Wilding Castle inverted watermarks

Material relating to the philately of the reign of Elizabeth II.
Post Reply
larry6mac
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 6:00 pm

Wilding Castle inverted watermarks

Post by larry6mac »

can anyone tell me the number of copies found for each printer and value.

larry6mac
Lennox
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 6:00 pm

Re: Wilding Castle inverted watermarks

Post by Lennox »

Originally of course there would be at least 80 mint copies.
The list of those that have known to have survived is:
2s6d 1st De La Rue - 3 used
2s6d 2nd De La Rue - 10 used
5s 2nd De La Rue - 2 mint; 31 used (more probably exist used)
£1 2nd De La Rue - 4 used
2s6d Bradbury Wilkinson - 21 mint; 3 used (I have the finder’s original letter which records 21 mint)
5s Bradbury Wilkinson - high number of mint (four known plate blocks, plate 4A); low number of used
10s Bradbury Wilkinson - 6 used
£1 Bradbury Wilkinson - 2 mint; 3 used
Trouble is unrecorded copies keep turning up!
larry6mac
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 6:00 pm

Re: Wilding Castle inverted watermarks

Post by larry6mac »

Thanks for the info. I have just found a 2s6d and 1 Pound Bradbury, but both have indistinctive cancels, so don't know if these should be added to the information supplied.
Lennox
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 6:00 pm

Re: Wilding Castle inverted watermarks

Post by Lennox »

I have images of all copies.

If you upload the images I will let you know and possibly give you a history.
larry6mac
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 6:00 pm

Re: Wilding Castle inverted watermarks

Post by larry6mac »

inverted.pdf
(312.02 KiB) Downloaded 483 times




Here are the images you asked for any info would be much appreciated
Lennox
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 6:00 pm

Re: Wilding Castle inverted watermarks

Post by Lennox »

Thanks for the images.

As you say, the postmarks are indistinct and cannot be pinned down to copies I have recorded.

You have also to consider the stamps may be 2nd De La Rue.

As you are apparently resident in Canada, the comment by Lord Spens in the G B Journal May - June 1991 regarding the 2s6d inverted watermark:

“Ken Snelson of Canada has written to say that some 20 years ago he purchased some GB stamps in which he found 6 used copies of the 2/6 2nd De La Rue with inverted watermark. They were all slightly off centre, so would appear to come from the same sheet. The sheet was possibly used for postal purposes to Canada but none of the postmarked examples remaining in his collection can be identified as to the date and location. These are the first used copies I have recorded.”

Your copy is both off centre with an unidentified postmark and could be from this source.

As far as the £1 in concerned both the known 2nd De La Rue and Bradbury Wilkinson were cancelled by parcel postmarks.

Your copy has a straight line parcel postmark similar to the known 2nd De La Rue postmarks. The known Bradbury Wilkinson have a parcel oval postmark.

There could have been more than one sheet of any issue and your copies could be from different locations.

There must be more copies of all issues lying undetected in collections and kiloware or not reported by their owners.

That is why copies keep turning up. The 2s6d 1st De La Rue did not become generally known until 1987, despite being issued 1958-1959.
Lennox
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 6:00 pm

Re: Wilding Castle inverted watermarks

Post by Lennox »

As I mentioned on 6 October 2020, unrecorded copies keep turning up.
There is a fourth copy of the 1st De La Rue 2s6d watermark inverted used.
I have examined the stamp and I can confirm its existence.
Lennox
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 6:00 pm

Re: Wilding Castle inverted watermarks

Post by Lennox »

Another 5s 2nd De La Rue inverted watermark used has turned up.
The postmark is Orange Tree Dartford and the stamp was cancelled on 2 December but the year is unknown.
All known used copies are from London, Surrey and Kent.
This makes 32 used copies I have recorded, although there are almost certainly more.
The 5s 2nd De La Rue used is the most common of all the Wilding Castle stamps with the watermark inverted in the used state, although only two mint copies have recorded.
This is the reverse position of the 5s Bradbury Wilkinson watermark inverted which is quite common in mint condition but relatively scarce used.
Attachments
300dpi.jpg
Post Reply