Saint Vincent, with notes and publishers' prices
Part 2
=34= | 6d., pale yellow-green (February 1877) | 15 0 | 5 6 | | | =35= | 1s., bright vermilion-red ( ” ” ) | 40 0 | 12 0
Issue 12.
_July 1877._
=Type= As in Issue 1.
=Paper and Watermark= As in Issue 7.
=Gum= Yellow-brown to white.
=Perforation= B.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=36= | 4d., dark deep blue | | 40 0
Issue 13.
_May 1880._
=Type= A provisional stamp of One Penny made locally by surcharging “d./1” twice vertically, in red, on the Six Pence, dark blue-green, of Issue 7, the two halves of this stamp being divided vertically by a line of perforation gauging 12. Illustration No. 2.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 7.
=Perforation= A, and 12 on one side.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=37= | “1d.,” in red, on right half of 6d., dark | | | blue-green | 70 0 | 70 0 | | | =38= | “1d.,” in red, on left half of 6d., dark | | | blue-green | 70 0 | 70 0
Variety. With additional line of the local perforation.
=39= | “1d.,” in red, on right half of 6d., dark | | | blue-green | |
Issue 14.
_June 1880._
=Types= As in Issue 1 for 1d. and 6d.
New type for 5s. Shape, large upright rectangular—30 mm. × 25½ mm. Royal Crown over white scroll, inscribed “Pax et Justitia,” in small coloured block capitals, below which are allegorical figures, the whole contained in white oval band, 2 mm. in width. The band is inscribed ST. VINCENT above, and FIVE SHILLINGS below, in coloured block capitals; and the spandrels and background are composed of engine-turning. Illustration No. 8.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 7.
=Perforation= B.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=40= | 1d., pale grey-green | 10 0 | 2 0 | | | =41= | 6d., bright yellow-green | 60 0 | 12 6 | | | =42= | 5s., deep rose-red | £8 10 |
Issue 15.
_September 1881._
=Type= A provisional stamp of One Halfpenny, made locally by surcharging “d/½” twice vertically, in red, on the Six Pence, bright yellow-green, of Issue 14, the two halves of this stamp being divided vertically by a line of perforation gauging 12. The figure “1” of the fraction has a curved serif. Illustration No. 3.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 14.
=Perforation= B, and 12 on one side.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=43= | “½d,” in red, on right half of 6d., bright | | | yellow-green | 30 0 | | | | =44= | “½d.,” in red, on left half of 6d., bright | | | yellow-green | 30 0 |
Variety. Figure “1” of fraction has a straight serif.
=45= | “½d.,” in red, on half of 6d., bright | | | yellow-green | 80 0 |
Issue 16.
_November 1881._
=Type= A provisional stamp of Four Pence, made locally by surcharging “4d.,” in black, on the One Shilling, bright vermilion-red, of Issue 11. The original values are obliterated by black bars printed across the sheet. Illustration No. 4.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 11.
=Perforation= B.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=46= | “4d.,” in black, on 1s., bright | | | vermilion-red. | |
Issue 17.
_December 1881._
=Type= A provisional stamp of One Penny, made locally by surcharging “One Penny,” in black, on the Six Pence, bright yellow-green, of Issue 14. The original values are obliterated by black bars printed across the sheet. Illustration No. 6.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 14
=Perforation= B.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=47= |“One Penny,” in black, on 6d., bright | | | yellow-green | 60 0 | 60 0
Issue 18.
_December 1881._
=Types= As in Issue 1 for 1d. and 4d. New type for ½d. Shape, small upright rectangular—20 mm. × 17 mm. Diademed head of Queen to left on engine-turned background. Straight labels above and below, with ST. VINCENT and HALFPENNY in white block capitals on background of solid colour. Illustration No. 5.
=Paper and Watermark= As in Issue 7.
=Gum= White.
=Perforation= B.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=48= | ½d., orange-yellow | 0 9 | 2 0 | | | =49= | 1d., drab | | 1 0 | | | =50= | 4d., bright ultramarine | | 12 6
SECTION II.
_Stamps printed and perforated by Messrs. De La Rue & Co., London, from 1883 to present time._
Issue 19.
_January 1883._
=Type= As in Issue 1.
=Paper= White wove, smooth, and slightly surfaced.
=Watermark= A Crown over “C A.”
=Gum= White, and pale yellowish.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=51= | 1d., drab | 5 0 | 1 0 | | | =52= | 4d., bright blue | | 15 0
Issue 20.
_February 1883._
=Type= A new value of Two Pence Halfpenny, made by surcharging “2½ Pence,” in black, on the One Penny, printed in rosy-lake, the original value being obliterated by a bar 14 mm. in length. Illustration No. 7.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=53= | “2½ Pence,” in black, on 1d., rosy-lake | 2 0 | 1 6
Issue 21.
