WATERMARK VARIETIES

 

 

6d Plate 3 Inverted and displaced wmk

 

 

153107. 

 

6d SG83: fine used, ‘IG’, with Inverted watermark. 

 

Priced by Gibbons at £450.  

 

The watermark is also displaced. 

 

Scarce item. 

 

Price: £80.00

 

 

Very rare/unique: perforation error and Inverted Watermark

 

     

 

153133.   

 

3d SG103 Plate 5, ‘GC’.

 

Fine used from the ‘C’ vertical row with the very scarce variety

 

 ‘blind perfs top and bottom’.  

 

It also has the watermark INVERTED.

 

Gibbons prices this watermark variety at £300 without the perforation error.

 

A very rare/unique combination of features that we have not previously seen. 

 

Price: £135.00

 

 

1d SG17: superb used INVERTED Watermark

153027. 

1d SG17, ‘RD’, tied, to a small, neat and clean envelope to Kidderminster,  

by a very fine strike of the ‘134’ of BRISTOL. 

On the reverse is a STOKESCROFT date stamp for August 17th 1854,

overstruck by a London Paid cds for the following day and a partial strike of a Kidderminster receiver. 

The ‘134’ numeral leaves the entire Queen’s head clear and is rare as such.

The rarity is further enhanced by the watermark, small crown, being INVERTED. 

A very attractive and superb item worthy of display. 

Price: £225.00

NB: the brown marks are virtually non-existent: a trick of the scanner.

 

 

1d SG166: INVERTED WATERMARK

      

152992. 

1d SG166: a very fine used example with a clean back

and showing an INVERTED WATERMARK.

Cancelled by a fine part London EC/64 in bars duplex.

Gibbons prices this watermark variety at £350

which in our experience is an undervalued figure.

We have handled a few examples over the years with this variety

but this is the finest.  

 A rare stamp especially in such fine condition. 

Price: £240.00 

 

 

3d Plate 4 SG92 INVERTED WATERMARK

           

152991. 

3d Plate 4 SG92, ‘OG’:

 a fine used example with the emblems WATERMARK INVERTED.

The first example of this watermark variety we have been

able to offer for a considerable time. 

A rare item and priced by Gibbons at £600.

Price: £175.00

 

 

4d SG80: INVERTED WATERMARK

152570. 

 

d SG80 fine used, with INVERTED WATERMARK and cancelled by a Edinburgh Type A Dotted Circle.

 

Arundel has NO 4d SG80 recorded with ANY dotted circle including Dundee and Greenock. 

 

We can not recall seeing any type of dotted circle on any value with Inverted Watermark.

 

Gibbons prices SG80 with Inverted Watermark at £375. 

 

A very rare item and possibly unique with this cancel and watermark variety.

 

Price: £138.00

 

 

1/2d SG197: INVERTED Watermark

152513.

 

1/2d SG197, fine lightly used, very small wrinkle at the base,

 

with Watermark INVERTED, SG197Wi.

 

A rare stamp used and grossly underpriced by Gibbons at £60.

 

Price: £66.50

 

 

1/- SG72 : pair with INVERTED Watermark.

      

152472.

 

1/-SG72 pair and 4d SG66 pair:

 

tied to entire to Canada by Edinburgh duplexes, April 13th 1859

with an additional strike clear of the stamps.

The right hand stamp of the 4d pair has a small fault at the right side

but the 1/- pair is very fine with one stamp having the Edinburgh cds. 

 

The 1/- pair have INVERTED WATERMARK and this is the first example we have been able

 offer of this 1/- with a cds and watermark inverted even on a stamp not on cover.

Gibbons price for a single 1/- with inverted watermark is £700 and the CDS single at £875. 

Allowing for just these 1/-'s being on cover, Gibbons price increases to well in excess of £2,000.

An attractive and very rare Scottish entire. 

 

An Exhibition item.

 

Price:  £680.00

 

 

1d SG20 plate 4: INVERTED Watermark

152377. 

 

2d SG19Wi, Plate 4, 'BI': a very fine/fine used example with INVERTED watermark.

