1d Red Plate Number?

I have a 1d red imperf. The letters on the bottom are AB. Does anyone know what the plate number is? Is there anywhere online that lists the relationshop between these and other letters and the plate numbers?

Thanks

Brian

Hello Brian.....


Welcome to the club......

The AB is a position reference.....starting at the top left of a sheet, first row AA, AB, AC, AD......second row starts with BA, BB, BC, BD.......third row CA, CB, CC, CD....

You might be able to find a plate number in the grillwork on the sides.

Like the 198 on this one.

The nice pic (as usual) that Tom showed is for GB #33 (Scott catalog number). The plate number will be on both sides.

However, since you mentioned it was imperforate. It may be GB #3. In GB #33, the plate position letters are in all 4 corners, and the stamp was normally issued perforated. In GB #3, the plate position letters are ONLY in the bottom corners, and the stamp was normally issued imperforate. Maybe you can post a pic.

If you have GB #3, there are no easily identifiable plate numbers for this stamp. They are identified by well-studied characteristics of certain elements on each plate. Plates 12 through 175 were used to print the penny red imperfs. There are several books that serve as useful references for IDing these plates, but I know of no comprehensive online resource (so if anyone knows, please let me know).

For the beginner, the Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Specialised Stamp Catalogue Volume 1: Queen Victoria, is a decent reference. It has about 70 pages covering these plates. You will definitely need a good magnifying glass!

I think rohumpy has experience in IDing these plates, so maybe he will chime in and offer good advice.

k

Thank you for those answers. I will try and upload a pic when I find out how.

Cheers

Brian

I do havea decent selection of the early plates of the penny red imperf. However, they were already plated when I got them. Using SG Specialised, Vol I, comparing the stamps to the descriptions of the plates I can see why the stamp was plated the way it was. There are only one or two that I "plated" using the descriptions. I would not guarantee them.

Bottom line is that the plating of the penny red is a very specialized area, and probably requires many years of study to become competent. Also, you have to realize that not every penny red is platable. The stamp must exhibit some characteristic which corresponds to a particular plate.

Totally different story with the penny black. There were only 11 plates and identification of the plate is almost easy (not quite, but close)

The blue twopence plates are also relatively easy. It is just that darned penny red imperf that causes the problems!

As one further comment, a few of the penny black plates were used to make printings in red. The penny black plates were 1 through 11, with number 1 existing as 1a and 1b.

Thanks guys I was trying to figure mine out a couple of days ago and gave up. At least I know what the letters in the corners mean now. I'll try looking for the plate number again.

Dianne

Very nice cancel, Dianne!

Sometimes when the cancel obliterates part of the plate number, you have to look at BOTH the left and right in order to get the entire plate number.

Rohumpy is correct regarding some of plates <12 being used to make the penny reds. I oversimplified things.

k

Yes I do love the cancel also. Finding this stamp in my stash of Great Britain stamps was a great surprize. I'm not sure where it came from. Maybee Harry?

Anyhow thanks a million.

Dianne

Hi Dianne....

The plate # on yours looks like 183.....you should be able to see it with a 5x lens.

Tom is it possible that it's plate no 100 I can see the no's 1 0 0 in the diamond shaped scroll.

Dianne

Dianne.....

It very well could be plate 100......obviously you can get a closer look than I can. '08 SCV for a Pl#100 is $2.50 and I'm sure that nice cancel has a value. The letters & numbers refer to counties and towns.....might be able to find a British collector that could give more complete info.

It's deffinately a 100 the guys at the club meeting helped me confirm it.

Dianne

The WC refers to West Central postal district of London.

k

Thank goodness the WC doesn't refer to water closet lol.

Actually, in some parts of Asia, the term "WC" used to refer to the public bathroom! I rarely see signs with that term anymore, so now it's an outdated term, but some of the older generation will sometimes know if you use that term.

Thanks for the info Khj.

Dianne