Great Britain postage stamps year 1854-1857 1 & 2 Pence lot
🪙 1 d (One Penny) Stamps — Penny Reds
- The Penny Red was the standard 1 d definitive stamp from 1841 well into the 1870s. It replaced the world’s first stamp, the Penny Black, because red made cancellations easier to see.
- In 1854, the first perforated Penny Reds were officially issued — before that, earlier versions were imperforate and had to be cut from the sheet with scissors.
- Perforation gauges encountered on mid-1850s Penny Reds include perf 16 (when perforations were first adopted) and later perf 14 beginning in 1855.
- The stamps were printed on paper with either small crown or, after 15 May 1855, large crown watermarks — subtle details that specialists use to date specific printings.
- Examples from 1854–57 will have corner letters and often star perforations on early perf varieties.
👉 In collector catalogues these are generally listed within the Great Britain line-engraved issues — roughly SG14–SG17 depending on exact printing and perforation.
Typical mid-Victorian Penny Reds from 1854–57 are common in used condition; mint (unused) examples are scarcer.
✉️ 2 d (Two Pence) Stamps — Two Pence Blues
- The classic Two Pence Blue was originally introduced in 1840 alongside the Penny Black, and remained in use for years afterward. Early blues continued into the 1850s with perforations introduced in the same period as the Penny Red.
- By 1854–57, the 2 d blues were being issued with perforations, and sometimes with different plate or shade variations. These are catalogued around SG22–SG26 in classic British catalogues (varies by watermark, perforation, etc.).
- Two Pence Blues from the 1850s are typically darker blue with the profile of Queen Victoria, inscribed POSTAGE & TWO PENCE.
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