Cancelled by the '51' in oval of bars and a partial boxed red transit mark. 

 

This '51' cancellation was applied at the London District Post, Registration Clerk,

and is recorded by Parmenter with a Rare grading. 

 

The combination this cancel on this 2d with inverted watermark is,

 

at the least, very rare if not unique. 

 

Gibbons prices the basic SG20Wi at £325 without the premium for the rare cancellation.

 

A superb item that would display well when written up. 

 

Price:  £180.00 

 

NB: the London Postal History Group record this '51' as seen used

 

on both registered and apparently normal mail. 

 

The latter were on registered covers prepaid in cash and then put in another envelope.

 

 

1d SG166 INVERTED Watermark

        

152376.  1d SG166, 'CG', with INVERTED watermark. 

Lightly cancelled with a light diagonal crease as per the scan. 

This variety is rarely found and Gibbons price of £350 is in our experience significantly underpriced. 

In the Grosvenor Auction, October 2019, a used example with

short/trimmed perfs along the entire top of the stamp,

sold for an inclusive figure of just short of £100. 

The example offered here is one of the few examples we have been able to offer. 

Price:  £75.00

 

 

1d SG166: Offset with different letterings to the front of the stamp

              

152268. 

 

1d SG166: mint with an exceptional offset, no gum. 

 

The stamp is lettered 'QA' BUT the offset stamp is lettered 'KA'. 

 

This stamp is rarely found with an an offset BUT this is the

 

ONLY example we have seen, or can find from our researches,

 

with the offset having different letterings to the original printed stamp. 

 

A unique item?

 

An Exhibition item that would display well. 

 

Price:  £185.00

 

 

2/- SG 120a Cobalt Shade:

 

INVERTED watermark with Certificate

WM 7.   2/- SG120a.

A very fine used example in the rare COBALT shade

with clear Certificate signed by Robson Lowe.

Small paper adherence and hinge remnant on the reverse

and the light cancel leaves both the Queen’s profile and most of the Head clear

thus allowing this distinctive shade to be seen to advantage. 

A very rare stamp so fine, priced by Gibbons at £3,000 with watermark upright, but

exceedingly rare with INVERTED watermark. 

 Gibbons price allowing for the inverted watermark variety

is in excess of £12,500. 

First example we have seen in this shade with inverted watermark.  

A significant surface printed rarity and an important Exhibition item.

Price:  £2,550.00   

 

 

1d Lilac Die 2: Inverted Watermark

152273. 

1d lilac Die 2 SG172:

very fine used with a '130' cds of ECCLEFECHAN, February 7th 1891,

and an Inverted Watermark. 

A very scarce variety and grossly underpriced by Gibbons in their catalogues. 

One of the finest examples we have been able to offer.

Price:  £58.00 SOLD

 

6d SG84: Error of Watermark

     

152243.   6d SG84d, Plate 3, 'TF', Error of Watermark, 3 roses and a thistle. 

A defective example, closed tear at the left, but a very collectable example

of this rare variety with the London cancellation leaving a full clear profile.  

Priced by Gibbons at £5,500 and offered at a very small percentage of this figure.

The rose emblem replacing in error the shamrock can be clearly seen on the reverse.

Price: £345.00

 

6d SG84: Error of Watermark

   

152241.  6d SG84d, Plate 3, 'TF', Error of Watermark, 3 roses and a thistle.

A very fine/superb used example, very minor crease/wrinkle at the bottom,

lightly cancelled by the upright '159' numeral of GLASGOW. 

Priced by Gibbons at £5500, this is arguably one of the, if not the,

finest example extant of this rarity. 

Exhibition quality. 

Price: £2,125.00

 

6d SG84: Watermark Error Shamrock MISSING

       

152245.  6d SG84c, Plate 3, 'TF', Watermark Error, shamrock emblem missing;

this error can be clearly seen on the reverse side.  Listed by Gibbons but unpriced.

There are only two other examples known of this rarity. 

One has a London Chief Office numeral and the other appeared in a Grosvenor Auction in November 2002.

