Great Britain First Issues

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Great Britain


Great Britain Sc1 SG2 the Penny Black	Sc2 SG5	Watermark Small Crown

Imperforate, line engraved.

The world's first postage stamps.
Date	Description	Die	Plates	# issued	Scott #	SG #	Mi	YT
May 6, 1840	1 penny intense black	I	1 - 11	68,808,000	1a	1	1a
	1d black				1	2	1b	1
	1d grey-black				1b	3	1c
May 8, 1840	2d deep full blue	I	1 - 2	6,614,880	2b	4	2a
	2d blue				2	5	2b	2
	2d pale blue				2a	6	2c

All issue quantities are approximate.

1 penny black plates.
Registered / Retired	Plate	Sheets	Copies
Apr. 27, 1840 - Dec. 11, 1841	1a	17,000	4,080,000
Apr. 27, 1840 - Dec. 11, 1841	1b	30,000	7,200,000
Apr. 27, 1840 - Nov. 19, 1841	2	30,000	7,200,000
May 9, 1840 - Oct. 1840	3	20,000	4,800,000
Jan. 27, 1840 - Jan. 9, 1841	4	35,000	8,400,000
Jan. 27, 1840 - Nov. 12, 1841	5	36,000	8,640,000
Jan. 27, 1840 - Jan. 9, 1841	6	38,000	9,120,000
Jan. 27, 1840 - Jan. 9, 1841	7	25,000	6,000,000
Jan. 27, 1840 - Sep. 8, 1841	8	30,000	7,200,000
Jan. 27, 1840 - Oct. 7, 1843	9	16,000	3,840,000
Jan. 27, 1840 - Feb. 21, 1843	10	9,000	2,160,000
Jan. 27, 1841 - Jan. 15, 1842	11	700	168,000
Total		286,700	68,808,000

2 pence blue plates.
Registered / Retired	Plate	Sheets	Copies
May 2, 1840 - Dec. 11, 1841	1	16,962	4,070,880
Jul. 18, 1840 - Feb. 1841	2	10,600	2,544,000
Total		27,562	6,614,880

Images from ebay.

FI ref: 1

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Page created 18 Nov 2015

Page updated 24 Jun 2016