Collecting Accessories

MATRIMONIAL CAUSE

1861 MATRIMONIAL CAUSE COURT DIE PROOF

OF £1 IN MAUVE ON GLAZED CARD

(these were done for the 1867 Paris Exhibition)

Super Rare Item

Great Britain College Stamps

GB 1879 Hertford College Oxford, imperf sheet of 35

The first Oxford college to issue stamps was the newly founded Keble in 1871. Other Oxford colleges then followed suit: Hertford (1875), Merton (1876), Lincoln (1877), Exeter (1882), St John's (1884) and All Souls (1884). Due to the suppression of the issues by the Post Office, stamps prepared for Balliol in 1885 were never issued and Corpus Christi got no further than the design stage. Keble, Hertford, Merton and Exeter also issued prepaid envelopes or postcards (Keble continuing till the 1890s). The suppliers were mainly local stationers, Emberlin and Son and Spiers and Son. Early Keble and Merton stamps and all postal stationery were embossed; all the remaining stamps were lithographed, except the Lincoln issue (designed by Allan Wyon) which was recess-printed.The first Cambridge college to issue stamps was Selwyn in 1882, which were supplied individually separated. Only two other colleges issued stamps: Queens' (1883) and St John's (1884). All the stamps were lithographed. They were supplied by a local stationer W P Spalding. It has recently been discovered that prepaid envelopes were issued by Jesus (1871) and proposed by Clare (1879).The designs are typically based on the college arms. Only the Lincoln stamp bears a value (one penny); other stamps and stationery were charged from ½d to 1¼d. Some original designs, dies and plates exist. Die proofs survive for most issues, though many are reprints produced in the 1890s. Many of the lithographed issues and the recess-printed stamps of Lincoln have been plated.Though stamps were often cancelled by a pen mark or left uncancelled, Keble initially used a five dots obliteration and Hertford a cross. Oxford covers are scarce and Cambridge rare. Used postal stationery is also rare.The best book on the subject is Lister's "College Stamps of Oxford and Cambridge" 1966, reprinted 1974. The stamps only are listed in Gibbons specialised catalogue.Another Oxford issue of this period are the penny stamps overprinted or underprinted O.U.S. (vertically between wavy lines) for the Oxford Union Society from 1858 to 1882. These stamps are also listed in Gibbons specialised catalogue.Keble issued a stamp for its centenary in 1970. Labels with college stamp designs were produced for Philatelic Congresses at Cambridge in 1938, 1967 and 1990.

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GB MATCH TAX PROOF REVENUE

QV 1871 IMPERF MATCH TAX PROOF PAIR REVENUE TAX FISCAL

THESE STAMPS WERE PREPARED FOLLOWING AN 1871 PARLIAMENTARY BILL THAT PROPOSED TO TAX MATCHES AT 1/2d PER BOX OF 100 MATCHES. SELLING MATCHES WAS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INCOME FOR THE MANY POOR OF THE COUNTRY AND THIS PROPOSAL RAISED SUCH A LARGE POPULAR OUTCRY THAT IT WAS ABANDONED. HOWEVER BY THIS TIME THESE PROOFS OF THE STAMPS HAD ALREADY BEEN PREPARED.
MATCH TAX HALFPENNY BLUE 1871 REVENUE STAMP PAIR IMPERF1871 MATCH TAX HALFPENNY BLUE IMPERF PAIR: Trials for the match tax proposed by Sir Robert Lowe but not actually issued. Printed in sheets of 240 with ten panes. Mint pair.

Superb scarce item available at http://worldclassstamps.co.uk/