Great Britain 1870 ½d rose red Plate 8, SG48.
A very fine unmounted mint, with full original gum, block of four lettered 'FI-GJ'. Usual crazed and off white gum associated with this printing plate, nevertheless a very scarce multiple.
Provenance: Ex. "Verus".
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £2,400+.
An attractive block of an iconic stamp, being Britain's smallest ever stamp, with prestigious provenance.
The ½d rose red stamps, first issued on 1 October 1870, were the first halfpenny stamp. It was introduced to cover a reduction in the postal rate for newspapers and postcards.
It was designed to be approximately half the size of the penny stamps and is famous for being the smallest British postage stamp ever issued at 17.5mm x 14mm. The stamps were given the nickname "Bantams" due to their small size.
Because of their size, the sheets were perforated from side to side rather than top to bottom, with the A column normally inserted first. The stamps were watermarked with the word "halfpenny" that extended across three stamps.
The ½d rose red stamps were replaced in 1880 by the surface printed halfpenny green stamps.
BUY NOW: Order online, by phone +44 (0)1534 639 998, or via email info@paulfrasercollectibles.com
