Postage Stamps and 5 The GB John Ainsley Probably the commonest queries we receive at Antiques Info relate to postage stamps. Recently I was 1 ‘Windsor’ loose leaf album asked personally by a local lady if I could value her for stamps of Great Britain, father’s stamp collection because it included a Penny Stamp collection of Great Volume I, pre-decimal stamps, Black. Unfortunately the whole catalogue consisted of Britain, mostly Victorian, incl. 1840-1970, incl. penny blacks, low denomination world stamps and the Penny Black 23 penny blacks, (MX cancels), two penny blues, penny reds, was a reproduction commemorative from the 1970s. all good margins; one unused high values to 9 penny black plate 2 (RPS include £5 orange (SG 137), The best book introduction to GB stamp collecting is Collection of Commonwealth certificate); 40 unused blocks Edward VII and George V Collect British Stamps, from Stanley Gibbons, which is stamps, and (40) penny plates (broken high values incl. Seahorses published annually and retails at £12.95. It represents a later to include, some MM, St range 71-222); Queen and Postal Union Congress, Helena, Hondurus 1888, over- good guide to GB stamp collecting, from the Penny Victoria high values, SG 128, George VI and Elizabeth II stamps and cut, Jamaica Black to the present day. The latest 2012 edition goes 130, 131, 134, 135 and 136 high values, mint and used, 1860, Barbados 1875 and a up to Christmas, 2011. This is an ideal reference book and £1, SG 185-186 and approx 900 stamps. Halls full margin Penny Black, in for the beginner or those wishing to research the values King Edward VII £1, SG 263 Fine Art, Shrewsbury. Dec 09. four albums. Gorringes, of collections which have been passed down through and 320 (catalogue value HP: £1,800. ABP: £2,124. Lewes. Mar 10. HP: £1,000. circa £55,000), red binder. the family. It really is a superb introduction to GB ABP: £1,180. Gorringes, Lewes. May 10. 6 , full of helpful advice on how to build a HP: £16,000. ABP: £18,880. collection. Regarding the Penny Black, I have noted in 10 the Victoria section that the price of an unused stamp is 2 up by £2,000 and a used stamp by £50, and an 1867 5s red (SG126) is up from £8,250 unused to £11,000. A used 5s red in mint condition has gone from £600 to £750. Don’t rely on old catalogues! GB, Victoria to EII (decimal) Stanley Gibbons has also just published on the 30th stamp collection, incl. April their Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue, Victoria, 1840 penny blacks which is now in its 27th Edition. The retail price has Collection of 39 penny black (2), 4 margins & one margin, been kept at £29.95 and this award winning work stamps, three 2d blue stamps, perfs., plated, 1883 continues to fill the gap between the straightforward and others. Charterhouse, -84, halfcrowns (2), 5 shillings listings provided by Collect British Stamps and the Sherborne. Dec 10. HP: & 10 shillings etc. (270) & high level of specialisation of the SG Great Britain £1,700. ABP: £2,006. Edward VII, incl. 1902-10, Specialised Catalogue series. The new edition includes The prices quoted are actual halfcrowns (3), 5 shillings, 10 Exceptional blue Lighthouse shillings & £1, etc. (38), such popular features as watermark varieties, on cover album of G.B. Victoria, some Hammer Prices (HP) followed by the Approximate used, in two albums, plus prices for Queen Victoria and King Edward VII stamps, high values and many unused Buyer’s Price (ABP) which George V to EII (pre-decimal), errors, major varieties and booklets, as well as more stamps, incl. £5 orange, penny includes an average buyer’s wmk. varieties, mint & used, recent collecting interests, such as presentation packs, red plates only lacking 77, premium of 15% + VAT. in small stockbook. (small large quantity of good penny first day covers, gutter pairs, yearbooks and ‘smilers’ lot) A F Brock & Co Ltd, sheets. Prices have been reviewed throughout so it is blacks and unused reds, blues 7 Stockport. Feb 12. HP: £650. always worthwhile updating your copy annually. I etc. Gorringes, Lewes. Oct 10. ABP: £767. HP: £11,500. ABP: £13,570. know collectors who are still hanging on to and using earlier catalogues which are seriously out of date. There 3 Good album of GB stamps has been significant price increases to Queen Victoria incl. Queen Victoria green and also to the earlier twentieth century issues, Queen £1, George V green £1, 11 Elizabeth errors and varieties and many modern issues, Postal Union Congress 1929 where demand seems to be outstripping supply. £1, four penny blacks, eight Stamps British 1840, Penny Two Penny Blues and many Black (20) 2d blue (10), 1841 other stamps. Charterhouse, Penny Red (15) and 2d blue Sherborne. Jun 09. HP: (42 incl. 2 Paris and a strip £1,450. ABP: £1,711. of 3) all cut into some degree and other faults. Sworders, Good collection of GB 8 Stansted Mountfitchet. Jul 01. stamps, incl. penny blacks on HP: £500. ABP: £590. covers, two penny blues, two one penny Mulreadys, PUC 12 £1 mint and used, and many others, in a Senator Album. Charterhouse, Sherborne. Dec 11. HP: £3,600. ABP: £4,248.

