Great Britain Fugitive Ink Postage Stamp Colour Trials
For Sale: £85,000.00
This sheet features 6 ink trials for the 1840 1d Penny Black postage stamp.
The
reverse of the sheet is inscribed in pencil in an unknown hand
'1.9.1840. Ink and paper trials from Trial Plate D'. "D" is possibly a
reference to State 3 of the plate.
The trial stamps are on plain paper watermarked 'MORBEY SAUNDERS 1839'.
Handwritten notes have been added to the front of the sheet in ink and pencil by Joshua Bacon's son Perkins.
The sheet features three shades of blue on plain paper with three on paper dipped in 'Prussiate of Potash'.
Further
examples of this sheet are in The Royal Philatelic Collection and the
R.M. Phillips Collection (Post Office Heritage). The one in The Royal
Philatelic Collection is annotated 'Mr. Bacon has abandoned the printing
in this colour'.
The Rainbow Trials
Colour
trials, also known as rainbow trials, tested the colour of the stamp.
Numerous tests were made to check the printing inks, cancellation inks
and an assortment of papers. Printed in blocks of twelve, the stamps
were made void by the removal of a corner (top right) and no corner
letters.