_October 1883._
=Type= As in Issue 1.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 12.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=54= | 4d., dull blue | | | | | =55= | 6d., bright green | 20 0 | | | | =56= | 1s., orange-vermilion | 15 0 |
Issue 22.
_September 1884._
=Types= As in Issues 1 and 18.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 12.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=57= | ½d., dark green | 7 6 | 4 0 | | | =58= | 4d., ultramarine | 60 0 | 10 0
Variety. Prepared for use, but never issued.
=59= | ½d., orange-yellow | |
Issue 23.
_March 1885._
=Type= A provisional stamp of One Penny, made locally by surcharging “1d,” in black, on the 2½d. of Issue 20. The values “2½ Pence” are obliterated by double lines 1 mm. apart, printed across the sheet. Illustration No. 9.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=60= | “1d,” in black, on “2½ Pence” on 1d., | | | rosy-lake | 2 0 | 2 0
Issue 24.
_April 1885._
=Types= As in Issues 1 and 18.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=61= | ½d., dark green | 0 2 | 0 2 | | | =62= | 1d., carmine | 0 3 | 0 2 | | | =63= | 4d., red-brown | | 12 0
Issue 25.
_June 1886._
=Type= As in Issue 1.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=64= | 1d., pink | | 1 0 | | | =65= | 1d., rosy-lake | | | | | =66= | 4d., purple-brown | 4 0 | 4 0 | | | =67= | 4d., lake-brown | 2 6 | 2 0
Issue 26.
_October 1888._
=Types= As in Issues 1 and 14.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=68= | 6d., dark lilac | 5 0 | | | | =69= | 5s., lake | 10 0 |
Issue 27.
_August 1889._
=Type= A stamp of Two Pence Halfpenny, made by surcharging “2½ Pence,” in black, on the One Penny, printed in blue, the original value being obliterated by a bar 14 mm. in length (surcharge of same type as in Issue 20). Illustration No. 7.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=70= | “2½ Pence,” in black, on 1d., milky-blue | 2 0 | 1 0
Issue 28.
_August 1890._
=Type= A provisional stamp of Two Pence Halfpenny, made locally by surcharging “2½d.,” in black, on the Four Pence, lake-brown, of Issue 25. The original values are obliterated by black bars, printed across the sheet. Illustration No. 10.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=71= | “2½d.,” in black, on 4d., lake-brown | 15 0 | 15 0
Variety. Without the fraction line.
=72= | “2½d.,” in black, on 4d., lake-brown | |
Issue 29.
_November 1890 to 1891._
=Type= As in Issue 1.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=73= | “2½ Pence,” in black, on 1d., bright blue | 0 5 | 0 3 | | | =74= | 6d., pale red-lilac | 1 0 | 1 0 | | | =75= | 6d., deep red-lilac | 1 0 | 1 0 | | | =76= | 1s., vermilion-red | 2 0 | 2 0
Issue 30.
_November 1892._
=Type= A provisional stamp of Five Pence, made locally by surcharging “5—PENCE” (in two lines), in carmine, on the Four Pence, lake-brown, of Issue 25. The original values are obliterated by carmine bars printed across the sheet. Illustration No. 11.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=77= | “5 Pence,” in carmine, on 4d., lake-brown | 8 0 | 10 0
Issue 31.
_March 1893._
=Types= As in Issue 1 for 4d. The Five Pence is made by printing the Six Pence in a new colour, and surcharging “FIVE PENCE” (in one line), in black, over the original value. Illustration No. 12.
=Paper, Watermark, and Gum= As in Issue 19.
=Perforation= 14.
Unused. Used. s. d. s. d.
=78= | 4d., canary-yellow | 0 8 | 0 8 | | | =79= | “Five Pence,” in black, on 6d., dull carmine | 1 0 | 1 0 | | | =80= | “Five Pence” ” ” carmine-brown | 1 0 | 1 0
NOTES.
SECTION I.
This section of the Reference List comprises all issues printed and perforated by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon & Co., London; that is, from the first issue of 1861 until the end of 1881, when the last stamps printed by this firm made their appearance. For about half this time unwatermarked paper was used, and afterwards each stamp was watermarked with a star. We shall consider these two papers, as well as their minor varieties, in later notes, but we must here give a detailed description of the perforations, three simple and one compound, found in the stamps included in Section I. During all this time only two perforating machines were employed, except in 1862, when for one particular stamp, namely, the yellow-green Six Pence, another machine was used. With this exception all the stamps printed by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon & Co. were perforated by one or the other of the two first-mentioned machines, and it is of these two that we now propose to treat, leaving the description of the perforation of the 1862 Six Pence to the note on Issue 2, as it is altogether an exceptional stamp, and need not be taken into account just at present.