It was illustated, Lot 2070, and fully described with its faults:

a vertical crease at the left; tone spots on some perfs and a few very short perfs almost trimmed.

It was cancelled by a Liverpool '466' and sold for £4,750 inclusive of the Buyers' Premium. 

The example offered here is very fine except for a light horizontal crease below 'Postage'.

 Cancelled by the '114' of DUNDEE, it is a far finer example than that sold at auction 17 years ago!  

An exceptional surface printed rarity and a wonderful display item.

Price: £3,350.00 

NB: a precursor to the error: the missing shamrock replaced by a rose, SG84d.

This and the next item, SG85 with a similar error variety, would make a truly remarkable and unique pair.

 

6d SG85: Watermark Error Missing Shamrock

  

152246.  6d SG85, Plate 4, 'TF', Watermark Error, MISSING SHAMROCK. 

The error is clear on the reverse side. 

This is the ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE..

It is cancelled by a '46' in diamond and bars and is fine used: the colour is better than in the scan.

There is one example known of the missing shamrock replaced by a rose emblem

which is listed by Gibbons as SG 85d but unpriced. 

An outstanding surface printed rarity and a wonderful display item.

Price: £3500

NB: a precursor to the error: the missing shamrock replaced by a rose, SG85d. 

This item and the previous one, SG84c with a similar error variety, would make a truly remarkable and unique pair.

 

 

1d Plate 1b: INVERTED and Upright Watermark in Matched Pairing

152039.  1d Plate 1b, 'FI', double letter 'F', SG Spec A55f: two very fine 4-margined examples

both with this variety and each with a vertical guide line in the NE corner square.

The first is on a wrapper from Paisley to Edinburgh, September 7th 1840, and tied by a fine/very fine PAISLEY cross.

There is a vertical filing crease close to, but clear of, the stamp at the left.

The stamp has been affixed over a pre-existing light horizontal crease in the wrapper near the top.

The stamp has an INVERTED watermark, SG Spec AS55l. 

The margin at the bottom shows part of 'GI': stamp 'GI' is also one of only EIGHT double letters listed on this plate. 

The second is on a front with the top flap from Edinburgh to Prestonpans, December 18th 1840,

 sent from the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway; the stamp tied by a lightly struck Edinburgh cross and Its watermark is UPRIGHT. 

Plate 1b with inverted watermark is priced by Gibbons in this plate at £2,500 for a stamp not on cover. 

Allowing for being on cover and with the double letter variety, an estimated Gibbons price is £5,700.

This is the first example we have seen with inverted watermark on cover. 

An Exhibition quality pair both used within Scotland.

Price:  £1,985.00 

NB: Rockoff, in Volume 2 of 'The Maltese Cross Cancellations of GB and Ireland', the earliest listed example of the

Paisley cross is for March 16th 1841, all the examples illustrated are on1d red covers and are poor debris-filled strikes.

The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was opened to passengers in 1842.

 

 

Plate 1b INVERTED Watermark and other varieties.

151851. 

 

SG1,1d black plate 1b, very fine full - margined example,

 

close but clear under 'H' square, neat red cross, with a very small natural paper inclusion. 

 

Stamp printed in the scarcer INTENSE black shade,

 

on THIN paper and with INVERTED Watermark, SG Spec AS14(l,m).

 

The thin paper allows the MX to be visible as well as some of the black ink from the printing itself. 

 

This plate with inverted watermark and in the ordinary black shade is priced by Gibbons at £2,500. 

 

When this combination of the other varieties is taken into consideration,

 

the Gibbons price rises to in excess of £5,000.

 

A very rare combination of features and one we have not previously seen.

 

An attractive and very rare item.

 

Price: £885.00

 

 

1d black plate 1b: INVERTED watermark.

WM 1.  1d black plate 1b ‘OH’:

large margins on three sides but touching at places along the bottom margin. 

Cancelled by lightly struck red cross and with INVERTED watermark. 

Priced by Gibbons at £2,500.  

An opportunity to obtain an attractive example of this variety

at a small percentage of the Gibbon's price.          

      Price:  £485.00 

 

 

1d Plate 41: rare INVERTED watermark with MX.

