Lettered SJ

Autor: Stephan Jürgens, AIJP

A small curiosity at British Stamps from the Victorian era are the "corner letters". This is a small ego-driven study to learn more on the classic British stamps.

The "corner letters" indicate the position of the single stamp in the complete sheet. It surely helps the printer to identify the position in case of printing errors, but beside these I did not see any real purpose behind these - sheet reconstructions, as many collectors are doing them, could not be in the mind of Sir Rowland Hill, since stamp collectors and thier crazy ideas did not exits before the first stamp was issued.

Imperforated

MiNr	Year	D	Colour	wmk	perf	SG	Remark
MiNr	Year	D	Colour	wmk	perf	SG	Remark
1 a	1840, 6. Mai	ONE PENNY	tiefschwarz	Wz. 1			Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
1 b	1840	ONE PENNY	schwarz	Wz. 1		2	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
1 c	1840	ONE PENNY	grauschwarz (abgenutzte Platte)	Wz. 1			Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
2 a	1840, 6. Mai	TWO PENNY	dunkelblau	Wz. 1			Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
2 b	1840	TWO PENNY	blau	Wz. 1		5	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
2 c	1840	TWO PENNY	mattblau (ultramarin)	Wz. 1			Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
3	1841, 10. Februar	ONE PENNY	rotbraun	Wz. 1		8	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken H. Archer Versuchszähnungen
4 a	1841, 13. März	TWO PENNY	blau	Wz. 1		14	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken Weißer Strich unter POSTAGE und über TWO PENCE
4 b	1841	TWO PENNY	dunkelblau	Wz. 1			Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken Weißer Strich unter POSTAGE und über TWO PENCE
4 c	1841	TWO PENNY	mattblau	Wz. 1			Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken Weißer Strich unter POSTAGE und über TWO PENCE
4 yb	1841	TWO PENNY	blau	Wz. 1			Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken Weißer Strich unter POSTAGE und über TWO PENCE dickeres lavendelblaues Papier

Perforated, Stars in the upper corners

MiNr	Year	D	Colour	wmk	perf	SG	Remark
MiNr	Year	D	Colour	wmk	perf	SG	Remark
8 A a	1854, 28. Januar	ONE PENNY	rotbraun	Wz. 1	K 16	17	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
8 A b	1854	ONE PENNY	gelbbraun	Wz. 1	K 16		Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
8 B a	1855, Januar	ONE PENNY	rotbraun	Wz. 1	K 14	24	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
8 B b	1855	ONE PENNY	gelbbraun	Wz. 1	K 14		Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
9 A	1854, 1. März	TWO PENNY	dunkelblau	Wz. 1	K 16	19	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken Weißer Strich unter POSTAGE und über TWO PENCE
9 B	1855, 22. Februar	TWO PENNY	dunkelblau	Wz. 1	K 14	23	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken Weißer Strich unter POSTAGE und über TWO PENCE
10 A	1855, 15. Mai	ONE PENNY	rotbraun	Wz. 3	K 16	26	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
10 B	1856, 10. Januar	ONE PENNY	rotbraun	Wz. 3	K 14	40	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken
11 A	1855, 20. Juli	TWO PENNY	blau	Wz. 3	K 16	27	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken Weißer Strich unter POSTAGE und über TWO PENCE
11 B	1855, 20. Juli	TWO PENNY	blau	Wz. 3	K 14	34	Buchstaben in den unteren Ecken Weißer Strich unter POSTAGE und über TWO PENCE

Perforated, Letters in all four corners

MiNr	Year	D	Colour	wmk	perf	SG	Remark
MiNr	Year	D	Colour	wmk	perf	SG	Remark
16	1864, 1. Arpil	ONE PENNY	dunkelrosa	Wz. 3	K 14	43	Buchstaben in allen vier Ecken
17	1858, Juli	TWO PENNY	blau	Wz. 3	K 14	45	Buchstaben in allen vier Ecken Weißer Strich unter POSTAGE und über TWO PENCE

The Stamps

Michel Nr. 1

Lettered SJ

1840: 1 d QV black "One Penny Black", lettered SJ, cut in at all sides, cancelled by heavy black Maltese Cross.

Michel Nr. 3

Lettered SJ

1841 1d, lettered SJ, Alfabet 2, VFU 4 large margins, unplated.

