Lot 286 Lagos SG#32 (SC#21) 3d Dull Purple & Chestnut, 3d Dull Mauve & Lake Brown and 3d Reddish Lilac & Lake Brown, Queen Victoria, 1887-1902 Bicoloured Crown CA Watermarked Issue, 20th, 22nd and 29th Printings, Three Very Fine Mint OG Examples

Three well centered and very fine mint OG examples of the 3d dull purple & chestnut, 3d dull mauve & lake brown and 3d reddish lilac & lake brown Queen Victoria De La Rue Keyplate stamp from the 1887-1902 bicoloured Crown CA watermarked issue. According to J.F Ince in his definitive work, there were a total of 143,820 stamps sent to the colony and 85,800 remainders returned to London in 1905 for destruction. Thus, the net quantity issued was 57,980. This was spread out over what I believe to be 31 printings, made between December 1890 and August 1901. The head plate shades range from dull mauve to pale slate lilac, while the duty plate (value) is printed in either shades of chestnut or lake brown. Like most values of this set, the progression of the printings can be identified by the degree of plate wear which first shows up in the detail of the Queen's hair and the diadem, as I explain in my blog posts. These stamps are the 20th, 22nd and 29th printings.

Stanley Gibbons values three VF-75 mint examples at 7.5 pounds = $15, for hinged.

I have written a blog post which outlines the differences between the printings. You can access it here.

The stamps offered here grade VF-80 and VF-75 as follows:

Margins/centering: 50/70 and 45/70

Paper freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of visible paper flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10