Queen's Head Series, 1898.
[Illustration]
On the 31st January, 1898, the following notice was issued in
reference to the postage stamps of the Colony:--
"WITHDRAWAL OF PRESENT ISSUE OF GAMBIA POSTAGE STAMPS.
"On the 1st May, 1898, the present issue, if not previously
exhausted, of all denominations of Postage Stamps in the
Gambia that are then in the hands of the Government will be
destroyed, and a complete new set of stamps will then be put
in circulation.
"ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE,
BATHURST, GAMBIA,
_31st January, 1898_."
[page 46]
After being faithful for nearly thirty years to the graceful design
of the "cameo" stamps the Colony adopted the regular De la Rue type
printed from a general key plate which did duty for a number of
colonial issues.
Essays were prepared by making impressions from this key plate,
shewing the profile of the Queen to left in a circle, and the words
POSTAGE--POSTAGE at the sides, the top tablet being left blank for the
name of the Colony, and a space for the sexagonal tablet of value at
bottom also being left blank. The essays consist of such impressions
with the name GAMBIA and the proposed values painted in by hand, to
shew the approximate effect of the stamps which would be produced from
this key plate. Only a very few such essays are known.
The values which were actually produced in the new series were--
1/2d. dull green and green (plates 2 and 3).
1d. carmine and carmine (plate 2).
1d. deep carmine and deep carmine (plate 3).
2d. orange and mauve (plate 2).
2 1/2d. 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 1/2d., 1d. and 2 1/2d.
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 1/2d., 1d. and 3d.
were printed from plate III. In the case of the 1/2d. 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]