Great Britain 1p KGV Watermark

Has any one come across a 1p KGV, scarlet, Scott 160 (Scott 188???) with watermark 32 Multiple crown & GvR?

More info: The placement of the crowns and the script are the same as wmk 32. The design of the crown does not resemble either wmk 32 or 33. The crown in watermark 34 is closest in design, just a good deal larger.

That would be one unusual stamp the p for pence didn't start till 1971 when the UK went decimal. it is 1d standing for Denarius (latin) still alwas callled a penny, never a Pee like the decimal currency was for a long time. Nit picking I know but it's all learning, have fun.

A good part of the world does not use Scott, certainly if they colllect GB. Try to provide some details that are not Scott-specific. A picture helps. Or describe instead of referring to numbers.

I think you refer to the 8 October 1912 Mackennal 1d scarlet. This has the so-called Simple Cypher watermark. The stamp - the same goes for the halfpenny - was printed on Multiple Cypher watermark paper for preparing stamp coils. The stamp was issued in August 1913. This stamp has a script GvR but otherwise looks like the Block Cypher watermark of February 1924.

Interesting to see the right one is described as typo, when the left one also is typographed. The left one is Simple Cypher, the right one Block cypher. Both come in a wide range of shades. There was also a Multiple Cypher issue. This has the setting as the right one, but the GvR in script as the left one.

The other difference is the printer. The left one was printed by Harrison and Sons. The right one by Waterlow and Sons until 1933 and from 1934, again, by Harrison and Sons.

The right one exists on experimental paper - October 1924 - that has smaller G and R than usual, but the crown is not much different - maybe it looks larger because the GvR cypher is smaller - i.e., lower -.

The left one exists with three minor varieties of the Simple Cypher watermark. It also exists printed with a coarser printing and rougher looking paper from 1922, but that has the normal Simple Cypher watermark. This was printed at the Stamping Department of the Inland Revenue at Somerset House.

Interesting that you picked that up.
The text printed, is my naming regime.
This may be one area where the Scott Catalogue is wanting,
Their regime suggests all stamps remain the same, from the last print ID.
The 1912 set is not listed as "Typo" the last ID was "Re Engraved"
One could therefore assume these to be engraved.

I was not sure, without lugging out the SG tome. Hence I left it blank.
I note also Scott fails to ID the 6d as engraved?

I think the stamp community is quite good at inventing its own language. As I understand it, you can cut away the part of the design you do not want to see in colour. I think that is typography, surface-printing or letterpress. Alternatively, you can cut away the part of the design you want to print in colour, i.e., make recesses to hold the ink. I think that is called recess-printing, intaglio or line-engraved. In either case there is some form of engraving: i.e., the cutting away.

To quote Stanley Gibbons: "All King Edward VII stamps were surface-printed. This process is also known as letterpress and philatelists usually refer to it as typography."


All George V low value stamps - up to 1/- - until 1933 and all postage due / to pay stamps are called typography stamps by Stanley Gibbons. From 1934, the former were printed in photogravure. The values of 2/6 upwards - including the £ 1 Postal Union Congress of 1929 - Stanley Gibbons calls recess-printed.

In the introduction to the typographed Downey Heads, they refer to J.A.C. Harrison "as this was his first attempt at engraving for typography."

And then, there are those that like to call typography relief printing.

So, I think it is safe to say all British 6d stamps issued before 1934, except for the embossed one issued in 1854 were engraved and also typographed.

Maybe it is time to engrave some potatoes for dinner. :-)