Sierra Leone #11, 22, 26 (SG#16, 27, 30) 1/2d Brown - 2d Grey, Queen Victoria, 1876-1891 Keyplate Issue, Watermarked Crown CC and Crown CA, Three Fine and VG Mint Stamps

Three fine and VG mint stamps from the 1876 through 1891 Queen Victoria keyplate issues. The 1/2d brown is watermarked Crown CC and is comb perf. 14, while the other two are watermarked crown CA. All are toned to more of a lesser degree, which suggests these actually spent some time in Sierra Leone, rather than coming from the UK. The toning does reduce the overall grade of these stamps from VF to fine, bit is not that serious, as many of the mint stamps of this period from Africa have toning.

Gibbons lists these stamps in fine for 68 pounds for OG (most expensive is the 2d grey, which is 60 pounds). This is approximately $136, but in this condition I think $75 is reasonable. The stamps offered here grade 63, 68 and 70 as follows:

Centering/Margins 50/70, 45/70, 40/70

Paper freshness: 3/5, and 0/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of visible paper flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10

Adjustment for deep toning on the 2d: -5 points

Adjustment for shallow thin on the 1/2d green: -10 points