Penny Red Big Collection For Study

@Wilding mad thanks dear when you offer what you can then you offer every thing.

Hello every one I want ask about some points, this stamp perf 14 big crown white paper 1856 no cancellation and no gum may be trace of gum and washed shall I say it mint no gum or describe as unused also this is rose red or red brown my opinion it is red brown compare to some photos I got for color shades.


this one is small crown perf 14 bluish paper 1854 shall be classified as orange brown and graded as poor or good my opinion it is red brown re-engraved 1855.

for this one it is small crown bluish tint paper how to check it is originaly imperf and not trimmed my sense say its originally imperf due color tone and type of plate so can I found help my opinion it is red brown 1841.

Another two questions: I love manuscript cancellation ,in some topics it raise the value of the stamp and I rarely see that on victoria stamps so did am right and this stamp is quit hard to find and did is a cancellation or other thing,also I choose this color to be lake red did am right.

as for this one as I asked before there is no cancellation so did describe it as mint no gum or unused as in some countries the early issues graded as mint without gum because u can ever find one copy mint with gum and this is true for the first and second Egyptian sets.Also is this color be brick red or what?

Not so much for these as for the penny stars, look for Plating The Penny. There are something like six or eight volumes IIRC and some are tough to find.

Fiscal calculations ordinarily reduce the value of a stamp compared with a postally used copy. Yes, your apparently uncancelled copy without gum would be described as "unused" in the UK.

Mottaz, when the plates to print the line engraved stamps was being created, the letters in the bottom corners were inserted by hand and consequently many of these plates can now be recognised by the differing positions of the "check letters" when measured with a special gauge provided with the Roland Brown book giving measurements for different plates along with the Fisher alphabet comparator.


Using this method in combination with various printing (O) and (ray) flaws and other anomalies you will normally be able to identify a specific plate that the stamp comes from.

In total there are five volumes covering the penny line engraved stars > https://www.gbps.org.uk/publication...840-1864.php

You do need the books along with the gauge in order to be successful in the plating of these particular stamps. WM

Thanks dear billsey, Wilding mad for answer and help,
@GeoHaffa then this manuscript cancellation as I think used as a revenue stamp.

Mottaz, Here is another tip.

If you find a stamp that has been cancelled with either a red or black maltese cross it will most likely be from the earlier plates between 1 to 45, as the cancellations were changed in 1844.

Just a question as I am confused about something , the photo from the book of Fisher-Brown book you see the line said "Issued shades: red brown on bluish paper" did that means that this plate in the issue of red penny star only used to print sheets on bluish paper or just used for both papers and this line is a hint of addition color shade.

The latter !

Thanks dear.

Here is a matching pair, both from plate 9 with a re-entry.



The red version is on cover posted from Leeds to Edinburgh 1841.

nice addition dear Wilding mad, nice to put your treasures of info.

A variety of penny red that does not seem to have been listed in the Stanley Gibbons specialised volume 1, is that of the long and short perforations found on some of the stamps printed from the "A" and occasionally the "T" rows of the sheet.

Some of these varieties are quite scarce, and consequently I only have one example of which to show you.

With reference to these perforation varieties I could not but notice the lack of information relating to the almost 'Square' stamps that can be found with the 1854 penny red, unlike the normal versions with 16 perforations horizontal and 19 perforations vertical, these particular ones have 16 horizontal but only 17 vertical perfs.

It would appear that the normal stamp " on cover/entire " is given a listing, but with this poor little Cinderella who's a bit 'Square' to say the least doesn't even get a mention, having a stamp that is a completely different shape from the rest of the sheet does not seem to have interested specialised catalogues relating to this particular variety, as in the past it has only been treated as a novelty.

In 1854 when these perforated stamps were first issued, perforating machines were still in their infancy with their introduction being made by Irish born Henry Archer (1799-1863) and his invention for separating postage stamps, he later sold the rights and patents of his invention to the government after successful trials of the Prince consort essay of 1851 at a later date.

Here is an example of such a stamp on cover when comparing it with the normal version. >

This type of perforation variety is worth looking out for. WM.

Thanks dear Wilding mad for this info, that type of info I love to much stamps got many secrets to reveal.