"Cameo" Issue of 1869.
[Illustration]
The _Philatelist_ for March 1, 1869, contained the first intimation of
the preparation of stamps for the Colony of
"GAMBIA.
"We are proud to announce the preparation of stamps for this
African settlement. In a central circle is Queen Victoria's
coroneted head in white relief; in straight bands above is
GAMBIA; below, the value, which, as well as the spandril
ornamentation, is embossed in white. The stamp is nearly
square, and the specimens possessed by our correspondent are
imperforate. Values:
4 pence, deep brown.
6 " " blue."
[page 17]
The stamps were manufactured by Messrs. de la Rue & Co. by a double
process of flat printing and of relief embossing, the flat printing
being doubtless effected first and the embossing afterwards. This
combination was unusually effective, and the finished stamps rank
among the handsomest adhesive postage stamps known to collectors.
As embossing evenly over a large area presented considerable
difficulties, the plates were made up of fifteen stamps only, in
three horizontal rows of five stamps. The plates for both processes
evidently fitted each other with precision, though in the printing
occasionally the embossing is slightly out of register.
The paper is white wove and has no watermark, and the stamps were
not perforated. There are two colours of the gum, one being the usual
clear white: the other is a pale yellow colour, which may, however, be
due to climatic influence, particularly as it is a noticeable feature
of a number of the later issues.
The colour of the 4d. value varies in shade from a deep chocolate
brown to brown and pale brown. The 6d. is pale to deep blue. There
is a quite pale shade which is very rarely met with, most of the
so-called "pale blue" specimens being an intermediate shade better
described as "blue."
The sheets of both values shew one printer's guide dot in each side
margin, opposite stamps No. 6 and 10 respectively (plate I).
Both values are known with the embossing shewing a distinct double
impression.
There are some peculiarities in these stamps which, although their
significance is uncertain, it may not be well to overlook.
[page 18]
Firstly, there frequently occurs throughout the embossed stamps
of Gambia a small spot of colour on the back hair, which in later
embossed stamps becomes a large spot, and even develops into a
coloured indentation from the coloured circular ground.
In this issue the spot, when it occurs, is usually quite small, two
copies of the 6d. examined shewing it somewhat enlarged.
Secondly, there are noticeable varieties of the pendant curl at the
back. The normal design shews a fairly thick wavy curl with a hair
branching out from it into the space between the curl and the neck.
This sub-curl, as we may call it, is occasionally missing, broken,
or as in No. 11 on the imperforate 6d. sheet (plate I), the curl and
sub-curl have joined together, giving a very different appearance to
the back hair. There are also varying lengths of the main curl.
In the sheet of the 6d. value the plates seem to have been slightly
defective, and there is a gentle slope down from the centre to the
outside stamp on each side (Nos. 1 and 5), the slope being more
pronounced on No. 5, where the upper label containing the word Gambia
is recognised as the variety with slanting label. The left side of
stamp 5 is 22 1/2mm. high, and the right side 22mm. That the peculiarity
occurs reversed on stamp No. 1, though it is less pronounced, there
can be no doubt. In later issues both stamps 1 and 5 shew the defect
more prominently, as will be readily seen from an examination of
plates I., X., and XI. Curiously enough, the fault is not confined to
the two outside stamps, as is generally supposed. The trouble is in
the entire top row being 1/2mm. taller than the normal stamps of rows 2
and 3, except the left and right sides [page 19] respectively of the
end stamps (Nos. 1 and 5). The middle stamp of the top row shews a
further peculiarity in the shape of the base of the neck. (Compare
plates I., X., XI., with XIV.)
Copies of both values exist overprinted SPECIMEN, and we have seen
similar copies of all the regular issues of this Colony.
[Illustration]
[page 20]