Antigua SG#133-134, 1953-1961 Waterlow Pictorial Definitive Issue, VFNH Examples of the $2.40 Bright Reddish Purple and $4.80 Slate Blue

VFNH examples of the $2.40 bright reddish purple and $4.80 slate blue from the 1953-1961 Waterlow Pictorial Definitive issue. The stamps offered here are the last two values of the set, which together with the other lots in the sale make a complete basic set, as listed in Gibbons. These stamps are both Waterlow printings and are both on DF Paper.

Gibbons values these stamps at 47 pounds for VFNH = approximately $94. Our net estimate for these is $35. The stamps offered here grade 80 as follows:

Margins/centering: 50/70 and 54/70

Paper freshness: 5/5

Colour: 5/5

Impression: 5/5

Absence of visible paper flaws: 5/5

Perforations: 10/10, and 6/10

A Note About Printings, Grading and Estimates for Early Queen Elizabeth II Material

Pattern of Sets

During the early part of the current reign there is a general pattern that emerges as to the number of definitive sets, when they appear and how they are printed. This general pattern is as follows:

• The first sets appear between 1953 and 1956. They are engraved, and the follow the same designs as the KGVI stamps, with only the portrait being different, and in some cases the colours. They are usually replaced in the early 1960's, between 1960 and 1963. In a very small number of cases, these sets are reissued on paper with the block CA watermark, for example, Aden, British Guiana and British Solomon Islands being examples.
• The next sets to replace those above are usually printed by photogravure, by Harrison & Sons and these appear between 1960 and 1964.
• A third set generally appears to replace the above between 1965 and 1966.
• A fourth set, will generally appear between 1968 and 1970, and this set will usually run into the early 1970's, with the printings up to 1970 being with the watermark in one direction, usually sideways. Then around 1972-1973 it will be reissued with the watermark upright, and finally between 1974 and 1976 there will often be a change from the block CA watermark to the smaller crown block CA watermark.

Most of the time, the commemoratives issued between the first, second and third sets will be limited to the omnibus issues, plus a few sets here and there. Then, around the time the fourth set appears, that's when you start to get a lot of non-omnibus commemoratives.

There are a few exceptions to the usual pattern, in which some colonies have 2 engraved sets, or where the set from the mid 1960's is lithographed instead of being printed using photogravure. British Virgin Islands and British Solomon Islands are two such examples. Some countries like Cyprus, India and Ceylon had stamps printed in Greece, India and Switzerland by different firms to the three discussed above.

Printers and Distinguishing Printings

The engraved sets are printed by Waterlow, De La Rue and Bradbury Wilkinson, as was the case with the King George VI period. The work of each printer is quite distinct, and knowing the characteristics of each comes in handy because several of the Waterlow sets are printed by De La Rue after 1961. Gibbons lists both printings where some obvious perforation or shade difference exists, but collectors should note that where these sets are printed by both printers, it is possible to obtain examples from both printers.

Waterlow stamps are often, but not always printed in a single colour. One key characteristic is that the printing impression is seldom clean, with a lot of small whiskers of colour eminating from the shading lines. This stands in sharp contrast to De La Rue stamps, which always appear very cleanly and crisply printed. So, where a set is printed by both firms the De La Rue printing will always appear softer and clearer. In addition the printings can sometimes be distinguished by the width of the perforation tooth at the top or bottom of the vertical sides. However, this is issue-specific and no general rules can be relied upon. So, I find it more effective to rely on printing impression and paper fluorescence to distinguish Waterlow from De La Rue.

De La Rue stamps are usually printed in two colours, but occasionally a single colour. As stated above they have very clean impressions, and they tend to be printed on papers that are either dull fluorescent with sparse LF flecks, low fluorescent or medium fluorescent papers, as opposed to dull fluorescent paper. The very earliest ones from this period are on DF paper, but most from the early 1960's are on paper that contains some degree of fluorescence, and this becomes a very useful way to identify many of the better Gibbons listed shades, as they are often DLR printings from this period.

