GB Sg 536-539 / 536A-539A Shade Diferences.

hello. Could someone advise me on the differences in coloration between the "QEII Castles" stamps from 1955-58 ( SG 536-239 and SG 536a-539a ). This is between those printed by Waterlow and those printed by De La Rue. Thanks yours.

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That is a very difficult one. SG describes it more as an appearance of the colours than actual colour differences. I am not near my catalogue at the moment, but will come back to it.

The lines of the De La Rue stamps are cleaner and devoid of whiskers of colour of Waterlow's and the whole impression is lighter and softer.
Topmost perforation teeth are narrower on De La Rue stamps than on Waterlow stamps.

2/6: DLR is warmer and more chocolate brown, Waterlow is more blackish brown;
5/-: DLR is lighter red with less carmine than Waterlow;
10/-: DLR more blue and less ultramarine than Waterlow;
£1: DLR less intense black than Waterlow.

DLR is white paper, Waterlow can have creamier paper, but also exists with white paper.

Thanks You dear Friend. Photographs from examples are welcome.

Though you would like to compare them yourself , if you need better or bigger scans let me know . I have decent size collection of British .

Didn't recognise the half-crown castle, so I went checking and it's Carrickfergus Castle in Ireland. Has an interesting history, including being captured by the French in 1760. Stamps designed by Lynton "Larry" Lamb- the Larry comes from the character Larry the Lamb (c.f Sir Albert Lamb, and Lawrence Douglas Lamb, also saddled with the nickname).

Yes, the set comprises four stamps with a royal castle from each of the four countries / regions that make up the UK: Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England.

Thank you very much. These photographs are extremely useful to me. Thanks to them, I was able to identify the stamps of both printers.