Bermuda King George V 2/6 ID Chart

Bermuda first issued a 2/6 value stamp along with several higher denominations in 1917. These stamps were primarily used to collect taxes, but were legal for postal use as well. The initial version of this stamp was printed on paper watermarked Multiple Crown CA (MCA), and since there was only one printing on this paper it is pretty easy to identify. Beginning around 1921, paper watermarked Multiple Script CA (MSCA) was used. As new printings of the 2/6 stamp were needed they were printed on this paper.

There were nine printings of the 2/6 value stamp on MSCA paper. Six are listed in the Stanley Gibbons Catalogue, and three in the Basic Scott Catalog. Identifying these stamps properly can be a real challenge, and since there are two Gibbons listed stamps of significant value it is helpful to be able to know what to look for in sorting these stamps.
Shown below is an ID Chart I created from my collection which does include all of the six listed stamps. They were identified using Dr. Myles Glazer's book "The King George V High Value Stamps of Bermuda, 1917-1938". I also had some help from Bob Dickgiesser (who wrote the book on King George VI Keyplates) when were together at the World's Columbia Exposition in Chicago in 1992.

If you collect these stamps, feel free to save the chart to your computer for future use. Notice both the various ink and the paper colors which are key to identifying these stamps.