1s Green and Carmine Essays and Colour Trials

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The decision to print the ½d in green necessitated a change in colour of the 1s. The Post Office asked for a design for the new 1s about 25th August 1899 and enquired about whether it would not be possible to use the existing design of the 1s as a basis. De La Rue then produced a series of colour combinations from the current 1887 1s for consideration by the Post Office. Warrant 109/99 was issued on 27th October for 60 sheets of experimental paper. From the printing of those 60 sheets, five sets of 18 trials each were created which were made by printing the 1s in a variety of colours including doubly fugitive green and purple. Bicolour essays were then made by cutting out the heads of the doubly-fugitive green and purple stamps and using the variety of different colours for the frames. One set was retained by De La Rue (and was defaced by pen crosses) and the other four were sent to the Inland Revenue on 9th November, as were the unused mono-colour stamps. One complete set of trials resides in the Phillips Collection in the Postal Museum and one complete set in Graham Horton’s collection (with 9A endorsed “Approved” in red manuscript). There is another presumably complete set in the open market (illustrated below) which have all come up for sale within the last 10 years, although I’ve been unable to find 4A.

 

History: 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History: 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1052 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500
History: 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1055 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1056 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500
History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1057 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History: 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1059 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500

History Ex Lady Mary Buri lot 1846 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1051 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1053 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500
No Image Available	History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1055 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History: 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500
History: 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1058 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500 2019: For sale by Stanley Gibbons for £7’500	History 2011: Ex “Chartwell”, Spink Oct 2011, lot 1060 sold for £8’000 plus commission 2016: “Aureum” collection, for sale by Stanley Gibbons for £12’500

 

 

Composite essay comprising an issued 1s green with frame handpainted over in rose-lilac with small portions added in Chinese white, affixed to small piece of card

History: Unrecorded by Wiseman or Stanley Gibbons, this essay appeared in Spink’s auction of the “Chartwell” collection in 2011 and sold for £580 plus buyer’s premium. In 2012 it received a certificate of authenticity from the BPA, and was sold by Stanley Gibbons as part of the “Aureum” collection in 2016 for an undisclosed price.

 

On 23rd December 1899, De La Rue were formally informed that the selected combination was 9A.