WM 2.  1841 1d red plate 41: 

‘EK’, fine 4-margined, almost complete upright black cross,

with INVERTED watermark.   

1d red with MX and Inverted Watermark unpriced by Gibbons.

 Based on a 1d red with numeral cancellation priced by Gibbons at £400

and allowing for Plate 41 with a MX gives an estimated figure of around £1,000.

Rare variety with MX on this plate.

Price:  £330.00 

 

2d Plate 3: INVERTED watermark with MX

151361.  

2d plate 3 SG15 'JK', very fine square margined example but with a very small thin on the reverse

and with parts of two Maltese crosses: watermark inverted, Spec ES11a. 

This is the first example of this stamp with the wmk inverted and

cancelled by a MX we have been able to offer for many years.

Not listed by Gibbons with a MX on this variety but

priced by them at £875 with a numeral cancellation. 

An estimated Gibbon's price based on a comparison of the normal stamp with

a numeral cancellation and one with a MX is approx £2,500. 

An opportunity to obtain a very rare stamp. 

Price:  £350.00

 

1d plate 130: INVERTED watermark

151641.  1d plate 130, 'MD':

a superb 4-margined example with INVERTED watermark and a very clean back. 

Cancelled by an equally superb '515' of SOUTH CAVE, Yorkshire. 

This cancellation rated RARE by Parmenter in 'Barred Numerals of England'. 

Very probably a unique combination of watermark variety and cancellation.

The finest example of a 1d imperf with inverted watermark we have been able to offer. 

Exhibition quality and standard. 

Price:  £375.00  SOLD

 

1d plate 69: INVERTED watermark

151642.  1d red plate 69, 'JI', very clean back: fine, 4-margined example

very lightly cancelled with a Scottish numeral,

and with INVERTED watermark.

A very small grease spot? at the base of QV's head.

An attractive item. 

Priced by Gibbons at £400.

Price:  £145.00

 

2d SG23: INVERTED watermark.

WM2a    1855 2d plate 4 SG 23: used pair, fine appearance.

Some faults but INVERTED watermark. 

Gibbons priced at £1,300 as two singles. 

Rare multiple. 

Price: £235.00      

 

2d Plate 9 INVERTED Wmk

       

151748.  2d blue, SG46, 'AK' Plate 9: superb used with watermark inverted. 

Gibbons prices this watermark variety at £300

plus 125% for lightly used, hence £675. 

The finest used example with inverted watermark we have seen.

The scan does not do justice to its condition and colour.  

Price:  £135.00  SOLD

 

 

4d SG66: INVERTED watermark

                

151562. 

 

4d SG66: superb used pair with Inverted Watermark. 

 

One stamp with a London cds for July 12th 1859. 

 

A rare multiple so fine with this watermark variety. 

 

Gibbons, SG66aWi, prices a single at £400 without the 125% premium for the cds example. 

 

Hence Gibbons price for this item is in excess of £1,000. 

 

 

Superb item and the finest we have seen.

 

Price:  £300.00

 

 

4d SG66 INVERTED WATERMARK on Cover

152189.  4d SG66, fine wing margin example on an envelope to Paris, November 1859. 

Tied by a London '16' in diamond and bars and with the variety: INVERTED WATERMARK. 

Gibbons prices a used SG66 with inverted watermark at £400 which means an estimated price on cover of £600.

In our experience this is underpriced as this is the first example on cover we have been able to offer. 

A rare item. 

Price: £135.00 

NB: the brown marks on the front are less pronounced than in the scan.

 

 

4d SG205a with INVERTED WATERMARK

       

151875.  4d SG205a, used example with only a trace of cancellation at the top. 

A damaged top corner but it has INVERTED watermark. 

Priced by Gibbons at £650 and at £975 with the 50% premium for so lightly cancelled.

There is a small paper adhesion bottom left and an area on the front

where it might have been hinged for displaying the reverse.  

The green is slightly pale but a collectable example of a   

 rarely offered watermark variety.     

Price: £75.00  

NB: the green of the head plate is much greener than the scan.

