Lot 289 Sierra Leone SG#273-284 3d to One Pound 1963 Postal Commemorations Issue, A Complete Set of the Overprints on De La Rue and Bradbury Wilkinson Printings of the 1956-1961 Issue and 1961 Issue

A VFNH set of postal commemorations overprints on the 1956-1961 Waterlow and De La Rue Pictorial issue, the 1961 Pictorial issue, and the 1961 Royal Visit Issue. The stamps appear to be all De La Rue printings in the case of the 1956-61 designs, with the 4d, 9d, 1/6d and pound being on DF paper, and the 3d being on LF paper. Of the other issues, the 1/3d and 2/6d are on HF paper, and the 3/-, 7d, 6/-, 1/- and 2/- are all on LF paper. 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. In this case, this issue would have been produced from unsold remainders of the 1956-1961 issue and the other two issues, and so could include overprinted examples of either printing.

Gibbons values these stamps at 40 GBP = approximately $68. The stamps offered here grade between 70 and 80, with most of the stamps being 75 or above. The pound is where most of the value is and it grades 80.