Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Only kidding!
Actually I'm baffled by this image. I must have lifted it years ago from some article (surely it can't be from an auction catalogue?). I hadn't noticed the significance of the two cent rose-pink, until I found it today and looked more closely.
Four of Hong Kong's rarest stamps seen together.
The 96 cent olive-bistre (bister) unused
The 4 cent slate, perf 12.5 unused
The 2 cent rose-pink, rough paper, perf 12.5 unused
The 5 on 8 cent bright orange, inverted overprint
Stanley Gibbons 2013 values:
£70,000
£12,000
Who knows
£20,000
The real eye opener is that 2 cent rose-pink. This has no catalogue status as it is considered to be of proof status by the Expert Committee of the RPS. Only six copies have been found; one used, 5 unused (four of which came from a block in the Worthington collection). This image incidentally, is remarkable in that I had thought no images actually existed. I just wished I'd paid more attention when I found it.
I think that the opinion held, that these are of proof status, stems from the fact that De La Rue sometimes perforated colour trials in 12.5 gauge.
AS you may have noticed, the 96c olive bistre is a tad vertically challenged. So the obvious conclusion is that this has been re-perfed. But has it though?
It may have been a short perforation variety. This has been recorded on the 24 cent green, the 30 cent vermillion and on this 96 cent from the same printing. Apparently, it was probably due to the method of perforating the top, or bottom row.
There is a question mark over this though. The recorded copies have 15 perf teeth on the vertical sides, instead of the normal 17 and measure 22mm high, instead of the normal 24mm. The one in the image has 16 perf teeth. It isn't of course possible to measure the height of the stamp from this image. Perhaps there were slight fluctuations when these were perforated.
So keep a look out folks, check those slightly short copies. They might just be rare varieties.
As for the 2 cent 12.5 gauge rose-pink; dream on. And the 96 cent unused (regardless of stunted growth), no chance. I'll just content myself with the used.
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Jealous isn't the correct word; drooling is more like it. Very nice. As for the 96c bistre I'll take one in any condition. The rose pint 2c underscores my frustration, yet fascination, with stamp collecting. These fly specking differences in printing, proofs, etc. can drive you crazy, but finding something different is precisely what reinforces us to continue to do this microscopic level of analysis. We will never run out of things to collect as long as the varieties exist. Loving it!
Thanks for showing those beauties.
Peter
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Talking of rarities, does anyone know if an image exists of the 1863-71 Series; 48c bright claret (SG 17, Scott 21) variety?
Only a single used copy is known and this is held, I think, in the Royal collection. If memory serves me correctly, this was cancelled in Shanghai.
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I'm still hoping for a cover with an Aberdeen CDS.
Ningpo, undoubtedly you are familiar with, or a member of, the Hong Kong Study Circle (click on name for link)? They are a great resource.
(watch, he's probably a founding member!)
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On cover? You'll be lucky. An adhesive off cover from the early period would be a significant find.
As to membership of the HKSC; I stupidly let my membership lapse in about '95. I did make enquiries a while back and intend to renew it soon.
This really is the most sensible thing to do, as so much research material from the circle just doesn't get published, or is so difficult to get hold of.
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In my opening post I referred to the a short perforation variety. This has been recorded on the 24 cent green, the 30 cent vermillion and on this 96 cent from the same printing. Apparently, it was probably due to the method of perforating the top, or bottom row.
Well this turned up on eBay a little while ago (SG15, Scott #19):
Although I can't be certain, this seems to fit the description, particularly as this is a bottom margin example. Notice the closeness of left hand and right hand perfs above the bottom margin. So something went obviously wrong here. Unfortunately I do not know enough about the perforating process to understand how this could happen.
This copy was 'signed' by Brun and the seller claimed it was MNH (dubious in my opinion).
The worst part is, I didn't bid and it sold for a miserly $41. Aside from any condition issue(s) with the gum, this is probably a very rare beast in this state. Catalogued in SG at £1000 (and Scott at $1050) for a normal copy, this was an absolute snip. It would seem that most potential buyers were suspicious of the weird perforations.
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Look what I found in my collection, I bet Peter(cocollectibles) is jealous:
Only kidding!
Actually I'm baffled by this image. I must have lifted it years ago from some article (surely it can't be from an auction catalogue?). I hadn't noticed the significance of the two cent rose-pink, until I found it today and looked more closely.
