Dummy, Test, Training, Sample, Proof & Essay

Facsimile Colour Trials for the George V Downey Issue  

Modern zinco plate replicas, 24 different stamps

The Spanish items, are neither trials nor projects. They're just cinderellas, issued by the entourage of Juan de Borbón Battenberg (1913-1993) son of Alfonso XIII grand father of Felipe VI and pretender to the Spanih crown during Franco's dictatorship. He was exiled at Estoril (Portugal) and there was a campaign presenting him as a democratic alternative to Franco's succession. I remember seing these labels of Barcelona stamp shops windows on the late months of Franco's era (1975) . No one seemed to care that much for them....

McCorquodale and Company Limited was a printing company founded by George McCorquodale in 1846. This is described as a tender essay from 1879. The company is, perhaps, best known for printing British Air Letters. They were taken over in 2005.

Testing Labels were used by the Post Office from 1911. The first were produced by Harrison's using blank Crown watermark paper which was then overprinted CANCELLED in green to simulate halfpenny stamps and red for 1d stamps. These and other similar labels were not successful and eventually the green Target design, commonly referred to as the 'Poached Egg', was produced in 1935. Issued with GvR Block Cypher watermark on gummed paper.

In 1937, after too many of the green poached eggs ended up being used for postage, they were replaced by grey versions clearly marked:

For
Testing
Purposes
Only

These can be found with various watermarks: E8R, GviR, Tudor Crown, St Edward's Crown, Multiple Crowns and without watermark. A strip with offset printing can be seen below.

A pink double version was issued with the Philatelic Bulletin in 1964.

Finally, a Post Office test cover for 1971.

Another 'Poached Egg' on cover to go with daniel's cover from a post in July.

Labels were produced by De La Rue for their 'Story of Stamps Exhibition' in April, 1958.
Printed in Green on white paper.

Below is an Imperf Plate Proof sheet of 32 on Pink paper. It has been folded.

A dummy Machin booklet with blank self-adhesive stamps.

Danish Legion Feltpost Stamps issued in October 1944

The Frikorp Danmark was a unit of the Waffen SS during World War II up until 1943 when it was disbanded. They later became part of the SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment and three charity stamps were issued to raise funds for them. They are listed in Michel Specialised Germany under Private Issues 1939/45 Danish Legion. Three values were issued: 25 øre dark green, 50 øre dark blue and 1 Kroner orange red. A genuine set is valuable. These proofs, presumably modern, were cheap.

I found these 1958 US Army Postal Clerk Training Stamps. A more complete set which includes the 1962 series sold Daniel F Kelleher Auction sale 758 as Lot 1776 for $425.

Can you tell me more about the third row? I have a west german baloon post postcard from 1958 which has the red one attached to it, apparently upside down from how you have them, and I always thought it was supposed to be a balloon, as in, part of the balloon post.