Description
Great Britain 1854 6d Dull lilac (watermark reversed), SG59.
Exceptionally fine and fresh unused original gum four margin vertical pair. Lovely fresh colour and greenish gum.
Embossed postage stamps from Great Britain were issued during the reign of Queen Victoria and were only in issue for a short period between 1847 and 1854. The 6d stamp covered the rate to Belgium.
The 6d stamp is quite unusual in that it has tinted gum. This was the result of a printing made in error on the gummed side of the paper.
The printing process for embossed stamps was laborious. Stamps were printed one at a time on silk thread paper. The design was raised and recessed to create a rough surface. The working die had to be used to apply each impression individually to the printed sheet by hand.
As a result, the impressions were usually poorly spaced, either being too close together or too far apart. It was quite common for stamps to overlap. Postal workers would then often cut around the octagonal design before they were sold.
Few quality examples were produced from the printing process in the first place. Most were used for postage. Because of this, good quality mint examples are very desirable to collectors, but very difficult to find.
Mint, clean square-cut examples with four clear margins are rare. Finding this quality in a pair is quite exceptional.
A very rare multiple accompanied by a 2003 Brandon Certificate of Authenticity.
GB Specialised Catalogue No: H3(2)g.
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