BRITISH STAMPS
1841
Queen Victoria
Information on Alphabets and Letters in the corners
On stamp issues with two letters in the corners there were 4 types of lettering used. These are as follows:Alphabet I: From 1840 to the end of 1851 and used on all plates. The letters are small.
Alphabet II: From 1852 to the middle of 1855, the letters are larger, heavier and broader than Alphabet 1.
Alphabet III: From mid 1855 to the end of the Victorian period. The letters are taller and thinner.
Alphabet IV: 1861. Only used on the 1d, Die II, plates 50 and 51. The letters are hand engraved whereas the other alphabets are punched. The size and shape are inconsistent but they are typically larger and heavier than the other alphabets.
The use of letters was an attempt to reduce forgery as each stamp on the sheet has a different combination of letters. For eaxmple the 1d stamp was printed on sheets of 20 horizontal rows of 12 stamps so the lettering would be as follows:
Row 1: AA, AB, AC ...... AL
Row 2: BA, BB, BC ...... BL
Row 3: CA, CB, CC ...... CL
Row 20: TA, TB, TC ...... TL
On stamps with 4 letters in the corners a similar techniques was used, the use of 4 letters being an attempt to further reduce the use of forgeries:
Row 1 top corners: AA, BA, CA ...... LA
Row 1 bottom corners: AA, AB, AC ..... AL
Row 2 top corners: AB, BB, CB ...... LB
Row 2 bottom corners: BA, BB, BC ..... BL
Row 3 top corners: AC, BC, CC ...... LC
Row 3 bottom corners: CA, CB, CC ..... CL
Row 20 top corners: AT, BT, CT ...... LT
Row 20 bottom corners: TA, TB, TC ..... TL
SG 7
"Queen Victoria"
Issued: 10th Feb 1841, printed from 'black' plates, small crown watermark, blued paper and imperforate.
SG 7
1d
red-brown
1d
red-brown
SG 8 to 12a
"Queen Victoria"
Issued late Feb 1841, small crown watermark, blued paper and imperforate.
SG 8
1d
red-brown
1d
red-brown
SG 8a
1d
red-brown
(on very blue paper)
1d
red-brown
(on very blue paper)
SG 9
1d
pale red-brown
1d
pale red-brown
SG 10
1d
deep red-brown
1d
deep red-brown
SG 11
1d
lake
1d
lake
SG 12
1d
orange-brown
1d
orange-brown
SG 12a
1d
orange-brown
1d
orange-brown
SG 13 to 15aa
"Queen Victoria"
Issued 13th Mar 1841, white lines added, small crown watermark, blued paper and imperforate.
SG 13
2d
pale blue
2d
pale blue
SG 14
2d
blue
2d
blue
SG 15
2d
deep full blue
2d
deep full blue
SG 15aa
2d
violet blue
2d
violet blue
SG 16
"Queen Victoria"
Issued Apr 1841, unissued trial printing on Dickinson silk-thread paper, no watermark and imperforate.
SG 16
1d
red-brown
1d
red-brown
