GB - The GV Seahorse issue

Hello. Tonight something on GB. Why? because today I received my copy of one of the newsletter type publications Stanley Gibbons send to me (I subscribe actually, I think). Don't know whether you receive these but they are very informative and enjoyable. Although the down side is I cannot affort the beautiful stamps they show. Todays piece was about the GB GV Seahorse issues. A lovely stamp design I think. SG state that the design was in fact the first British stamp with a pictorial illustration. I did not realise that.

Anyway this one is SG 403, perfectly centred and unmounted mint, with an asking price of £4500. If that is a bit much for you, maybe this one. Another stunning copy of SG 403 but this time used.


But look at the postal franking, beautifully centred, and very light, not distracting from the stamp itself. This has an asking price of £1250. You may well have GV Seahorse stamps in your collection, but check the postal franking. I'd be surprised if you have anything of this quality. One reason is that the Post Office staff of the day were reminded to cancel the stamps thoroughly because there was a fear the postal frank ink could be cleaned away and the stamps reused.

Now here we are, nearly 100 years later, not worrying about removing ink from stamps so as to reuse them but because the Post Office does not frank them on occassions and so we have non soluable gums. However I digress. Lovely stamp design. Hope you enjoyed seeing these two. And, I acknowledge the SG email to me as the source of these pictures. One day I might own one or two like this :-)

Enjoy your stamps ..... Michael