SG43/44 PENNY RED Plates For Sale

These "four corner letter" penny reds (SG 43/44) are often the collector's introduction to the fascination of the 1d red and are viewed with great affection. They were issued in 1864. It it still relatively inexpensive to acquire a used set of this issue as the only really expensive stamp is the scarce plate 225, excluding the exotic plate 77 of course! The standard of printing had advanced significantly since the first penny red was printed in 1841 but there are still many varieties worth looking at as with all the other 1d reds. Examples of constant varieties which can be seen throughout the life of the plate can be found and so can many non-constant varieties such as damage and corrosion marks which appeared as the plate got older (wear and tear basically), repairs to the plate which would create a constant variety from the date of the plate onward. For instance, if the design had started to wear the roller die might be run over the plate again to deepen the lines of the design. This would have the effect of deepening the main body of the design but not the corner letters as the roller dies didn't have corner letters so they would appear fainter leading to a "second state" or even a third or fourth possibly! Some marks like burrs tend to fade as time goes by as they themselves are worn away by natural wear or by a workman burnishing away the burr. It is really interesting to have a selection of stamps from the same plate and check letter position showing the signs of development from brand new to worn to repaired and then worn again. Another challenge could acquire a well-centred, crisply printed set with pleasing cancellations and much pleasure can be gained through the hunt for these items. The range of cancellations on these stamps is really amazing as these stamps travelled all over the world.

Plate 77

Everyone would love to find a plate 77 1d red but unfortunately it's very unlikely. Many plate 177 stamps masquerade as 77s due to the accidental or intentional masking of the "1" numeral. A way of confirming the authenticity of a genuine plate 177 is to look at where the bottom of the "7" numerals touch the engraving. If the bottom of the 7 meets the point where the engraved lines meet it's genuine. If slightly to the left it's a 177. Do let me know if you find one!

I have all plates available except the very rare plate 77.

If you let me know which ones you are looking for I will send you a high quality scan of the stamps to choose from and their prices.

Some example are listed below.

Plate 136 Lake-red very fine used block of 4 with Hull CDS 8th May 1872. Nice looking item - SOLD

Plate 150 NB Fine Used- A nice stamp with no faults. SOLD

Plate 166 LI Very Fine Used - No faults. £2.00

Plate 173 FK Fine Used- A nice stamp with no faults. £2.00

Please note that all prices include postage and packing

Plate 120 DE Very Fine Used- A nice stamp with no faults. £1.50

Plate 150 EG Superb used - no faults - £6.50

Plate 213 LC SG43 1d red

A fine used stamp with no faults other than being off-centre. Price £3.00 including postage and packing.