Four of Hong Kong's rarest stamps seen together.
The 96 cent olive-bistre (bister) unused
The 4 cent slate, perf 12.5 unused
The 2 cent rose-pink, rough paper, perf 12.5 unused
The 5 on 8 cent bright orange, inverted overprint
Stanley Gibbons 2013 values:
£70,000
£12,000
Who knows
£20,000
The real eye opener is that 2 cent rose-pink. This has no catalogue status as it is considered to be of proof status by the Expert Committee of the RPS. Only six copies have been found; one used, 5 unused (four of which came from a block in the Worthington collection). This image incidentally, is remarkable in that I had thought no images actually existed. I just wished I'd paid more attention when I found it.
I think that the opinion held, that these are of proof status, stems from the fact that De La Rue sometimes perforated colour trials in 12.5 gauge.
AS you may have noticed, the 96c olive bistre is a tad vertically challenged. So the obvious conclusion is that this has been re-perfed. But has it though?
It may have been a short perforation variety. This has been recorded on the 24 cent green, the 30 cent vermillion and on this 96 cent from the same printing. Apparently, it was probably due to the method of perforating the top, or bottom row.
There is a question mark over this though. The recorded copies have 15 perf teeth on the vertical sides, instead of the normal 17 and measure 22mm high, instead of the normal 24mm. The one in the image has 16 perf teeth. It isn't of course possible to measure the height of the stamp from this image. Perhaps there were slight fluctuations when these were perforated.
So keep a look out folks, check those slightly short copies. They might just be rare varieties.
As for the 2 cent 12.5 gauge rose-pink; dream on. And the 96 cent unused (regardless of stunted growth), no chance. I'll just content myself with the used.
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06:34:17am
re: Hong Kong: Ooh look what I found!
Jealous isn't the correct word; drooling is more like it. Very nice. As for the 96c bistre I'll take one in any condition. The rose pint 2c underscores my frustration, yet fascination, with stamp collecting. These fly specking differences in printing, proofs, etc. can drive you crazy, but finding something different is precisely what reinforces us to continue to do this microscopic level of analysis. We will never run out of things to collect as long as the varieties exist. Loving it!
Thanks for showing those beauties.
Peter
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this post
re: Hong Kong: Ooh look what I found!
Talking of rarities, does anyone know if an image exists of the 1863-71 Series; 48c bright claret (SG 17, Scott 21) variety?
Only a single used copy is known and this is held, I think, in the Royal collection. If memory serves me correctly, this was cancelled in Shanghai.
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07:01:29am
re: Hong Kong: Ooh look what I found!
I'm still hoping for a cover with an Aberdeen CDS.
Ningpo, undoubtedly you are familiar with, or a member of, the Hong Kong Study Circle (click on name for link)? They are a great resource.
(watch, he's probably a founding member!)
Login to Like
this post
re: Hong Kong: Ooh look what I found!
On cover? You'll be lucky. An adhesive off cover from the early period would be a significant find.
As to membership of the HKSC; I stupidly let my membership lapse in about '95. I did make enquiries a while back and intend to renew it soon.
This really is the most sensible thing to do, as so much research material from the circle just doesn't get published, or is so difficult to get hold of.
Login to Like
this post
re: Hong Kong: Ooh look what I found!
In my opening post I referred to the a short perforation variety. This has been recorded on the 24 cent green, the 30 cent vermillion and on this 96 cent from the same printing. Apparently, it was probably due to the method of perforating the top, or bottom row.
Well this turned up on eBay a little while ago (SG15, Scott #19):
Although I can't be certain, this seems to fit the description, particularly as this is a bottom margin example. Notice the closeness of left hand and right hand perfs above the bottom margin. So something went obviously wrong here. Unfortunately I do not know enough about the perforating process to understand how this could happen.
This copy was 'signed' by Brun and the seller claimed it was MNH (dubious in my opinion).
The worst part is, I didn't bid and it sold for a miserly $41. Aside from any condition issue(s) with the gum, this is probably a very rare beast in this state. Catalogued in SG at £1000 (and Scott at $1050) for a normal copy, this was an absolute snip. It would seem that most potential buyers were suspicious of the weird perforations.
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