Essays for the new 2+1c prepared by drawing on a regular 2c Carmine
A design that was not used
The 2+1c has been added in white ink
Die I was used for Plates 1-14
The proof as approved by the Post Office
Redrawn Die I number OG 100
Printed in Carmine on India and printed in Black on card
Hand punched PO numbers were no longer used by this point in time
Lower left Plate 1
Upper left Plate 14
Redrawn Die II number OG 106
Printed in Carmine on india
Plates 15-16 were printed from Die II
Upper left Plate 15
Upper left plate 16
Coil stamps for the 2+1c Carmine were produced from sheets of 100 perforated 8 vertically and left imperforate horizontally. Strips of 10 stamps were produced by cutting the sheet horizontally along the imperforate gutters. The resulting strips of 10 were then joined together to form a long strip of coils. Stips of blank paper were added at both ends of this strip. Two plates numbered 1 and 2 were laid down for the coils identified by PO 938.
A starting strip of four with an attached label
A 'paste up' strip of four where two strips of 10 were joined
An ending strip of four
Appartently there was at some point a shortage of Post Office sheets for the 2+1c. Some of the coil sheets that already been perforated 8 vertically were also perforated 12 horizontally and issued in sheet form. We know that these are from the coil sheets by the printing order "938". The normal post office sheets have PO "937".
Upper right plate 1
Lower left plate 2
A few of the coil sheets exist perforated 12x12. These may have been produced by taking an imperforate coil sheet and using the regular perf(12) machine. They may also be an early example of the 'favours' that became a part of the Admiral issue.
Lower right plate 1
Lower left plate 2