SG1
Pall Mall, London, 1840
SG1
1840 Intense Black
SG1
1840 Blue
Watermark
Small Crown
VR
Official Stamp
Sheet
Notice
April 1840 notice to Postmasters notifying of the imminent release of the Penny Black
First Usage
6th May, 1840
Late Usage
3rd December, 1857
Spiro Forgery
A comparison to the genuine penny black
Plate #
Each of the twelve plates had the plate number postiioned at the top right of the plate. Shown above is plate 6.
Plate 11
Plate 11 is the rarest plate, it can be identified easily by the above flaw. Plate 11 stamps almost always have a black MX cancel.
Plate numbers and quantity issued of 1d black
1a/1b - 10,052,400
2 - 7,659,120
3 - 4,786,800
4 - 6,701,760
5 - 8,616,480
6 - 9,095,040
7 - 8,137,680
8 - 7,180, 320
9 - 3,840,000
10 - 1,920,000
11 - 168,000
This makes plate 11 the most desirable plate to own
PLATE #'s
Printer
Printed by Perkins Bacon & Co
Essays and Proofs
Essay
Rowland Hill's design
The die for the penny black was engraved by William Wyon, and based on his Wyon City Medal of 1834 which depicted a fifteen-year-old Victoria
Essay
Rainbow Trial
Essay
Water color essay
Essay
A water-colour drawing of a statuary bust of Queen Victoria with pencilled diadem detail
Essay
Water-colour drawing of Queen Victoria's head made by Henry Corbould from the Wyon City Medal and sent to Perkins, Bacon
Essay
Perkins Bacon engine turned essay for the background of the 1d. black, numbered “No. 2” - All designes were rejected
Essay
A Perkins Fairman and Heath, engine turned essay for the background of the 1d. black. The center band was selected.
Essay
A Perkins Bakon, engine turned essay for the background of the 1d. black.
Essay
Prince Consort imperforate
Essay
Prince Consort perforated DP71(3C)
Proof
Proof in black of the accepted background
Proof
Reversed impression die proof with "Stars" added in the upper corners and blank letter squares at foot. Printed in black on thin bluish wove paper (85 x 134mm) with a slightly overinked appearance as usually seen. Pulled from a flat plate showing vertical guide lines outside the design with part etching in the margin "Deposi(t)/Bank of Briti(sh)". Produced prior to the transfer of the impression to the full plate, possibly to verify the alignment of the transfer roller.
Reverse impression die proof
Proof
Original die proof of the complete design before crosses added
Proof
Original die proof of the complete design with crosses added
Proof
Proof from original die
Original Die
Rolled out 240 times onto copper plate
Proof
An 1850 Perkins Bacon proof of the engine turned background of the 1d. black. The center band was selected.
Proof
1871 Ormond Hill Die proof - Black
Proof
1871 Ormond Hill Die proof - Pale Carmine
Proof
Ormond Hill Die proof orange-vermilion on thin hard yellowish white wove paper on card (DP29)
Proof
1919 Die proof (DP8b)
Imprimatur
Intense Black
Imprimatur
VR
Reprint
1865 Royal Reprint" Pl.66 (Wmk. Inverted) One sheet printed
Reprint
1871 Perkins Bacon reprint of Heath's First Design 1d. in black on card (53x57mm)
VR trial
Cancellation removal experiment
Rainbow Trials
State 1
Black on thin white wove paper
State 2
Dull olive green on thick bluish laid paper
State 2
Lilac-rose on white wove paper dipped in prussiate of potash
State 2
Dull rose-red on white wove paper dipped in prussiate of potash
State 2
Lilac-rose on white wove paper dipped in prussiate of potash
State 2
Deep red-brown on thin white wove paper
State 2
Sheet of deep red-brown on thin white wove paper
State 2
Deep lilac brown on thin white wove paper, cancellation trial
State 3
Dark olive-green on thick bluish laid paper
State 2
Sheet of dark olive-green on thin white wove paper
State 3
Bluish green on thick bluish laid paper
State 3
Deep blue on white wove paper
Known as 'Labels'
It is necessary to note that the term “ Stamps,” in these early official documents, is generally applied to the Mulready envelopes and covers, the adhesive stamps being termed “ Labels.”
The penny black printing room
Distinctive Cancels
Ashton-under-Lyne
One central point crosses at it's end
Belfast
Brighton
Channel Islands
Cork
Coventry
Dublin I
Dublin II
Greenock
Almost straight sides, a large centre with prolonged points
Hollymount
Only the outer frame (the rest broke away)
Kelso
Straight sides and small centre
Kilmarnock
Dot in the centre
Leamington
Central points greatly elongated
Leeds
Very rounded loops
Limerick
Manchester
Center points resemble fish tails
Melksham
Three dots in the design
Montrose
Mullinger
Notches cut into each side of the outer frame of the cross
North Allerton
One point of the centre noticeably elongated
Norwich
Oxford
Solid centre
Perth
Central points are elongated and central cross is not symmetrical
Plymouth
SCOTTISH
Small diamond
SCOTTISH
Large diamond
Stonehaven
Only in brownish orange
Tadcaster
Tallow
Welshpool
Solid centre
Wincanton
Wotton-Under-Edge
File marks cut across
York
Number in Centre
Numbers
1 through 12
Cancel colours
Black
Red
Red MX Ink Composition
1lb Printers red Ink
1 pint of linseed oil
½ pint droppings of sweet oil
Red MX ink was easily removed, it was discontinued Feb. 1841
Any shade of red is rarely seen on plate 10 and almost never on plate 11
Red
Brownish-red
Lilac-rose
Ruby
Orange-Red
Orange-Brown
Bright Orange
Vermilion
Bright Violet
Magenta
Brown
White
Yellow
Pink
The Line Engraved Imperforate Issues
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