 7888 - £29.50	SG 46 1869 2d Blue (EB) Plate 13. A fine used example, cancelled by upright London CDS for 2nd July 1871. Order Code: 7889 - £24.50
SG 46 1869 2d Blue (FJ) Plate 14. A very fine used example, neatly cancelled by London Charing Cross CDS placed low leaving profile clear. Order Code: 7890 - £29.50	SG 47 1869 2d Deep Blue (JH) Plate 14. A very fine used example, neatly cancelled by upright London CDS for 24th July 1872. Order Code: 7891 - £29.50
SG 46 1869 2d Blue (EH) Plate 14. A very fine used example, neatly cancelled by upright Liverpool CDS for 14th July 1875. Order Code: 7892 - £29.50	SG 46Wi 1869 2d Blue (KJ) Plate 14. Watermark INVERTED. A very fine used example, cancelled by CDS for 18th November 1874. Scarce so fine. Order Code: 7893 - £165.00
SG 46 1869 2d Blue (GF) Plate 15. A fine used example, struck by scarce "324" cancellation of Guernsey. Order Code: 7894 - £54.50	SG 46 1869 2d Blue (KB) Plate 15. A very fine used example, neatly cancelled by upright strike of the Blackburn CDS for 20th September 1878. Order Code: 7895 - £29.50