Great Britain 1840 1d Rainbow colour trial (State 2), SG DP20a.
A very fine unused bottom marginal example printed in lilac pink on white wove paper dipped in prussiate of potash.
It has long been believed that the voiding of the corner letters in these Rainbow colour trials was achieved by filling the grooves of the printing plate with wax. Recent research has brought this view into doubt as it is considered to be highly unlikely that the wax would have been able to withstand the immense pressure of the printing process to provide a consistent output.
The philatelic debate remains open as of date on the exact method employed. The most accepted views are that a harder substance than wax was used to fill the grooves or the area was completely ground away on the printing plate.
GB Specialised Catalogue No: DP20a (State2).
Stanley Gibbons dramatically reduced the price of this colour trial in their last GB Specialised catalogue from a price of £4,500 to £2,000. This price reduction was extreme and unwarranted in our view and, as such, specialised GB Queen Victorian pieces such as this are now presenting as exceptional value considering their level of rarity.
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