Bradbury Wilkinson tended to print in two colours, but again there are a few monocolour stamps as well. They tended to use the coarser perf. 11.5 or 11 gauge for perforating their stamps, which makes their stamps look quite distinct. Papers used vary from NF all the way to HF. However where they were involved in printing an issue, they were involved the entire time. There is no instance where a set is printed by say Waterlow or De La Rue and then printed by BW.

Harrison's work is notable by the matte appearance of the printing and the high quality photogravure. They always used chalk-surfaced paper, and toward the later part of 1970 used a glazed paper. The fluorescence of the paper used by Harrison varies widely, both on the front and the back, and to the best of my knowledge, this is a largely unexplored aspect of the definitive issues that they printed.

Paper Fluorescence and Gum

The paper fluorescence is an aspect of these issues that has been largely ignored by Gibbons for reasons that I do not understand, especially when one considers how wildly different the papers can appear under UV light. Once you become comfortable considering this attribute of the stamps and once you understand it, you can use it to help sort many of the printings of the sets from the late 1960's and early 1970's where the thickness of the paper makes the watermarks very difficult to see.

The early printings up until 1960 or so are always on DF paper. Starting in the early 1960's you will begin to see some stamps on DF-fl, LF-fl and MF-fl papers. You will see in many of the sets in this sale a few of the values on each type of paper, but of course it may be possible to collect the entire set on each type of paper, or it is also possible that certain values can only be found on one paper. More study is required to settle that question.

The printings from the mid 1960's to the late 60's show considerable variation on both the front and the back, with DF/DF, DF/DF-fl, DF/LF-fl, LF/LF-fl being fairly commonly seen. From 1968 to 1970 you see more HF/HB, HF/MF, MF/MF and HF/HF papers, but then again there are a few HF/DF papers as well. By the 1970's the stamps are usually HF/HB, and this is one way to sort them from the earlier printings of the late 60's.

The gum on the issues up to 1968 or so is gum arabic, or what we know here as dextrine gum - shiny or crackly and very sensitive to moisture. Starting in 1968 the three printers began to replace the dextrine gum with PVA. The early PVA is cream coloured and has a streaky appearance. This gum is what you usually find on the first printings of the sets from 1969-1970. Later, a whiter, smoother PVA appears around 1972 and in some cases there is a shiny dextrine gum that appears around 1972-1973. These two gums usually appear on the watermark changes from sideways to upright or vice versa on these late 60's/early 70's sets, and this is a useful way to identify them, without having to check the watermark. Around 1974 PVAD gum begins to replace the earlier PVA. This gum has a slightly bluish tint and this was used for a short time until 1975, when the PVA reverts back to white, but by now it is very matte in appearance.

Grading

I have not graded every stamp in these sets, but have instead elected to say either VF, where all the stamps are clearly VF or F/VF where some are fine and some are VF. It is commonplace for centering to be highly variable with British Commonwealth material, even in this period, and you will seldom find entire sets where all the stamps are VF. Where they are fine this will generally be because of the centering, or because there are 1 or 2 short perforations, for perf. 12.5 and issues with 11.5 perforations.

Estimates

The Stanley Gibbons catalogue is used for these listings. Gibbons prices stamps for this period in NH condition. Most all of the stamps on offer are NH. In the case of the specialized lots consisting of a complete set plus extra shades and papers, the full set will usually be NH, and the extras will be either hinged or NH.

Generally, the rule of thumb is to estimate hinged sets where the hinging is average at 50% of unconverted Gibbons. So, a set that lists for 100 pounds is estimated at $50-$60 where the hinging is average.

Fine single stamps will be discounted by 50% again, so that a fine hinged stamp will be estimated close to 1/4 unconverted Gibbons.

Please note that these are very conservative values and most of this material cannot be bought in bulk for much less than this. So, you should tailor your bids accordingly.