Lot 18 Great Britain SG#94 4d Vermillion 1865-1867 Large White Corner Letters, A Plate 7 Single Used on Fine Cover to France

A fine cover sent from Newton Le Willows to Mulhouse, France on July 10, 1867. Franked with a single 4d vermilion from plate 7, paying the 4d letter rate to France. The cover has one 8mm tear at the top and some minor flap damage, but is fine overall. Angl Calais and Mulhouse receiving backstamps.

Gibbons values a cover with the more common plates at 140 pounds. So, this plate which lists for 130 pounds off cover, as compared to 70 pounds for a less expensive plate 5 should be worth approximately 220 pounds, which converts to $382.

It is important to note that like all line engraved issues printed by Perkins Bacon and De La Rue, this issue was generally very poorly centered, due to the very narrow spacing between stamps in the sheets. In addition, the perforations are usually very rough with those described as rough perf, being almost indistinguishable as to specific perforation teeth. Even those stamps described as having clean cut perf, are still very rough compared to the subsequent De La Rue issues. On these, it is still the norm to find perfs that are hard to make out and both short perforations and somewhat rounded corners are the norm, rather than the exception. Generally speaking, VF stamps will be those that appear well balanced, but will generally have perforations touching, or cutting lightly into the design on at least one side, and on as many as 4 sides. Perforatons on VF stamps will be clearly all present, with no or very few pulled perfs, but the perforations will not be of even length. Fine stamps will be those that are noticeably, but not wildly off-center in 1 or 2 directions. Fine stamps may have between 1 and 3 short or pulled perforations. VG examples will be wildly off-centre and may have several pulled perforations.