Description
Great Britain 1963 3d Red Cross Centenary Congress (Ordinary), SG642a.
A superb unmounted mint, with full original gum, horizontal pair, the left hand stamp with red (cross) omitted, the right hand stamp showing a partial omission.
A lovely progressive piece and a magnificent example of the most popular and visual of GB errors.
A very scarce and iconic QEII error of missing colour. Pierron records only circa 19 mint examples.
Initially, in 1959, when the Earl of Woolton and Chairman of the British Red Cross Society asked the Postmaster General whether stamps could be issued to mark the centenary of the international conference, which was held in Geneva on 26 to 29 October 1863 the answer was “No”. This was because the policy at the time was that the Post Office did not issue stamps to mark past events.
Thankfully, this policy was reviewed and changed and stamp issues were permitted to mark historical anniversaries of outstanding importance. As the international conference in Geneva ultimately led to the foundation of the Red Cross in August 1864, a stamp issue was permitted to mark this historically significant event.
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