SHOW MENUThe 2d Blue 'with lines' Plates 3 and 4
Introduction
Plates three and four are a remarkable pair of plates of the 2d blue as they were printed over fourteen years between 1841 and 1855. This longevity caused plate three to extend through the Maltese Cross era to the numeral cancellations and plate four to be produced imperforate, perforated 16 and perforated 14.
Plate 3 printed 189,000 sheets and Plate 4 an impressive 267,900 sheets. This compares to the later plates 5 and 6 (printed from the second die) that only made 89,500 and 50,000 sheets respectively. The contemporary red plates also produced significantly fewer sheets. The 1841 1d red plates 11 and 12 produced 40,000 sheets each and the 1849 plate 99 produced 75,600. This may be due to differences in the abrasiveness and chemistry of the inks.
These plates have been extensively studied. As a dateline can be inferred by the changes in cancellation and perforation, it is possible to allocate sequences of wear and corrosion and their subsequent repair. New discoveries are still being made.
References
H Osborne: Twopence Blue: Studies of plates 1‑15 1946.
Ken Statham: The Essential Guide to the Great Britain Line Engraved 1d and 2d Stars 1840‑1864: Volume 18 2006.
Mike Jackson: Two Pence Blue Plating Guide. 2010.
Stanley Gibbons: Queen Victoria Volume 1 Part 1 2020.
Martin Townsend Personal Communication.
Winston Hollins Personal Communication.
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Frame 1Plate 3 Plate 4 |
