Penny Reds Help Pls!

I've finally found time to sort through a bunch of penny reds, but I'm not doing too well at identifying the following two. The first one is on blued paper, imperf, small crown wmk, and seems to be Die I, but I can't find anything answering to this description in my Gibbons. Does anyone know what it is?



The second is just a colour problem, really. Is it brick red?

Based on those 3 bits of info, the top stamp can be 7, 8, or 12 in the SG catalog. Actually, all the imperforate penny reds are Die I. Die II wasn't introduced until after the start of production of perforated penny reds.

khj, you state that based upon jimjamtwo's info (blued paper, imperf. and small crown) the top stamp could be SG 7,8 or 12. I have been trying to improve my knowledge of classic GB stamps and it was my understanding from my SG catalogue that given these three pieces of descriptive info., the first stamp fits the description for SG 7 - 12. The heading in the catalogue for SG 7 - 12 states:" Wmk 2. Paper more or less blued. Imperf." It is also my understanding that all imperf. one penny reds are die I.

mhc99,

You are correct, I transcribed from the Key to Line-Engraved Issues incorrectly. The lines in the table are 7 and 8/12. So I meant to type 7, 8-12. Thank you! I am getting too old for this...



k

Well, at least this proves I can identify Die I correctly!!

But there isn't a shade as light as this listed in my Gibbons. Should I assume it's a faded copy?

jimjamtwo, with regard to the shade of the first stamp, my older 1991 SG catalogue lists the following shades for SG 7 - 12: red-brown, pale red brown, deep red-brown, lake-red and orange-brown. Further down the page, it states:" There are innumerable variations in the color and shade of the 1d. red and those given in the above list represent color groups each covering a wide range."

So you can see that yours could be a "pale" version of the color.

Oh yes, the old shade problem!

One thing I read that suggests that the stamp may be its original colour is that the printers of the penny reds did not use fugitive inks. So the only reason for this one to have faded would be if it had been left lying in the sun for weeks on end, which seems unlikely.

Looking at the first stamp, I'd say it could well be an SG 9, 'pale red-brown (worn plates)' - though Britain is certainly not my special subject.