Great Britain Philatelic Society

This question has puzzled me for some time. How is "blued paper from the white paper period" distinguished from "ordinary" blued paper?

The question was raised again in my mind by lot 324 in the June 5th upcoming Spink auction. This lot is described as an unmounted unused 2/6 lilac, on blued paper from the white paper period, with a Brandon certificate.

How can one tell if a stamp is on blued paper, or "blued paper from the white paper period"?

Many thanks!

--Niels

My question has been pending on the message board for quite some time, with nary a single reply. Surely someone knows how to distinguish blued paper from blued paper from the white paper period?

nielss wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 7:42 pmThis question has puzzled me for some time. How is "blued paper from the white paper period" distinguished from "ordinary" blued paper?

Niels, I confess, I didn't know there was such a beast, but it is clearly listed as such by SG.

Looking at the SG listing, my best guess is that it has to be on the deep lilac shade, rather than the lilac shade.

The Spink description is:
"Great Britain
1883-84
White Paper
2/6d. deep lilac, lettered BH, on blued paper from the white paper period, unmounted mint; superb and very rare. Brandon Certificate (2018). S.G. 179a," and I note it was unsold.

FWIW, I would place little credence on a Brandon certificate.

Hi Nielss,
This is a very good question . I cannot say I know the answer, but I assume that it is blued paper from a period that is not generally accepted to have been issued to the public.
It is a fact that in the line engraved Victorian Great Britain stamps this bluing is reversable. Some collectors do
want the blued paper surface printed
varieties to be dropped from the catalogue listings because it is so easily
faked. I agree with this.

Hi Nielss,
This is a very good question . I cannot say I know the answer, but I assume that it is blued paper from a period that is not generally accepted to have been issued to the public.
It is a fact that in the line engraved Victorian Great Britain stamps this bluing is reversable. Some collectors do
want the blued paper surface printed
varieties to be dropped from the catalogue listings because it is so easily
faked. I agree with this.

I don't know where the difference lies between the blued paper from whatever period. I am wary of any expert certificate they are not always correct.

I am a little more familiar with line engrave. In SG catalog they list stamps generally on white, blue, etc. paper. Maybe if a surface printed pops up on white paper for a period that should have blue or vice versa??