 

 

SG157 Plate 22 wmk variety

       

151747. 

 

Two pence halfpenny, SG157 Plate 22, 'PL':

 

fine used with 1883 EC cancellation.

 

The stamp has A and T of the marginal watermark letters 'POSTAGE'. 

 

The crown watermark shifted down and partially on to the next stamp.

 

Very unusual and certainly as scarce if not scarcer than

 

the inverted watermark by Gibbons which is unpriced in this plate. 

 

The first example of such a large shift in the watermark we have seen.  

 

Price:  £65.00

 

 

SG 64 watermark INVERTED




152470. 

4d SG64, Medium Garter:

 

fine PAIR except for small perf fault at top on wing margin stamp, tied by Newport Mons

sideways duplex, JY 5 1856 on envelope to Hamburg – part of rear flap missing. 

 

The only multiple of this stamp we have seen

 

with INVERTED WATERMARK on cover. 

 

A single stamp priced by Gibbons, not on cover, at £1,200. 

 

A very rare item.  

 

Price:  £425.00

 

 

4d SG66: mint with INVERTED watermark.

WM 3.  4d rose SG66: 

a fresh lightly mounted mint example with truly superb colour.

Horizontal crease but with INVERTED watermark. 

Priced by Gibbons at £4,750. 

A very rare item.

Price: £385.00 

 

6d SG 84d: very rare Watermark ERROR used in MALTA.





15050. 

 

6d SG84, Plate 3, ‘TF-TH’:

 

very fine/superb used strip of three tied to small piece by MALTA duplexes. 

Stamp ‘TF’ has the WATERMARK ERROR, SG84d,

 

and the cancellation leaves QV’s head almost completely clear.

This error is priced by Gibbons at £5,500.

 

The example offered here is the ONLY ONE KNOWN USED in MALTA

and also believed to be the only used multiple extant with this watermark variety

Stamp ‘TG’ is cancelled by the Malta cds and ‘TH’ lightly cancelled. 

 

An Exhibition Quality item of considerable rarity.  

 

Price:  £2,155.00


1/- SG72: INVERTED watermark.


15096.  1/- SG72:

 

fine used with parially clear profile, very small scuff mark bottom right side.

 

INVERTED watermark clearly visible on a clean reverse. 

 

A couple of short perfs at the top.

Priced by Gibbons at £675:

 

a very scarce item.    

 

Price:  £115.00



6d SG83: INVERTED watermark.

 

15097.  6d SG83, Plate 3, ‘TF’:

fine/very fine used, London cancellation,

INVERTED watermark.

Priced by Gibbons at £450. 

Price: £95.00


6d SG84: INVERTED watermark.

 
15098.  6d SG83, Plate 3, ‘BB’:

fine used but with contemporary red mark, Sunderland ‘761’,

and INVERTED watermark. 

Priced by Gibbons at £450. 

Price: £65.00


10d SG112: INVERTED watermark with cds.

 
15099. 

I

10d SG112, ‘PK’: 

 

INVERTED watermark, complete upright Windsor cds, January 29th 1870. 

Despite the trimmed wing margin this is a RARE stamp and

 

the first cds example we have seen with inverted watermark. 

Gibbons priced at £1,000 but with premium for the cds increases to £1,750. 

 

Price:  £110.00

 

1/- SG117 Plate 4 with INVERTED watermark.


 
15100.

 

1/- SG117, Plate 4, ‘KG’:

 

very fine used with an almost completely clear QV Head,

couple of shortish perfs at the top and a faint corner wrinkle. 

 

The INVERTED watermark is clearly seen on the clean back

and the broken pin perfs at the bottom on both sides. 

 

A very difficult plate to find with inverted watermark,

priced by Gibbons at £180 and £300 with premium,

 

and under-priced in our experience. 

 

Price:  £80.00



6d SG83: REVERSED watermark.


 
15101.  6d SG83, Plate 3, ‘GJ’, scarcer DEEP lilac shade:

 

very fine/fine used, couple of short perfs at bottom, numeral ‘107’ of Bradford, Yorks.