Michel Nr: 3, SG 8

Lettered SJ

1841 1d, lettered SJ, cancelled by London post mark, good to wide margins allaround.

Michel Nr: 3

Lettered SJ

1841 1d, lettered SJ, cancelled by numeral 34, good to wide margins allaround.

Michel Nr: 3

Lettered SJ

1841 1d, lettered SJ, cancelled by numeral ?88, good to wide amrgins at three sides, touched at left.

Michel Nr: 3

Lettered SJ

1841 1d, lettered SJ, "Double S", cut in at all sides, cancelled by light Maltese Cross.

Michel Nr: 3

Lettered SJ

1841 1d, lettered SJ, Plate 24, three good margins, cancelled by black Maltese Cross.

Michel Nr: 3, SG 8

Lettered SJ

1841 1d, lettered SJ, Plate 24 wide to xtra wide margins, cancelled by light Maltese Cross.

Michel Nr: 3

Lettered SJ

GB 1841 1d Red Imperf - Plate 21 - Black M/C - Lettered S J, 4 margins. Sound condition. Lovely, crisp black Maltese cross.

Michel Nr. 4

Lettered SJ

1841: 2d blue, imperforated, lettered SJ, three good margins, slightly cut in at left.

Michel Nr: 10

Lettered SJ

1855 1d, lettered SJ, cancelled by numeral 447, very slightly off centered.

Michel Nr: 10

Lettered SJ & SK

1855 1d, lettered SJ + SK, cancelled by numeral 884, horizontal pair,off centered.

Michel Nr: 10 B, SG 29

Lettered SJ & SK

1856 1d, lettered SJ + SK, perf. 14, scissors cut at bottom, plate 29, Alphabet III, cancelled by Liverpool Spoon (a very destinctive Duplex cancel), horizontal pair on piece.

Michel Nr: 16

Lettered SJ/JS

1858 1d, lettered SJ/JS, cancelled by numeral 84, slightly off centered.

Michel Nr: 16 / SG 53

Lettered SJ/JS

1858 1d, lettered SJ/JS, Plate 78, cancelled by an Edinburg BRUNSWICK star, a little bit off centered.

Michel Nr. 27

Lettered SJ/JS

1865: 1 Sh QV green, lettered SJ, used with numeral cancel 89, watermark Emblems

Michel Nr. 36

Lettered SJ/JS

1870: 1/2 d QV rose bantam, lettered SJ, used with numeral cancel 94

Michel Nr. 38

Lettered SJ/JS

1872: 6 d QV brown, lettered SJ, used with numeral cancel 466, slightly shifter perforation, on short teeth.

Michel Nr. 56 / Scott #79

Lettered SJ/JS

1p Victoria, red brown Position SJ

Michel Nr. 74

Lettered LN

Wait, you said "Lettered SJ". This collection is ego driven, so I decide, what is in. And this has a nice perfin "S&J", so I think it qualifies as a Queen Victoria stamp with the letters SJ ... Challenge: prove me wrong.

1.4.1884 mattpurpurviolet or 2 d Lilac, SG 189, letters L N, used

The Covers

Michel Nr. 1

Lettered SJ

1840: 1 d QV black "One Penny Black", lettered SJ, full margins, tied by red brownish Maltese Cross to letter from MILNTHORPE JA 23 1841 to Preston, Lancashire.

Google Maps ScreenShot Milnthorpe -> Preston

Michel Nr. 1

Lettered SJ

1840: 1 d QV black "One Penny Black", lettered SJ, full margins, tied by black Maltese Cross to worn letter from Penrith AP 6 1841 to East Grinstead.

Google Maps ScreenShot Penrith -> East Grinstead

Michel Nr. 3

Lettered SJ

1841 1d, lettered SJ, good margins allaround, tied by numeral 84 to cover backstamped CANTERBURY SP 20 1850 (in blue).

Michel Nr. 16

Lettered SJ/JS

IRELAND: 1858/1876 1d, lettered SJ, tied by numeral MONKSTOWN 336 to envelope to Liverpool

Michel Nr. 16

Lettered SJ/JS

1858/1876 1d, lettered SJ tied by London duplex, addressed to Birmingham, arrival cds on reverse.

Wenn ich je etwas zur "Social Philately" mache, wird dieser Brief wahrscheinlich eine größere Rolle spielen ...