The 1841 Penny Red
Introduction
The Penny Red, from Plate 12 the first entirely
red printing to the advent of perforation and the close of the imperforate
stamps with Plate 175, is a world onto itself, a seemingly
infinite expanse of plates and varieties suitable to occupy the curiosity
of the collector or plater for a life time. The study of these issues
could take many forms. One could attempt to collect an example from
each plate; or focus on a group of plates (like Plate 12-45 which is the
period of the Maltese Cross); or even focus on a single plate, or focus
on a specific characteristic such as the shades the stamps were issued
in. In this section I will attempt to only provide a glance into
these possibilities by providing a few words and examples.
In the first Section, General Plate Characteristics, a brief summary
of ink, paper, and roller flaws is provided; then, in each Plate Grouping,
an outline and examples are provided. The plates are logically grouped
as an aid to the study. Plates 12-45 are a group which share some
similar roller flaws and also falls into the period of the Maltese Cross.
Plates 46-131, is a group which is Alphabet I during the use of the "1844"
cancellation. Plates 132-175 are all Alphabet II.
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