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SG1

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Pall Mall, London, 1840

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SG1

1840 Intense Black
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SG1

1840 Blue
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Watermark

Small Crown
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VR

Official Stamp
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Sheet

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Notice

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April 1840 notice to Postmasters notifying of the imminent release of the Penny Black
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First Usage

6th May, 1840
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Late Usage

3rd December, 1857
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Spiro Forgery

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A comparison to the genuine penny black
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Plate #

Each of the twelve plates had the plate number postiioned at the top right of the plate. Shown above is plate 6.
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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

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Printer

Printed by Perkins Bacon & Co

Essays and Proofs

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Essay

Rowland Hill's design
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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

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Essay

Rainbow Trial
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Essay

Water color essay
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Essay

A water-colour drawing of a statuary bust of Queen Victoria with pencilled diadem detail
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Essay

Water-colour drawing of Queen Victoria's head made by Henry Corbould from the Wyon City Medal and sent to Perkins, Bacon
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Essay

Perkins Bacon engine turned essay for the background of the 1d. black, numbered “No. 2” - All designes were rejected
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Essay

A Perkins Fairman and Heath, engine turned essay for the background of the 1d. black. The center band was selected.
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Essay

A Perkins Bakon, engine turned essay for the background of the 1d. black.
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Essay

Prince Consort imperforate
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Essay

Prince Consort perforated DP71(3C)
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Proof

Proof in black of the accepted background
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Proof

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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
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Proof

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Original die proof of the complete design before crosses added
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Proof

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Original die proof of the complete design with crosses added
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Proof

Proof from original die
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Original Die

Rolled out 240 times onto copper plate
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Proof

An 1850 Perkins Bacon proof of the engine turned background of the 1d. black. The center band was selected.
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Proof

1871 Ormond Hill Die proof - Black
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Proof

1871 Ormond Hill Die proof - Pale Carmine
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Proof

Ormond Hill Die proof orange-vermilion on thin hard yellowish white wove paper on card (DP29)
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Proof

1919 Die proof (DP8b)
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Imprimatur

Intense Black
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Imprimatur

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Reprint

1865 Royal Reprint" Pl.66 (Wmk. Inverted) One sheet printed
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Reprint

1871 Perkins Bacon reprint of Heath's First Design 1d. in black on card (53x57mm)
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VR trial

Cancellation removal experiment

Rainbow Trials

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State 1

Black on thin white wove paper

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State 2

Dull olive green on thick bluish laid paper

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State 2

Lilac-rose on white wove paper dipped in prussiate of potash

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State 2

Dull rose-red on white wove paper dipped in prussiate of potash

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State 2

Lilac-rose on white wove paper dipped in prussiate of potash

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State 2

Deep red-brown on thin white wove paper

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State 2

Sheet of deep red-brown on thin white wove paper

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State 2

Deep lilac brown on thin white wove paper, cancellation trial

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State 3

Dark olive-green on thick bluish laid paper

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State 2

Sheet of dark olive-green on thin white wove paper

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State 3

Bluish green on thick bluish laid paper

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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.”

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The penny black printing room

Distinctive Cancels

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Ashton-under-Lyne

One central point crosses at it's end

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Belfast

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Brighton

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Channel Islands

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Cork

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Coventry

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Dublin I

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Dublin II

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Greenock

Almost straight sides, a large centre with prolonged points

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Hollymount

Only the outer frame (the rest broke away)

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Kelso

Straight sides and small centre

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Kilmarnock

Dot in the centre

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Leamington

Central points greatly elongated

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Leeds

Very rounded loops

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Limerick

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Manchester

Center points resemble fish tails

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Melksham

Three dots in the design

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Montrose

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Mullinger

Notches cut into each side of the outer frame of the cross

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North Allerton

One point of the centre noticeably elongated

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Norwich

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Oxford

Solid centre

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Perth

Central points are elongated and central cross is not symmetrical

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Plymouth

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SCOTTISH

Small diamond

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SCOTTISH

Large diamond

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Stonehaven

Only in brownish orange

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Tadcaster

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Tallow

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Welshpool

Solid centre

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Wincanton

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Wotton-Under-Edge

File marks cut across

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York

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Number in Centre

Numbers
1 through 12

Cancel colours

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Black

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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

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Brownish-red

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Lilac-rose

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Ruby

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Orange-Red

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Orange-Brown

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Bright Orange

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Vermilion

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Bright Violet

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Magenta

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Brown

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White

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Yellow

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Pink

The Line Engraved Imperforate Issues

Click your selected stamp

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SG17-33