New Zealand: Penny Universal - 1901-1908

Group 2 – All have single lined ‘NZ & Star’ W7 watermark


Cowan watermarked

No 4 o’clock flaw on Rosette. All others in this group except the ‘Reserve’ plate have this flaw. Not as well printed or as bright as the ‘Reserve’ plate.


Reserve Plate

No 4 o’clock flaw. The colour is always rich, deep red. There is a strong inner line in the ‘spur’ ornament below the left rosette.






Dave

The 'Waterlow Trial’ Plates Vs Royle



      
        Waterlow                              Royle


The Waterlow plates also show the 4 o'clock flaw, but can be distinguished from the other two plates (Royle & Dot) as the pearl at the top left is always complete and the three pearls at the middle left are very clear and unshaded.

In the Dot and Royle plates, the pearl at the top left is incomplete and the pearls at the middle left are shaded.



The two Royle and the two Waterlow plates of 1906 were trial plates.

They had plate numbers R1, R2, W1 and W2 respectively under the 12th stamp in the bottom margin. The Royle plates were judged superior and stamps printed from two further Royle plates appeared in 1907.


Dave

Here is a block of 12 (1/-) of the 1d 'London' print. A corner block with sheet number and guide lines.
A couple of tone spots unfortunately (brought up more by the scanner) :

SG277




Dave

A booklet pair used from a small block of 6 stamps from booklets :




Dave

Does anyone know what this is? It looks like some kind of proof, but the paper is very thin (a bit like smoke paper for rollies back in the old days). Also the image is not very clear. Perhaps it is from a book?

I have seen this once before a long time ago now! I am not certain of its origins but this and the other black example you show both may be from a book or similar, as you say.
More info needed.


Dave

I came across this universal. I guess it is from the booklet. It has the larger pearl on the top left. It is different than the one above because it has perforations on all sides even though it has a large margin on the right.

Firstly to the Moderators - please consider moving this to the Penny Univeral's thread here ==> NZ Penny Universals -1901-1908

So to this one,

My first impressions is that it immediately looks like an SG278 - 1901 (Feb-Dec) Thick, soft Pirie Paper with vertical mesh p11
Scott 100

The watermark on these can be very, very hard to see but will be there - CP W6 / SG W38 / Sc. wmk.63 which is a double lined NZ & star


NZ wmk. W6



Confirmation of the W6 wmk can mean only that it is 'Pirie' paper or the much much thinner 'Basted Mills' paper. This wmk. was only used on these 2 papers!
The paper is thick and soft (varies a bit). It is unlike all other papers used for printing this stamp from all of the other plates.
The impression is not as crisp and clear as is the 'London' prints that immediately preceded this issue a month earlier but is usually printed with a deeper Carmine color than the following Basted Mills & Cowan papers.

Your copy shown also doesn't exhibit the 4 o'clock flaw so cannot be from plates later than 1904. ie it must be from a plate produced before the 1904 'Dot' plate - namely 'London', Waterlow, Basted Mills or Cowan therefore.


Please do look for evidence of a wmk as I am sure that it is there.



Dave

Picked these up recently.
In an old Tobacco tin - 'Pioneer Gold Leaf' of Liverpool, England.

21 x 100 bundles of 1901 p11 1st Local printing of the Penny Universal (in theory anyway ).








Initial looks it looks promising. Quite a few with 'A' class cancels and many old, closed offices.
Even a couple of the p14 variety.

Half way there now. I will post some pic's of the better items once all is discovered .....




Dave

Dave

After a bit more sorting here are some of the nicer cancels.
A mixture of (mainly) 'A' class and the odd 'H' class :



And a few I shall post in the Thames thread for skid, Mark, as well :





Dave