I have seen it stated in philatelic literature that the multipositive used for cylinder 2 of the 1935 Silver Jubilee threehalfpence stamp was different to that used for all the other multipositives for that value. Does anyone have any documentary evidence supporting this statement? Does anybody know of any published research/information on the multipositive marks found on any/all values of this issue, please?

Harvey--If I were researching this topic, I would consult Alastair Hacket's work, The 1935 Silver Jubilee Issue of Great Britain (1982, the Edinburgh Stamp Shop), and Hugh Vallency's Check List of British Photograveur Stamps and Jubilee Stamps, 1934-36 (1936, The Vallency Press, London). Unfortunately, I don't own either of these, so I can't research them. I do not recall ever having read that this cylinder was produced from a different multipositive than other cylinders for sheet-printed stamps of this value. Please let the rest of us know what you find out--this is an interesting topic.

Bob: Thanks, but I already have both those books. If you are interested in this issue, you should also get the book: "British Silver Jubilee Stamps (1935)" by Vallancey, published in 1939. Alastair Hacket did no work on that part of the issue, as I have spoken to him about it. Apparently, cylinder 2 was first illustrated in the "British Philatelist" in 1938. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find the exact reference! Again, if anyone can help with this, I would appreciate it!

The British Philatelist reference is in Volume 30 page 31 of June 1937. However the illustration is purely to prove the existance of Cyl 2, which had previously been unrecorded. There is no reference to it being an 'abnormal'. Perhaps a visit to the National Postal Museum might prove worthwhile - their web-site will give you a list of relevant files, try looking under reference Post 52 for starters which will lead you to the File No.

For anyone interested, the file number in the NPM is 52/782. I have not looked a the file, so do not know just what is contained in it.

Apologies - the file number I quoted is no longer valid. I have now checked and can confirm this file is 52/989

Bob/Leslie,
I have now found the reference! It was under my nose all the time: page 77 of PSGB Pt IV, last paragraph: "The printing from cylinder 2 is extremely interesting. No examples from the 'stop'(sic) pane have been found and the only known block from the 'no stop'(sic) pane shows that this cylinder was printed from a different multipositive from that used for the other cylinders. The shading in the spandrels is noticeably stronger and that in 'Silver Jubilee' and 'Threehalfpence' varies from that of the other cylinders."
I have also included the reference from Vallancey's 1939 pamphlet, page 14, which includes a photograph of the cylinder block.