Brixton Chrome
Lot 317 Lagos SG#40 (SC#36) 5/- Dull Green & Grey Blue, Queen Victoria, 1887-1902 Bicoloured Crown CA Watermarked Issue, a Fine OG Example With Specimen Overprint, Net est. $35, Click on Listing to See ALL Pictures
Lot 317 Lagos SG#40 (SC#36) 5/- Dull Green & Grey Blue, Queen Victoria, 1887-1902 Bicoloured Crown CA Watermarked Issue, a Fine OG Example With Specimen Overprint, Net est. $35, Click on Listing to See ALL Pictures
A well centered and fine mint OG example of the 5/- dull green & grey blue, Queen Victoria De La Rue Keyplate stamp from the 1887-1902 bicoloured Crown CA watermarked issue, with specimen overprint. According to J.F Ince in his definitive work, there were a total of 28,320 stamps sent to the colony and 18,900 remainders returned to London in 1905 for destruction. Thus, the net quantity issued was 9,420. This was spread out over what I believe to be 18 printings, made between March 1887 and August 1901. Both the head plates and the duty plates show significant shade variations. 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. This stamp was produced early in the life of this issue when UPU membership would have been lower than it is today. My estimate is that the quantity overprinted would have been between 200-250 examples.
2022 Scott Classic does not list specimens, but Giggons lists them for approximately $35 each, taking all overprints in the set as being worth approximately the same, as they would hall have been approximately the same scarcity.
I have written a blog post which outlines the differences between the printings. You can access it here.
The stamp offered here grades F-72 as follows:
Margins/centering: 45/70
Paper freshness: 2/5 (small tone spot at right)
Colour: 5/5
Impression: 5/5
Absence of visible paper flaws: 5/5
Perforations: 10/10
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