GB KGV Downey Head - Overview And Discussion

N2 1/2 Cent Downey Head Die 1B 1911
Shade 6 3 - Deep Green Yellow-Green

I would welcome any comments or correction of my identification.




Nice Bournmouth CDS on postcard to Cincinnati, OH, Dec 13, 1911.

Nice looking pair Smauggie!

I think you are probably correct with your ID, watermark crown is N2, watermark simple cypher is N3 (booklets). I wouldn't feel confident in verifying your shade call as it is impossible to do from a scan. I will say that your pair does looks more like N2(5)yellow-green on my monitor though. Deep-green is pretty dark compared to the other shades.

This is the best way to collect used stamps IMHO, nice full strikes, stamp hasn't been washed and altered, perfs are protected from damage by the paper. Very nice, thanks for adding them into the mix!

Have a good one,

Skilo54

I think you are right about the same, Skilo. I will update my post.

Edit: That reminds me, is the watermark the only way to tell if they came from a booklet?

Kind of, you can look at perfs and centering but should really verify with the watermark. There very well may be subtle design element changes to look for, but I haven't gone that deep into the ½d's to say for certain. That is next-level type stuff and I am not there quite yet.

I do have a few interesting shades though and have prepared a comparative scan using your stamp next to a blue-green and a deep green in hopes that it can be of some help.



Have a good one,

Skilo54

Here is an almost blue Die2 ½d. Downey Head. It certainly stands out in the crowd.



Have a good one,

Skilo54

Left stamp:



Close-up of transitory flaw:

Skilo, that almost blue half penny stamp is just gorgeous. Is the shade scarce?

Thanks Rohumpy, I think it is pretty schweet as well!

With regards to the shade, it is the only one like it in my collection and does have a premium over the CV for the standard shades for this issue, £4 vs. £40. This stamp is a SG#338. The caveat being the stamp is used, who knows what could have happened to it in the 100+ years of its existence, chemicals, sunlight, or maybe it is a genuine Blue-Green, which is what I and a few fellow Downey collectors think.

Thanks for poppin' in man, have a good one,

Skilo54