Plate 1a
Plate 1 of the Penny Black was registered on 15 April 1840. As the
plate was not hardened it quickly began showing signs of wear. The
plate was withdrawn for extensive repairs. Plate 1 before it underwent
repair is usually referred to as "Plate 1a," and after repair as,
"Plate 1b." One important characteristic of Plate 1a is the exaggerated
appearance of the 7 O'clock Ray and the near absence of the 5 O'clock Ray.
All stamps of this plate show the characteristic 7 and 5 O'clock Rays with
the exception of position CL. As an aid to tell the difference between
stamps from Plate 1a and 1b, the north-west corner is sufficient
in most cases. However another help is that Plate 1a has: thick base
lines, thick check letters, and plate dots are more prevalent on Plate
1a.
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Characteristics of Plate 1a
Earliest Known Date of Use | 06 May 1840 |
Flaw | 10 O'clock Ray Flaw; 7 O'clock Ray exaggerated; 5 O'clock Ray short |
No Flaw | CL, RI, SK, SL, TK and TL |
Re-entries | HB, HD, OA, PB |
Shifted Transfer/Basel Shift | PL, RL, Sl, TL (Basel Shifts) |
Double Letters | AE, CD, FA, FI, GI, MF, QA, RI, TK |
Burr Rubs | None |
Recut Side Lines | None |
Recut Corners | None |
Constant Varieties | DA, DG, EA, GA (smudge in A Square) JA (BLIND A) MK (mark on left margin) |
Printing in Red | None |
Color of Maltese Cross | Red |
Bleute Paper | Exists |
Thin Paper | Exists |
Inverted Watermark | Exists |
Area of re-entry highlighted in red |