4 Collection of G.B. and World stamps, Victorian and later, Stamp collection of Penny Album of GB stamps, incl. in four albums incl. penny Blacks, EI, AE, AH, SE, EG, Queen Victoria £1 green, 7 black cover, imperf, penny OJ, PC and MD (plates 5?, penny blacks, block of 3 blue reds, 71 - 225 missing 77, 6, 1, 10, 16 (3) and 5), all 2d and others. Charterhouse, seahorses, etc. Gorringes, red MX cancels, 4 with good Sherborne. Sep 09. HP: Lewes. May 09. HP: £1,300. margins. Gorringes, Lewes. £1,800. ABP: £2,124. ABP: £1,534. Feb 09. HP: £480. ABP: £566. ANTIQUES INFO - July/August 12 Postage Stamps

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18 Album of GB and world GB, Victoria, penny blacks, stamps incl. a penny black, horizontal pair ‘BI’ & ‘BJ’, four margins, good to fine Collection of seventeen penny Victoria, 1840 penny black, three 2d blue and others. Pair of 2 penny blue stamps, blacks, incl. one with 3 good Plate 6, ‘TG’, 4 margins with Charterhouse, Sherborne. Sep used, with red MX cancels. (2) A F Brock & Co Ltd, 4 others, two Penny Blacks, a margins, light Maltese Cross strong colour & freshness, 10. HP: £240. ABP: £283. 5 shilling stamp, and others. cancellation and a 10 shilling otherwise mint or unused, Stockport. Nov 11. HP: £165. 23 ABP: £194. Charterhouse, Sherborne. Jun seahorse. Gorringes, Lewes. slight traces of gum, rare. 09. HP: £130. ABP: £153. May 10. HP: £440. ABP: £519. (Catalogue £10,000) AF Brock & Co Ltd, Stockport. May 11. HP: £340. ABP: £401. 33

19 14 Victoria to EII decimal, stamp 28 collection, incl. Vic., penny Range of Victoria - Queen blacks, ‘D-E’, one margin, Elizabeth II stamp album Two albums of Victorian and GB, Victoria, penny black, ‘I- with red MX cancel, ‘J-D’, 3 containing penny black, later Great Britain stamps, A’, four wide margins, red margins, with black MX tuppenny blues, penny reds, 5 incl. penny black with Maltese MX cancel. A F Brock & Co cancel, ‘R-F’, slightly cut shilling & 2/6 George V sea cross and three 2d blues. Ltd, Stockport. Nov 09. HP: into at top, otherwise three horses - 10 shillings. Kent Charterhouse, Sherborne. Sep £130. ABP: £153. margins, with red MX cancel Auction Galleries, Folkestone. 08. HP: £160. ABP: £188. & ‘R-I’, etc, all used, in Nov 07. HP: £210. ABP: £247. Davo Deventer Holland album. (lot) A F Brock & Co stamp album of Great Britain Ltd, Stockport. Feb 11. HP: stamps from 1840 incl. Penny £440. ABP: £519. Black, Penny Reds etc. Kent 34 15 Auction Galleries, Folkestone. Jun 06. HP: £330. ABP: £389. 24 29 GB, Victoria, penny black, Plate 1B, ‘L-A’, four good 20 Penny black, 2d blue, and margins, fine used, with Victoria, 1840, penny black, black MX cancel. A F Brock Plate 1a, P-L, very fine used, other stamps. Charterhouse Auctioneers, Sherborne. Sep & Co Ltd, Stockport. May 10. Stamp collection of six Penny with four wide margins and 08. HP: £160. ABP: £188. HP: £130. ABP: £153. Blacks, SE, TC, OJ, CK, KA central clear red Maltese and EE (plates 6, 8, 9, 9, 11 Cross cancel. A F Brock & and 5?), all good margins. Co Ltd, Stockport. May 08. Gorringes, Lewes. Oct 08. HP: £210. ABP: £247. HP: £400. ABP: £472. 25 30 35 Great Britain Green stamp album incl. Penny Blacks, Penny Reds, dating from GB, Victoria, penny black, 1840-1971. Kent Auction Plate 8, ‘J-C’, 4 good even Two penny black postage Galleries, Folkestone. Jun margins, very fine used, with stamps, with 4 good margins, 06. HP: £290. ABP: £342. Collection of GB Victoria red MX cancel. A F Brock & 16 DB with light Maltese Cross line engraved stamps, incl. Co Ltd, Stockport. May 10. cancellation BE with heavier penny black, three twopenny HP: £120. ABP: £141. cancellation mark, another blues, numerous penny reds GB, Victoria, penny black, penny black with three good 36 and halfpenny. Gorringes, Plate 1A, ‘A-I’, four good margins MD with light Lewes. Sep 09. HP: £200. margins, no gum, ‘possibly cancellation and another LJ ABP: £236. cleaned’, otherwise ‘mint/ with one good margin. unused’, rare thus. A F Brock 26 Gorringes, Lewes. Sep 09. & Co Ltd, Stockport. May 10. HP: £160. ABP: £188. HP: £380. ABP: £448. Penny black, plate VI, four margins, on a cover. 21 Charterhouse, Sherborne. Dec 11. HP: £120. ABP: £141. Stamp collection of G.B., 37 Queen Victoria, in ‘Collecta’ Stamp collection in a Lincoln 31 album, 1840 penny black, 2 album, penny black ‘SK’ 4 17 pence blue (red MX cancel), margins (some residual gum), later 2 pence also penny reds Wembley 1925 1d (MM), Penny black ‘RH’, with red (incl. plates - four missing); some British Empire, also Maltese cross cancellation. GB stamp album, incl. a variety surface printed also USA and German states and (four excellent margins and Penny black, 4 margin, on a Penny Black. Charterhouse 1883 2/6d to 10/-. (incl. SG several QE II mint partial good well centred cancel- cover. Charterhouse, Auctioneers, Sherborne. Jun 175) Gorringes, Lewes. Mar sheets. Gorringes, Bexhill. Feb lation) Gorringes, Lewes. Jun Sherborne. Dec 11. HP: 09. HP: £360. ABP: £424. 09. HP: £260. ABP: £306. 06. HP: £170. ABP: £200. 07. HP: £140. ABP: £165. £120. ABP: £141. ANTIQUES INFO - July/August