Penny Lilac

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"Penny Lilac" of 1881; 16 dots in each corner
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"Penny Lilac" of 1881; 16 dots in each corner

The Penny Lilac was the basic penny postage stamp of Great Britain from its first issue on 12 July 1881 and was used until 1901. It superseded the short lived Penny Venetian Red because the Customs and Inland Revenue Act of 1881 necessitated new stamps that were also valid as revenue stamps, and so the Penny Lilac was issued in that year, inscribed "POSTAGE AND INLAND REVENUE". All previous stamps had been inscribed merely "POSTAGE". This stamp remained the standard letter stamp for the remainder of Victoria's reign, and vast quantities were printed.

The Penny Lilac was a surface-printed stamp and was issued in two forms.

  • Die I with 14 dots in each corner from 12 July 1881 (495,984,000 issued)
  • Die II with 16 dots in each corner, 13 Dec 1881-1901 (33,600,000,000 issued)

[edit] References

  • Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Specialised Stamp Catalogue Volume 1: Queen Victoria
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