The two machines we have now to consider were both single-line, or guillotine ones; that is, they made but one line of perforation at a single stroke. These two machines, as well as the perforations made by them, we have elected to call “A” and “B,” so that in the Reference List the perforations of the stamps are called “A” or “B,” or “B × A,” instead of being, as is usual in philatelic writings, labelled with a number denoting the number of holes found in a space of 2 centimetres. Further on we shall endeavour to make plain and justify our reasons for so doing.
The method now in use for describing the perforations of stamps succeeded a previous clumsy and inaccurate system of counting the actual number of notches along the top or bottom of a stamp, as well as those down one side, so that the perforation of each stamp was denoted by two numbers. These numbers depended as much on the size of the stamp as on the spacing of the holes, and we suppose the system proved to be unworkable, as we do not think it was ever adopted in a catalogue, although it was certainly the first manner in which philatelic writers ever specified differences of perforation. It was soon abandoned for the well-known method in general use at the present day.
This latter system, invented by Dr. Legrand, was evidently intended by its original contriver to apply to lines of perforation of which the holes were so regularly spaced that all intervals of 2 centimetres in the same line contained the same number of holes, all these holes being exactly the same distance apart. Irregularity in the spacing of the holes does not seem to have been contemplated, but, as the vast majority of machines make holes spaced at regular intervals, this system of taking a gauge of 2 centimetres, applying it to a line of perforations, and counting the holes contained in that space in order to get a number by which that particular perforation may always be identified, works admirably in practice in by far the greater number of cases. St. Vincent is one of those cases in which it entirely fails to satisfy our requirements (that is, in as far as the stamps of Section I. are concerned), and its misuse has led to the recording of such a bewildering number of different perforations, simple and compound, that no one has ever yet been bold enough to give a properly arranged list of them, or to attempt to explain how so many varieties arose. A description of the two perforations will explain all this.
That made by the A machine is well known in many other British Colonies—Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Ceylon, Grenada, Natal, Queensland, St. Helena, Trinidad, Turks Islands, Western Australia—that is, in most of the Colonies whose stamps were printed from plates prepared by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon & Co., and is one of the best known perforations in the world of Philately. Although its eccentricities are trifling compared with those of its fellow, the B machine, since it was in use in St. Vincent before that one, we take the description of its perforation first.
The gauge in 2 centimetres varies from 14 to 15, this variation arising from a slight, but frequent, irregularity in the spacing of the pins or plungers of the machine. It _may_ be possible by moving a gauge backwards and forwards along a line of perforations to hit off a space of 2 centimetres containing rather more than 15 or fewer than 14 holes, but we have not been able to do so ourselves. With the best of goodwill the limits we have attained are 14 in one direction and 15 in the other, and we rather suspect that the frequent records seen of a gauge of 15½, and sometimes even of 16, in St. Vincent, have all been obtained from the Six Pence of 1862, as that is the perforation with which this stamp (for which the A machine was never used) is most frequently found. The difference of gauge between 14 and 15 can often be found by moving a perforation-gauge a few holes only to the right or left, so it is evident that we can get both extremes on one single side of one particular stamp, and also haply all the measurements which lie between these limits. The variation between 14 and 15 is of course very slight, and since intermediate gauges are those generally found, had we in St. Vincent to deal only with the A machine, we might, with no great degree of inaccuracy, and for the sake of general simplicity, call the perforation of the A machine “14½,” or “14 to 15”; but since it was used so much in conjunction with a far more irregular machine—that is, the one we have called “B”—it is better to treat them both in the same manner, and call the first one “A,” rather than label it with a gauge which, strictly speaking, does not belong to it.
This perforation A, either alone or compounded with B, was in use from the first issue of stamps in 1861 until 1878; after that the B machine was used exclusively up to 1882, when Messrs. Perkins, Bacon & Co. ceased to supply stamps to the Colony.
We must here call attention to a change which took place about 1871 in the _character_ of the perforation made by the A machine. Up to that time the paper was very seldom even slightly pierced by the pins, or any of it removed—_i.e._, the perforation is what is called _blind_. A writer in the _Stamp Collector’s Magazine_ of December, 1866, speaking of St. Vincent stamps, thus describes it: “… the stamps … are perforated (if that term be quite accurate) by an instrument fixed in the machine, which leaves a series of indentations … which does not remove a particle of paper except in a very occasional spot, hardly one in a thousand. On severing the stamps by tearing, a rough indented edge is left…” This is quite correct, and we cannot better the description of the work of the A machine given by this old-time philatelist of nearly thirty years since, who collected and studied stamps in a day when perforation-gauges were not. It is only after 1871 that we generally (but not always) find the pins piercing through the sheet and leaving _small_ holes, the paper being thrust aside and turned back by the passage of the pins through it, but little or any of it being removed. We wish to call particular attention to this point; that is, that the holes are _small_, and that the portion of paper displaced is not clean-cut or punched out. If this be not attended to, these particular examples of the later work of the A machine may be confused with the clean-cut perforations of 1862, which we have yet to consider.