Great Britain 1840 1d, Plate 1b, June 11th 1840, the earliest date of use. PB 'original re-entry' used on piece with "P/JU-11/1840" London Chief Office Evening Duty circular datestamp.
This is the earliest known date of use of this printing plate and, as such, is a very important historical piece in early GB postal history.
The "Postage Stamps of Great Britain Part One" by J.B. Seymour & Gardiner-Hill and the Stanley Gibbons volume 1 specialised catalogue both state that "The earliest recorded use of Plate 1b for printing is 8 June 1840 (the believed date of the earliest repair to plate 1 was May 23rd) and the earliest known postal use is 12 June 1840. SG2.
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