NEXT PLATE 2
- Registration Date: 2 May 1840
- Reported first use on 7 May 1840 and another on 8 May but not available to the public until 9 May.
- Last use of plate 9 July 1840
- Destroyed: Officially 27 January 1842 but a letter from the printers on 2 Jan 1842 stated it had already been destroyed.
- Sheets Printed: 16,962 approximately 400 sheets spoiled.
- Imprimatur sheet missing.
- Constant Plate characteristics: Watermark small crown. Alphabet 1.
The best distinguishing mark between Pl 1 and 2 is the west side of the upper NW star which is weak in Plate 1 but re-cut in Pl 2.
The plate was laid down in an unusual order starting with LL and then progressing to LA, then KJ-KL.
These have the minor rays complete in the corner stars apart from the 10 o'clock ray in the NE.
On KI the 2 o'clock ray is missing as it is on all the H I and J rows. On A to G rows the 11 o'clock ray is also missing.
This continues (missing NE 10,11 and 2) on MI to PL.
A new roller was used for QA which had a weak 11 o'clock ray-flaw in the NE.
QB has absent 11 and weak 10 rays. QC has absent 11,10 and weak 2 o'clock rays and QD to RL and SA all three are absent.
Finally on SB to TL the 12 o'clock ray is absent (2,10,11 and 12).
The north west square shows a weak 1 o'clock ray on QC-QI and absent from QJ to TL.
This roller with five absent rays was used for Pl 2.
TW of TWO Pence is joined in the A-E and M-P rows.
- Re-Entries AH, ED and NC (fresh entry).
- DJ Re-entry (early in plate use) Marks during use EF NB
- PI recut square corner
- Double Letters BA, CD, DF, EK, FB, FC, JL and LC. KI, LC and SA.
- Guide lines, Basal Shifts and Guide dots see Volume 18 of "The Essential Guide to the Great Britain Line Engraved 1d and 2d Stars 1840-64" by Dr Kenneth Statham. Pub E Paul Ltd. ISBN 1-899930-24-8. Also "Two Pence Blue Plating Guide" by Mike Jackson ISBN 978-0-9528274-6-7. Also see "British Line Engraved Stamps Twopence Blue Studies of plates 1-15" by H Osborne, MD.
Missing Imprimatur positions courtesy of [1]
For the later States see sections after the T Row
State 1
A Row
B Row
C Row
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 TW Joined, O dent NNE Bk RF NE 10,11,2 |
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D Row
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 Late use F Defective TW Joined, NNE Bk RF NE 10,11,2 |
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E Row
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F Row
G Row
H Row
I Row
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 Faint Horiz Guide line SW SE NE Bk, RF NE 10,2 More Images |
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J Row
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K Row
L Row
M Row
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 RFNE 10,11,2 TW Jd 'O' Dent NNe Bk |
 RFNE 10.11.2 TW Jd 'O' Dent |
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N Row
O Row
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P Row
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 RFNE 10,11,2 TW Jd 'O' Dent NNe Bk |
Q Row
R Row
 RFNE 10,11,2 RFNW 1 NNE NNW Break |
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 RFNE 10,11,2 RFNW 1 NNE Break |
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S Row
T Row
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 More Images RFNE 10,11,12,2 RFNW 1 NNE NNW Break Guide dot below SE corner. |
Plate 1 Re-entries (State 2)
 State 2 Clear re-entry marks NE star |
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