Penny Red Maltese Cross

This is another penny red from my grandfathers collection, is there any information on this stamp? All I know is that it has a Maltese cross stamped onto it.

Hi Dan,

The penny reds came after the penny black. Yours appears to be a nice example but scanned on a black background would give us a better view.

Hopefully someone might be able to identify where this Maltese cross is from!

Hi bobby, thank you for your reply, as requested here is the stamp with a black background behind it, I have also attached a picture of the reverse of the stamp.
Thanks,
Dan

As indicated on the back of the stamp, it is from plate 25.

Nice stamp.

1841 Penny Red
Watermark small crown
Alphabet 1
Total stamps printed with Alphabet 1 is over 2 Billion

Why is there some blue on the back? It is not blue paper;so some chemical interaction with the cover or gum?......Is this often found in these issues?

The sheets of paper for printing the stamps were dampened before printing. Prussiate of potash...either in the ink or the paper... made the paper blue to various degrees.

Yes, this stamp is always on blue paper, just not obviously so from the front of this one. The first scan is overly bright but the second scan shows a trace of bluing on the face. Still, because of the difference in paper color front to back, the stronger bluing may have been due to a further secondary reaction with chemicals in the envelope paper it was on or in the soak water. I think because of that, no premium seems to be paid for this, but it is nice to have.

This is called an Ivory Head. Not all Great Britain bluish paper stamps of the period will show this, and some will show only a partial head or check letter boxes.

There is a modest premium for the Maltese cross cancel if you check your catalogs. A nice stamp.

Thanks Dan, nice stamp!

Bumping this older thread. I just wanted to post a picture of an Ivory Head from my collection. Fun to find, and not too expensive for Scott #3.

Nice find Partime. One of these days I'll get back to my penny reds.....