1/2d Vermilion De La Rue Striking Book Pieces

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Records of the striking of all leads were kept by De La Rue in special books known as “striking books”, which have since been broken up. Usually these pieces give the plate number and date of striking along with a cut down die-proof attached recording the die from which the leads were taken. Each entry refers to one “warrant”, i.e. an official instruction to make a plate or plates, hence the original books formed a record of every plate made, together with the striking of surplus leads for plate repairs (although an entry is not indicative of actual use).

Note: The dates written on the striking book pieces rarely include the year and in a few cases where they do it may be incorrect due to how the books were kept originally.

Description Image History
1886 Feb 23-26 plates 1, 2, “2 formes” 1-2d Vermilion Jubilee De La Rue striking book piece Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1250 est. £70 realised £65; Robson Lowe 8th Sep. 1982 lot 1344 est.£60; ex Aureum
1886 May 6 plate 3  1-2d Jubilee striking book piece Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1251 est. £70 realised £50; Ex Aureum
1886 May 14 Repairs, affixed to backing paper Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1252 est. £40 (unsold)); Ex Jeffrey K. Weiss (Christie’s Robson Lowe Dec 1996, lot 31); Ex Aureum; Spink July 2017 lot 2499 sold £600 plus commission
1886 July 21-29 Plates 4-6, partly torn Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1253 est. £40 realised £29); Grosvenor 19th Nov. 2007 lot 1395 realised £400+20%, ex Aureum (Stanley Gibbons 2016); SG Timed Auction Nov 2020 lot 354 sold £340+20%
1887 Aug 19, 22 plates 7, 8

Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1254 est. £50 realised £36); Ex “Chartwell” (Spink 13th Oct 2011 lot 882 realised £700+20%), ex Aureum (Stanley Gibbons 2016)
1888 Jun 13 – Jul 20, plates 9-12 1-2d Vermilion Jubilee De La Rue striking book piece Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1255 est. £60 realised £42); Phillips 16th Feb 1995 lot 263 est.£100-120; ex Aureum (Stanley Gibbons 2016)
with 1d, Feb 1 1889  Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1256 est. £170 realised £120); Dr Peter Young, Grosvenor April 2018 lot 793 realised £750 plus commission
1889 May 23,31, plates 13, 14  Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1257 est. £50 (unsold));
1889 Sep 17 Repairs Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1258 est. £60 (unsold)); Grosvenor 25th Jan. 2007 lot 1523 realised £350+20%; Grosvenor Oct 2017 lot 1529
1891 Nov 22-Jan 30 plates 19-24  1-2d Vermilion Jubilee De La Rue striking book piece Ex De La Rue archives (Robson Lowe 16th Dec 1976 lot 1259 est. £65 (unsold)); Ex Aureum (Stanley Gibbons 2016)
1893 Oct 20, 25 plates 25, 26 ex “Chartwell” (Spink 13th Oct 2011 lot 883 sold for £800+20%); ex Aureum
1894 Jul 26 Repairs Ex Jeffrey K. Weiss (Christie’s Robson Lowe Dec 1996, lot 32)
Plates 27-30 (1895) ex “Chartwell” (Spink 13th Oct 2011 lot 884 sold for £800+20%), ex Aureum
1896 Apr 20 repairs  Grosvenor Oct 2017 lot 1530
1897 Feb 25 repairs No Image
Plates 31-34 ex “Chartwell” (Spink 13th Oct 2011 lot 885 sold for £1’000+20%); ex Aureum
Plates 35-40  Grosvenor Oct 2017 lot 1525 realised £320 plus commission
Jun 9 – Sep 28 Plates 41-52
Plates 53-58 Ex “Chartwell” (Spink 13th Oct 2011 lot 886 sold for £1’000+20%)
Plates 59-64 Ex “Besancon” part II, Corinphila lot 3264
Plates 65-70  1-2d Vermilion Jubilee De La Rue striking book piece  Ex Ernest Good, Phillips 3rd Nov 1988 lot 5 sold for £230; ex Aureum

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