Great Britain postage stamps from the reign of Queen Victoria (QV), specifically the ½d (half penny) issues between 1858 and 1870.
The ½d Queen Victoria Issues (1858–1870)
- First issued: 1 October 1870
- Reason: To cover the new “Book Post” and circular postage rate.
- Design:
- Portrait of Queen Victoria facing left in a circular frame.
- Inscribed “HALF PENNY” at the bottom.
- Denomination ½d not shown numerically, only in words.
- Colours:
- The original was rose-red (later lake-red).
- Printing: Surface-printed by De La Rue.
- Perforations: 14 (some varieties exist).
- Paper: Unwatermarked.
Key Points
- These ½d rose-red stamps (SG 48 and SG 49 in Stanley Gibbons catalogue) are the first ever halfpenny stamps of Great Britain.
- Issued 1870–1880, so strictly speaking not as early as 1858—the 1858–79 period mainly covers the 1d “Penny Reds” (plate numbers).
- The ½d was only introduced in 1870, so no halfpenny stamps exist before that date.
Collecting Notes
- Common but popular with collectors due to being the first of their value.
- Shades and plate varieties exist (rose-red, lake-red, etc.).
- Condition (perforations, centering, cancellations) heavily affects value.
- Mint, lightly mounted copies fetch more than used ones.
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