Great Britain 1840 1d black "VR Official" imprimatur, SGV1var.
A superbly unused, with original gum, close to large four margin bottom marginal imprimatur from the second registration sheet lettered 'TC'; showing small part sheet inscription.
A spectacular and very rare marginal example.
There are only 27 examples possible which were removed from the imprimatur sheet (the very first approved printing sheet), many of which are in institutional collections.
The V.R. Official penny blacks have always been considered extremely important in the world of early British stamp collecting. The imprimatur, being the equivalent to the first edition, is a major trophy asset of British postal history.
Provenance: Ex Maurice Burrus.
Accompanied with a 1980 British Philatelic Association (BPA) Certificate of Authenticity.
The penny black VR Official was issued in May 1840 exclusively for use on official correspondence between government departments. The design is the same as the penny black in all respects other than the letters “VR” at the top of the stamp.
Because the Mulready was so disliked by the general public, it ended up being used by the government instead of the VR Official stamp. As a result, the stamp was abandoned and nearly all the supplies which had been printed were destroyed on 25th January, 1843.
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