Help Identify Penny Black

I have had this Penny Black for quite sometime and can't determine the plate number. While you are looking at the stamp, can you tell me whether it is SG 1 or SG 2? Thanks

That looks like SG2.
Nice stamp, 4 margins [just] and black Maltese Cross.
A Good 4-margin copy I'd say.

And if your Surname is Simpson, I'd say it's the perfect specimen !



Londonbus1

Londonbus, thanks for your assessment that it is probably SG2. Regarding the letters in the lower corners, yes "O J" would enjoy having this stamp.

Do you have any expertise in plating Penny Blacks?

I have a book (somewhere) on plating the penny blacks - I will look tonight !

mhc,

Why don't you give it a try yourself.

Go to http://www.maltesex.com/plating/ and if you follow the links you should be able to pull up scans of each of the plates for the OJ position.

Concentrate on the details around the stars in the upper corners and the peculiarities around the position letters and you ought to get the task done in half an hour.

-Larry

(if you need help, give a yell.)

Fantastic link, Larry. Thanks.

Stampstudy, thanks for the offer to look for a plate identification.

Idhaber, thanks for the link. I followed your suggestion and tried comparing my stamp to those on the site with the letters "OJ". I wasn't successful. The plates with single stamp images containing "OJ" were clear enough but I didn't find matching characteristics. There were several plates where the image contained many stamps and the images were too indistinct to compare.

mhc,

I don't disagree on some, many of the images.

but to my eye, yours looks like plate 1b. The rays coming out of the stars match to me and the letters look ok. But, that's to my eyes and I gladly defer to someone with the actual plating books (or better eyes).

-larry

Idhaber, thanks for suggesting it is plate 1b. I'm obviously too inexperienced to see the characteristics necessary to come to a conclusion. I think my letters "OJ" are heavier than the thinner ones on the site you recommended but then again it might be that my scan is a different resolution from theirs.