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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

GREAT BRITAIN, Queen Victoria 1855-1886 (Small size), part 1

Return To Catalogue - Great Britain Overview - Queen Victoria 1855-1886, part 2 - Queen Victoria, Large sized stamps - Queen Victoria 1887 issue - Penny Black and similar types

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Inscription 'Postage', No letters in the corners

1855 No letters in the corners

  4 Pence red
  6 Pence violet
  1 Shilling green

For the specialist, the 4 p stamp has watermark 'Chain' (3 types). The 6 p and 1 Sh have watermark 'Flowers in the four corners'. All stamps are perforated 14.

(Watermark 'Flowers in four corners')

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I've seen cuts from Philympia 1970 stamps of the 4 p stamp offered as 'reprints'.

Philympia set of stamps of 1970 on cover.

Cuts from 1970 Philympia stamps. Any uncancelled 1 p black stamps with 'PL' corner letters (or with 'modern' cancels) most likely come from these commemorative stamps.

1880 No letters in the corners, inscription 'POSTAGE'

  Halfpenny blue
  Halfpenny green (1883)
  1 1/2 Penny brown
  2 Pence red
  5 Pence blue

These stamps have watermark 'Crown' and are perforated 14.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Inscription 'Postage', White letters in the corners

1862 Small white letters in the four corners

  3 Pence red
  4 Pence red
  6 Pence violet
  9 Pence brown
  1 Shilling green

The 4 p has watermark 'Chain'. All other values have watermark 'Flowers in the four corners'. All stamps are perforated 14.

(Watermark 'Flowers in the four corners')

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1867 Large white letters in the four corners

  3 Pence red
  4 Pence red
  6 Pence violet
  6 Pence brown (different type, 1872)
  6 Pence grey (different type, 1872)
  9 Pence yellow
  10 Pence brown
  1 Shilling green
  2 Shillings blue
  2 Shillings brown

All stamps are perforated 14. Plate numbers are now included in the design. Various watermarks were used.

(4 p, plate number '13')

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Strange cancel on the 2 Sh blue stamp.

The famous 'Stock Exchange' forgery:

A collaborator of the Stock Exchange in London used these forgeries on telegraph forms in 1872 and 1873 (he then could resell the genuine stamps for his own profit). The forms were stored for the next 20 years and the forgeries were only discovered in 1898 when the forms were sold to a stamp dealer! Most, if not all, of these forgeries have the cancel 'STOCK EXCHANGE' in a circle with a date somewhere between 1872 and 1873 (these cancels are genuine of course). Many hundreds of these forgeries could have been used in a single day (according to Album Weeds). There are two types of these forgeries, one with plate number 5 and another with plate number 6 (with many corner letter combinations, even impossible ones). They are both lithographed instead of engraved, they bear no watermark (the genuine stamps do). The distinghuishing characteristics were found in 'Postal Forgeries of the World' by H.G. Leslie Fletcher. Some exist with corner letters that never existed as genuine stamps. See 'The mystery of the Shilling green' by Fred J.Melville (1926) for more information, which can also be downloaded at http://www.philatelicsannex.org/reference/reference.html.

Stock exchange forgery of plate 5:

(Left genuine stamp, right forgery)

(Stock-Exchange forgeries, plate '5')

The first type (plate 5) is has the corner letters large and ragged. The corner squares seem to be rounded at the angles. The line pattern just to the right of the 'E' of 'POSTAGE' is different in this forgery. Furthermore, there is a large white space besides the nose. These forgeries were used from June 1872 to October 1872.

Plate '6' forgery

The second type (plate 6) has the white rectangle around the plate number too thick and the '6' larger than the genuine. These forgeries were used from October 1872 to June 1873.

The 2 Sh brown has been forged by other forgers:

This forgery is made on watermarked paper. The "S" of "POSTAGE" is different from a genuine stamp. Next to it the same forgery, but now without watermark. Note the same numeral cancel "15" on two of the above forgeries.

I've been told that this is a 'Brussels' forgery with a "946" Middlesborough cancel, I have no further information.

I've been told that this is a die-proof of a Paris forgery, I have no further information.

A Senf forgery with overprint "FACSIMILE"

The forger Sperati has also made forgeries of the 2 Sh brown. These forgeries are extremely deceptive. Pictures of these forgeries can be found at: http://www.seymourfamily.com/rfrajola/Sperati/speratiindex.htm (Richard Frajola's Sperati website). Apparently he forged stamps with corner letters 'K L', 'J K', 'L J' and 'I P'. The cancels and paper that Sperati used are genuine (he bleached genuine stamps of lower value and printed his forged design on top of it).

Front and backside of a Sperati forgery, here with "SPERATI REPRODUCTION"' on the back.

Sperati 'L J' forgeries

Sperati 'proof' of a 'J K' forgery.

I've been told that this stamp with "A S" corner letters is also a Sperati forgery.

I've been told that this is a Sperati forgery as well, I have no further information.

Another unfinished forgery, with part of a forged Naples stamp on the left hand side.

Another forgery with "K G" corner letters.

For more stamps of Great Britain with Queen Victoria, issued from 1870 to 1886, click here. For stamps with Queen Victoria, but larger sized click here, Queen Victoria 1887 jubilee issue click here or Penny Black and similar stamps click here.

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