Skip to product information
1 of 2

Brixton Chrome

Lot 303 Lagos SG#36 (SC#29) 7.5d Dull Purple & Crimson, and 7.5d Pale Dull Purple & Deep Magenta, Queen Victoria, 1887-1902 Bicoloured Crown CA Watermarked Issue, 10th and 15th Printing, Fine and Very Fine Mint OG Examples

Lot 303 Lagos SG#36 (SC#29) 7.5d Dull Purple & Crimson, and 7.5d Pale Dull Purple & Deep Magenta, Queen Victoria, 1887-1902 Bicoloured Crown CA Watermarked Issue, 10th and 15th Printing, Fine and Very Fine Mint OG Examples

Two fine and very fine mint OG examples of the 7.5d dull purple & crimson and 7.5d pale dull purple & deep magenta 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 55,620 stamps sent to the colony and 32,760 remainders returned to London in 1905 for destruction. Thus, the net quantity issued was 22,860. This was spread out over what I believe to be 19 printings, made between December 1893 and August 1901. Although there is some variation in the head plate colour, most of the variation is in the ink used for the duty plate, which shows some significant variations and appears to exist in both aniline and non-aniline versions. 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 come from the 10th and 15th printings respectively.

Stanley Gibbons values two VF-75 mint examples at 8.5 pounds = $17, for hinged.

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

The stamps offered here grade between F-70 and VF-80 as follows:

Margins/centering: 40/70 and 50/70

Paper freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of visible paper flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10


View full details