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Edward VIII 2½d Blue: Study of an Incomplete Collection

Introduction

The 1936 2½d Bright Blue of King Edward VIII
The Study of an Incomplete Collection

It had long been held that the 2½d Bright Blue had two basic states, the first being the perfectly normal presentation printed in 1936, and a second printed in 1937 that instead of a change of cylinder number had a bold bar printed under the Control. This has never been explained. Another difference between the two that has received no attention at all is the addition of a second cross beneath the separation/fold indication cross in the middle of the bottom margin each pane of some but not all sheets.

The intense study of a large amount of material has resulted in the hypothesis presented here that there were actually two cylinders used for the printing of the 2½d stamp, each cylinder with the number 2, presumably in error as the second cylinder should have been engraved number 3. Both cylinders were used in 1936, with the double cross separation/fold mark separating one cylinder from the other. Both were used again in 1937 but had the heavy bold bar added beneath the control to distinguish the material of one year from the other.

This presentation is incomplete despite material being collected over a couple of decades. It has proved to be impossible to obtain whole panes of the second printing of the first cylinder. This leaves the opportunity for further study and contribution, and all correspondence will be greatly appreciated and welcomed.

The presentation ends with a small miscellany of material, mainly sideways coils and a few covers to show the range of uses that the stamp has to offer.

Robin Restall
Cambridge, 2020

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Frame 1

  1. Introduction - The Two Cylinders hypothesis
NO STOP PANE
  1. The first cylinder, first printing (1)
  2. The first cylinder, first printing (2)
  3. The first cylinder, first printing (3)
  4. The first cylinder, first printing (4)
  5. Flaws on the first cylinder
  6. British currency overprint (1)
  7. British currency overprint (2)
  8. British currency overprint (3)
  9. British currency overprint (4)
  10. British currency overprint (5)
  11. The second cylinder (1936 use) (1)
  12. The second cylinder (1936 use) (2)
  13. The second cylinder (1936 use) (3)
  14. Flaws on the second cylinder
  15. The second cylinder, with bar (1937 use)
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Frame 2

NO STOP PANE (cont)
  1. The bar and fine lines
  2. Adding the bar
  3. The fourth and final No Stop printing
STOP PANE
  1. Mini sheet, introduction
  2. The first cylinder, first printing (1)
  3. The first cylinder, first printing (2)
  4. The first cylinder, first printing (3)
  5. The first cylinder, first printing (4)
  6. The Ear Flaw
  7. The first cylinder, Spanish overprint (1)
  8. The first cylinder, Spanish overprint (2)
  9. The first cylinder, Spanish overprint (3)
  10. The first cylinder, Spanish overprint (4)
  11. The Spanish overprint, untrimmed
  12. The second cylinder, Spanish overprint (1)
  13. The second cylinder, Spanish overprint (2)
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Frame 3

STOP PANE (cont)
  1. The second cylinder, Spanish overprint (3)
  2. The second cylinder, Spanish overprint (4)
  3. The Bar
  4. Bar with line?
  5. The second cylinder, with bar, 5-digits printing (1)
  6. The second cylinder, with bar, 5-digits printing (2)
  7. The second cylinder, with bar, 5-digits printing (3)
  8. The second cylinder, with bar, 5-digits printing (4)
  9. The second cylinder, with bar, 6-digits printing (1)
  10. The second cylinder, with bar, 6-digits printing (2)
  11. The second cylinder, with bar, 6-digits printing (3)
  12. The second cylinder, with bar, 6-digits printing (4)
  13. The first stop cylinder with bar (1)
  14. The first stop cylinder with bar (2)
  15. The first stop cylinder with bar (3)
  16. The Ear Flaw
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Frame 4

STOP PANE (cont)
  1. False Type 6 perforation
MISCELLANY
  1. Sideways delivery coil
  2. Sideways delivery coil joins
  3. Sideways delivery cylinder number
  4. Sideways delivery fakes
  5. Registered cover
  6. Two more registered covers,
  7. Dead letter from Australia
  8. Used abroad or paquebot?
  9. Franking from three countries
  10. The Branchline TPO
  11. Home District Cancellation
  12. Two accidental flaws
  13. Two more accidental flaws
  14. Home Fleet Coronation Day cancellation
  15. The Home Fleet Coronation Fleet Fakes