Embedded Files
I wrote an article about the black print from plate 11 in the GBJ (61:3) which suggested that Kingsmill was not the printer who printed these stamps and that the figure of 700 sheets was an underestimate. That article caused some debate as the 700 sheet figure was originally proposed by Bacon in 1920 and has since become baked into the “established wisdom”. There is a need to summarise the evidence.
Engraving Book (PB136024)
Engraving Book (PB136024)
This is a primary source.
What was it and why did they keep it? Whenever faced with a question like this, it often pays to say ‘follow the money’. And that is what I think it is, a list of jobs done, all of which need to be followed up by the company book-keeper to add to the respective accounts. We can therefore assume that it is at least reasonably accurate.
Here is a scan of the relevant entry for plate 11, otherwise known at the “fourteenth plate Queens Head”. It is listed on 29 January 1841, though there is a note “Omittid 19th inst.”. That indicates that plate 11 was completed on 19 January 1841.
General Account of Postage Labels
General Account of Postage Labels
This a primary source.
This is a well known ledger that records the amount of paper handed out to and received back from each printer during his working shifts. As a by product of this, we are also given a daily print total for each and every printer. What we are not given in all cases is the plate number given to each printer. Occasionally we are but not in the period we are concerned with. Spoilt sheets are included in these figures as they form part of the accounting of the paper.
Here is a screenshot of a spreadsheet showing the daily print totals for all printers from the start of 1841 extracted from this ledger. Sundays are shown in grey. Black printings are shown shaded black, with all other unshaded print figures being red. Graham’s red printings on 3 February have been added to the following day.
Imprimaturs sheets.
Imprimaturs sheets.
These are primary sources, but there are complications. The imprimatur (the authority to print) is written on the reverse of each registration sheet along with the date of that authority. Wright & Creeke published a “TABULAR STATEMENT OF THE "IMPRIMATUR" SHEETS In the Archives of the Board of Inland Revenue” in their 1899 work Adhesive Stamps of the British Isles. The dates of the imprimatur recorded by them is a secondary source, although I would suggest a very good one. Here is an adjusted scan of the relevant part of the appendix.
An added complication is that the imprimatur sheet for plate 11, as well as some other sheets are not in the archives at the Inland Revenue (now Postal Museum). It is clear that Wright and Creek were physically going through each imprimatur and reading off the dates of the imprimatur where they could. For those missing sheets, they would have had to have relied upon a ledger within the Inland Revenue for this detail. If there were not an alternative record of these dates, then they would have drawn attention to the fact. It is interesting to note that the records within the IR also record that the imprimatur was in red.
There are occasional errors within W&C, though mostly seem to be typos and no errors within the dates of imprimaturs are known at the time of writing. I wonder if anyone after W&C have gone through the imprimaturs and physically checked the dates written on the reverse.
W&C record only one date under the headings ‘Stk’ that is engraved and ‘Appd’ that is approved or the date of imprimatur. Looking at other plates, it is clear that this date refers to the date the imprimatur was taken, 21 January 1841. At that time it was normal to print for a short while before requesting the presence of the officials from the IR so that they could hand over a well printed sheet for it to receive an imprimatur.
Copies of Invoices as recorded by Bacon appendix I p284 onwards.
Copies of Invoices as recorded by Bacon appendix I p284 onwards.
I am sure that this relates to a primary source, since I have scans of similar from a later period. See scan at left. This scan shows August 1854 onwards and you can see entries with a note ‘Comm.rs’
6 sheets on 3 Aug, relate to the imprimaturs for plates 184-9 registered 12 July.
4 sheets on 14 Aug, relate to the imprimaturs for plates 190-93 registered 11 Aug.
4 sheets on 22 Sep, relate to the imprimaturs for plates 194-7 registered 21 Sep.
Notice that the gap between the actual date of printing varies between a day and nearly a month. We should not read anything into this period as it is irrelevant as to when the imprimatur was printed.
Bacon records similar details in his appendix I, specifically vol2 page 289, detail at left. This states 1 sheet – ‘Mr Pressly 27 Jany [imprimatur sheet, plate11]’. Though this is only recorded in March it clearly correcting an ommission from January. 27 January is a specific date.
These same accounts also tell us when the provisional print in blacks were delivered; two tranches 27-29 January and 4-6 February. This makes sense and it allows time for drying, gumming and drying again. The delivery dates are highlighted in lime on the spreadsheet extract to left.
If Kingsmill were in fact printing with plate 11 on the 1 February then it is not impossible for one to appear used on the 4 February, as long as, it was delivered first thing, SH had their act together and they forgot about proper FIFO stock handling. More likely is a stamp that was printed on the 22 January, delivered to SH on 27 January and used on 4 February. This matches the print / delivery / use cycle seen for the week following.
The stamps themselves
The stamps themselves
These are primary sources.
The earliest known use of a black plate 11 is 4 February1841, according Allan Oliver’s ‘Lifespan’. I have heard a report of a second example on the same date, but have not seen it.
This date matches the earliest known to Litchfield writing in 1949.
Allan also provides us with details of the earliest known use of penny reds. He lists;
Plate 1 – 22 February
Plate 5 – 12 February
Plate 8 – 20 February
Plate 9 – 12 February
Plate 10 – 15 February
Plate 11 – 19 February
Percy Litchfield in his ‘Guide Lines to the Penny Black’ (p18) quotes from Rowland Hill’s journal “Called at Stamp Office – They have arranged with the Post Office for bringing new labels and envelopes into use on the 10th inst.” On the 11 February1841 he notes “Yesterday the new envelopes and labels came into use.” I would suggest that the staggered EKU dates for stamps in red reflect post offices using thier black stocks before red sheets.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The evidence shows that:
The plate was available for use from 19 January 1841.
The imprimatur was in red and was dated 21 January1841,
and therefore it was put to press sometime between those two dates.
Between 22 January and 26 January, it would have been printed in black for either three or four days, depending on printer. Delivery of these sheets taking place 27 – 19 January.
Another black print took place between 1 – 3 February for two or three days, depending on printer. Delivery of these sheets took place 4 – 6 February.
The EKU of plate 11 in black is 4 February.
The EKU of the penny red indicates that there were approximately 4 days stock as a minimum of black sheets. Many post offices would have more stocks of blacks. This indicates that the EKU of 4 February most likely came from the first black print 22 – 26 January.
There is another point to mention. Perkins Bacon did not have enough plates to print with during this period and the plates that they did have were in need of repair, which is why we have the provisional running repairs. As soon as plate 11 was ready for use, it would have been put onto press immediatly. There is no reason for this not to be the case.
Kingsmill was not the printer since he did not start printing until 29 January. So, who printed with plate 11? I don’t think Corbett (2,800 sheets in black) or Willis (2,775 sheets in black) did, as both printers took new plates 4 January, and after an initial stutter or two settled into a steady print pattern. McMurdie (1,950 sheets in black) follows a similar pattern though not as clear cut. Graham printed 1,975 sheets in black. Based on the daily print patterns I believe it was Graham that printed plate 11, though the reader is free to make up thier own mind.
If Graham is correct it means that 1,975 sheets were printed from plate 11.
Not 700 sheets.
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