Lot 288 Lagos SG#33 (SC#24) 4d Dull Purple & Black and 4d Deep Dull Purple & Black, Queen Victoria, 1887-1902 Bicoloured Crown CA Watermarked Issue, 1st, 4th and 5th Printings, Three Fine Mint OG Examples

Three well fresh and fine mint OG examples of the 4d dull purple & black and 4d deep dull purple & black 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 258,540 stamps sent to the colony and 107,880 remainders returned to London in 1905 for destruction. Thus, the net quantity issued was 150,660. This was spread out over what I believe to be 56 printings, made between March 1887 and August 1901. The head plate shades range from deep reddish purple to dull mauve, while the duty plate (value) is printed in black. 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 1st, 4th and 5th printings.

Stanley Gibbons values three VF-75 mint examples at 6.75 pounds = $13.50, for hinged. Fine would usually be worth half this amount, but these are scarcer printings, so my estimate of their value is still $15.

I have written seven blog posts which outline the differences between the printings. You can access the first one here.

The stamps offered here grade F-68 and F-70 as follows:

Margins/centering: 40/70

Paper freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of visible paper flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10 and 8/10