The REVERSED watermark clearly shows on the back, SG83Wj.

 

A much RARER stamp than with Inverted watermark and

 

underpriced by Gibbons at £550 in the cheaper shade.

One of the finest examples we have seen with this rare variety.

 

Price:  £165.00



6d SG84: REVERSED watermark.


 
15102.  6d SG84, Plate 3, ‘QJ’:

good/fine used with REVERSED watermark, SG84Wj.

A much RARER stamp than with Inverted watermark

and underpriced by Gibbons at £550.

Price: £70.00

 

6d SG69: INVERTED and REVERSED watermark.

 
15103.  6d SG69: fine/good used, small corner fault top left,

 

‘466’ numeral of Liverpool, INVERTED and REVERSED watermark,

SG69Wk, and UNPRICED by Gibbons.  

 

A much rarer stamp than with Inverted watermark which is

priced by SG at £375 in the cheaper shade.  

 

Price: £90.00


6d SG85: INVERTED and REVERSED watermark.


 
15104.  6d SG85, Plate 4, ‘ID’:

trimmed wing margin with faults but INVERTED and REVERSED watermark,

SG85Wk, and UNPRICED by Gibbons. 

This is much rarer than the Inverted watermark variety

 which is priced by Gibbons at £450. 

A good reference example

Price:  £45.00

6d SG96 plate 5: INVERTED and REVERSED watermark.

 

15105.  6d SG96, Plate 5, ‘JG’: fine used, ‘498’ numeral of Manchester,

INVERTED and REVERSED watermark, SG96Wk, and UNPRICED by Gibbons.

This is much rarer than the Inverted watermark variety which is priced by SG at £220. 

Price:  £110.00

    

6d SG70: INVERTED watermark

WM 4. 6d SG70: 

superb used example with INVERTED watermark.

Priced by Gibbons at £400 before premium added.

Price: £110.00

 

6d SG70: watermark REVERSED.

WM 5.   6d SG70:

lightly used example, ‘114’ of Dundee, some wrinkling near the top

but with the rare variety REVERSED watermark. 

Priced by Gibbons at £475.

A very scarce/rare stamp.

Price:  £65.00

 

1/- SG151: very rare INVERTED watermark.

WM 9.  1/- SG151 plate 13 ‘DI’: 

wing margin example extremely lightly used, small part of a bluish cancellation 

which leaves most of QV’s head clear. 

INVERTED watermark with an extremely light diagonal crease mostly in the wing margin

and hard to detect even under a glass. 

A very rare stamp with watermark inverted and

priced by Gibbons, at £1,800 and with

lightly used premium rises to  £3,600.

Price:  £350.00 

 

  4d SG153: INVERTED watermark.

WM 10.  4d SG153 plate 16 ‘DI’:

very fine used with large part 1880 cds,

 INVERTED watermark, priced by Gibbons at £625.   

Very scarce/rare stamp so fine with this variety.

Price:  £235.00 

 

1d SG166: INVERTED watermark.

 

WM 11. 

 

1d SG166 ‘TG’: 

 

very fine used, Manchester squared circle,

 

March 15th 1881 with INVERTED watermark. 

 

Very scarce stamp especially in this condition

 

and under-priced by Gibbons, in our experience, at £350.

 

Price:  £195.00

 

 

1d lilac: INVERTED watermarks on stamps and in margin.

WM 12.  1d lilac SG172: 

very fine, better than the scan, un-mounted mint

top marginal strip of three with INVERTED watermark. 

Top margin also has the watermark letters ‘P O S’  INVERTED.

The 'P O S T A G E' watermark can only be inverted on stamps

from the top and bottom margins of each sheet of 240.

This applies therefore to only 12 stamps per sheet.  

An attractive rare positional piece.

Price:  £95.00 

 

SG197: used INVERTED watermark.

WM 13.  1/2d ‘Jubilee’ SG197:

fine/very fine used with a Cardiff squared circle for May 3 1900

and with INVERTED watermark. 

A very scarce stamp indeed especially in this condition

and very much under-priced by Gibbons.   

Price:  £90.00  SOLD

   

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