Gambia Part 4

1d. carmine and carmine (plate 2).

1d. deep carmine and deep carmine (plate 3).

2d. orange and mauve (plate 2).

2d. ultramarine and ultramarine (plate 2).

3d. mauve and pale ultramarine (plate 2).

3d. deep mauve and deep ultramarine (plate 3).

4d. brown and ultramarine (plate 2).

6d. olive-green and carmine (plate 2).

1s. violet and green (plate 2).

All the stamps were printed at two impressions, the general design being printed from the key plate, and the name GAMBIA and the value tablet by a "duty" plate printed separately. In the d., 1d. and 2d.

values, however, both key and duty plates were impressed in the same colour. The plates are constructed [page 49] to print sheets of 120 stamps, divided in two panes of 60 stamps each. The plate number appears in the margin above and below each pane (plate XVI.). It consists of an uncoloured figure on a circular ground of colour, and is printed by the key plate. The plate numbered "2" was used for all the values in the set, but later printings of the d., 1d. and 3d.

were printed from plate III. In the case of the d. and 1d. the printings from plate III. do not shew any marked variation in shade; but in the case of the 3d. both the mauve and the ultramarine colours are distinctively deeper.

The perforation throughout gauges 14; the watermark is Crown C.A.

as in the last issue, but upright instead of sideways, as these POSTAGE--POSTAGE plates were constructed to fit the watermarked paper.

[page 50]

CHAPTER VII.

King's Head Series, 1902-1906.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The change from the Queen's Head type to the King's Head type of design came in 1902, the new general Colonial key plate being used. It is numbered 1 in a similar manner to the numbering on the Queen's Head plates. All the denominations in the previous set were repeated, and a 2s. value was added; later (May, 1905) three new stamps appeared of the face values 1s. 6d., 2s. 6d. and 3s. respectively. Of these three denominations it is stated that only 6000[2] copies of each were printed. The stamps, which were perforated 14 and were [page 51]

printed on the same paper (Crown and C.A.) as the last issue, comprised the following values--

Watermarked Crown C.A.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

d. green and green.

1d. carmine and carmine.

2d. orange and mauve.

2d. ultramarine and ultramarine.

3d. magenta and ultramarine.

4d. brown and ultramarine.

6d. sage-green and carmine.

1s. violet and green.

1s. 6d. green and carmine on yellow paper.

2s. deep slate and orange.

2s. 6d. purple and brown on yellow paper.

3s. carmine and green on yellow paper.

[Footnote 2: Compare numbers overprinted in 1906 (Chapter VIII.).]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

In May, 1905, appeared also three new values printed on multiple Crown C.A. paper, each stamp shewing portions of two or more watermark designs instead of one more or less complete design as heretofore.

The new values were the 5d., 7d. and 10d. These being rather unusual denominations, their appearance caused considerable ferment among collectors, who ascribed their issue to motives not strictly a.s.sociated with legitimate postal business. Reference to the Post Office Ordinance No. 6 of 1897 (quoted in Chapter I.) will shew that the fees for insured parcels in force in the Gambia were 5d. for compensation up to 12, 7d. up to 24, and 10d. up to 36; so it is not unreasonable if, as one may a.s.sume, the colonists availed themselves of these rates of insurance, that there was a use for such denominations.

[page 52]

The new multiple watermarked paper had been adopted for the 1d.

value in 1904, and was during 1905-6 introduced for all the regular denominations except the 1s. 6d., 2s. 6d. and 3s. On this paper, therefore, we get the following--

Multiple Crown C.A.

d. green and green.

1d. carmine and carmine.

2d. orange and mauve.

2d. ultramarine and ultramarine.

3d. magenta and ultramarine.

4d. brown and ultramarine.

5d. grey and black.

6d. sage-green and carmine.

7d. green and carmine.

10d. olive-brown and carmine.

1s. violet and green.

2s. deep slate and orange.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[page 53]

CHAPTER VIII.

Provisional Issue 1906.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The next and only remaining issue we have to describe are in the nature of Provisionals issued during a temporary shortage of halfpenny and penny stamps. The Bathurst correspondent of _Ewen's Weekly Stamp News_, writing April 30, 1906, communicated the following information, which is published in the issue of that journal for May 26, 1906:--

"The surcharged penny and halfpenny postage stamps on the 3/- and 2/6 denominations respectively were issued on the [page 54] 10th instant, and withdrawn on the 23rd April. The issue was necessary owing to a delay in receipt of a requisition for stamps sent to England on the 9th February, and by the abnormal sales, from some unknown reason, of the usual penny and halfpenny stamps during February and March.

"A very small issue was made pending the arrival of the mail on the 24th, by which the indent above mentioned was received.

The total issue was 4500 penny and 3780 halfpenny."

The stamps overprinted to provide these emergency supplies were the 2s. 6d. purple and brown on yellow paper, which was overprinted for the halfpenny, and the 3s. carmine and green on yellow paper for the penny overprint.

The surcharging was effected in the Colony. In the case of the d. the overprint consists of the word