The Warwick & Warwick November 4th stamp auction includes examples of the 1979 Rowland Hill mini sheet issue with very rare errors.
The sheet was issued in August 1979, shortly after a Royal Mail snap price increase, which meant that the original printing (with denominations 9p, 10½, 11p & 13p) had to be pulped and new sheets issued. Incidentally, 3 examples of sheets with the original values escaped pulping and we auctioned one of them in 2011, to see our report please click here.
Possibly as a result of the rushed printing, the process was bedevilled with errors resulting in a list of varieties and numerous opportunities for the keen, deep pocketed, GB modern collector.
The auction includes:-
Imperforate sheet, SG MS1099a Catalogue £9,750. One of only 6 known.
Missing brown-ochre colour, SG MS1099b Catalogue £10,000. One of only 6 known.
Missing gold colour, SG MS1099c Catalogue £950. 36 mint copies known.
Missing rosine colour, SG MS1099h Catalogue £2,600 12 mint copies known.
By Phil Stowe
