Lot 298 Lagos SG#35 (SC#27) 6d Slate Lilac & Deep Plum, 6d Deep Dull Purple & Deep Reddish Purple, and 6d Pale Dull Plum & Dull Claret, Queen Victoria, 1887-1902 Bicoloured Crown CA Watermarked Issue, 6th, 11th and 13th Printing, F/VF OG Examples

Three fine and very fine mint OG examples of the 6d slate lilac & deep plum, 6d deep dull purple & deep reddish purple and 6d pale dull plum & dull claret 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 86,340 stamps sent to the colony and 23,400 remainders returned to London in 1905 for destruction. Thus, the net quantity issued was 62,940. This was spread out over what I believe to be 59 printings, made between March 1887 and October 1902. 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 an astonishing amount of variation, from claret to aniline crimson. 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. The very last printings made in October 1902 are from the new plate 2, and show full detail in the Queen's hair and crown. These stamps come from the 6th, 11th and 13th printings respectively.

Stanley Gibbons values three VF-75 mint examples at 14.25 pounds = $28.50, for hinged.

I have written four blog posts which outline the differences between the printings. You can access the first one 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 and 2/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of visible paper flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10