Hong Kong Two Cents Stamp Information

Hi, does anyone have any information on this stamp from Hong Kong? What is it worth? What is it's history? if anyone has any info I would be grateful.

Thanks,
Dan

Hi Dan,

This stamp was issued in 1882. Unfortunately the damage renders this stamp worthless. It was valued at £32 in the 2018 catalogue but a fine example could be found for much less than that.

Thank you for the response :)

If you are buying stamps like this one, condition really matters. Look for one that is centered on all sides; does not have any missing perforations or tears; is clean; and if it is used try to pick one with a nice neat cancel - ideally showing the post office, date and time it was cancelled. If the stamp is a higher value make sure the cancellation is a postal one rather than a revenue cancel. All of these things contribute to the value of the stamp.

In the case of the stamp you showed, the watermark also matters. There are two watermarks of the Hong Kong Victoria 2c (Reddish) value. It is either a crown with CC under it, or a crown with CA under it. (The letters will be reversed if you view it from the back of the stamp.) See the examples below.

There are also some color shades which is why I put (reddish) in the listing. The colors range from Dull Rose to Rose-Lake and even Carmine. (Lighter to Deeper shades of red). In the case of your stamp the condition is such that it makes the other factors less meaningful. But it is a good reference item if you have other Hong Kong 2c values.

For information purposes...


How does one identify a revenue cancel on these Hong Kong issues?

How to tell the difference between a revenue and a postal cancel. Good question.
I am not an expert on Hong Kong cancellations, but I can tell you in general terms for British Colony stamps I assume all low value stamps are postally cancelled, and the high value ones were used for revenue purposes, unless I can prove otherwise.
With that start, I look for reasons why the high value stamps were postally used. The signs include:
The color of the ink - most postal cancellations are black, but there are exceptions.
The shape of the cancellation - most postal cancellations have a circle with a town name and the date on it.
What does the cancellation say - registered would be a good one, stamp office usually means a revenue use.

If anyone else has other traits, please post them.