Lot 267 St. Vincent SG#189/199a 1c Deep Orange - $1 Deep Myrtle Green, 1955-1963 Waterlow, and De La Rue Wilding Issue, A Mostly VFNH Short Set to the $1

A mostly VFNH complete short set to the $1 of the 1955-1963 Waterlow and De La Rue Wilding issue. The stamps are a mixture of Waterlow and De La Rue printings. Generally, the Waterlow printings are on DF paper and include the 2c, 3c, 4c, 15c, 25c and 50c. The 1c and 10c on DF paper are both De La Rue. The De La Rue printings are generally on LF paper and include, in additon to the 1c and 10c, the 5c, 20c, 50c and $1. The De La Rue 50c is the chocolate shade and the $1 is deep myrtle green. Waterlow lost its printing contract to De La Rue in late 1961, so where an issue spans the period from 1953 to 1963, most, if not all values can and will exist printed by both printers. Generally speaking, Waterlow printings will have a thicker than normal perforation tooth at the top right, but the bigger difference is that the impression will have tiny whiskers of colour and ink spatter, making the print appear somewhat fuzzy. De La Rue printings will be printed with much cleaner lines, which causes the entire design to appear lighter and softer. The difference is most apparent in the shading of the Queen's portrait. The fluorescence of the papers is another way to distinguish the printings. Waterlow and some De La Rue Printings are on DF paper, whereas stamps on LF and MF papers are almost always De La Rue and come from printings made in the 1960's.

Gibbons values these stamps at 50.90 GBP = approximately $86.50. The stamps offered here grade between 70 and 84, with most of the better stamps being 75 or above.