Strip of 2d Blues on Piece from Plate 4

Strip of 2d Blue stamps on piece lettered R-D, R-E and R-F, identified as coming from plate 4 using British Line-Engraved Stamps. Twopence Blue. Studies Of Plates 1 to 15 by H. Osborne.

Period of use: Plate 4 was completed on November 29th, 1849 and put to press early the following month – the Imprimatur Sheet in the official collection is dated December 6th, 1849. Initially issued in the imperforate condition, official perforation of stamps from plate 4 came into operation on January 31st, 1854. Plate 4 is the only Two Pence plate from which stamps were issued both perforated and imperforate.

Colour: Blue.

Cancellation: Warwick ‘848’ numeral in black (numerals are usual on this plate after the Maltese Cross obliteration was superseded in 1844).

Main identification clues:

Irregular allignment of stamps – the stamp lettered R-F appears lower than its neighbours in the row (causing later irregularity of perforation in plate 4).
Ray flaw in the left star – missing no. 8 (counting clockwise).
Vertical guideline in the right lower corner of RF (guidelines otherwise rare in plate 4).
Broad letter D (narrow in plate 3).

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