Page 46 - BWISC 60th Anniversary Display at RPSL, November 2014
P. 46
Frame 41
ST. VINCENT – THE DE LA RUE PRINTINGS (1882 – 1932)
from the collection of Russell Boylan
The island of St. Vincent lies within the Windward Islands or Lesser Antilles, in the eastern Caribbean Sea.
It consists of the island of Saint Vincent and the northern Grenadine Islands, which stretch southward toward
Grenada.
The island’s postage stamp production began with Perkins, Bacon who prepared and printed the stamps of
St. Vincent from 1861 until December 1881 when the Government of St. Vincent cancelled the contract due
to disputes over production quality. The Crown Agents handed over the Plates to Thomas De La Rue & Co.
who maintained the printing of St. Vincent stamps unabated until 1932.
In a similar vein to other colonies in the Caribbean, the Arms of the Colony and the Monarch’s portrait form
the subject matter of De La Rue’s uninterrupted contract with the Colony. De La Rue’s printing was renowned
for the richness of the colours.
Samuel has described the policy of St. Vincent Postal authorities with respect to local Specimen overprints as
“very strange”, some 14 different types being recorded, with a number of those types displayed in the course
of this exhibit.
1883 6d bright green. 1883 1s orange-vermilion. Essay from the Universal Key Plate.
This Frame features the following:–
1882: De La Rue Plate Proofs produced from the Perkins, Bacon Plates.
1882: 1d drab in block of 24; the largest known multiple.
1882: 4d ultramarine marginal block and March 1883 ‘Lucas’ cover to London.
1882: 4d dull ultramarine with ‘ & Co’ cover to Jamaica.
1885: 4d red-brown with 4d blue registered franking to the British Consulate in Palermo, Italy.
1883: 6d bright green, 1s orange-vermilion & 1884 ½d green perf. 12 in blocks of four.
1888: 6d violet in block of 6 with ‘SPECIMEN’ in strip of three as issued to UPU members.
1888: 5s Colour Trial and ‘SPECIMEN’ overprint Samuel Type D11 from the De La Rue collection.
1883 – 86: Local Specimen overprints, Messenger Type VI.
1896: Essays in the Universal Key Plate design and revised Arms Essay.
1897: 2½d, 5d and 3d Specimens in strips of five as distributed to UPU members.
ST. VINCENT – THE DE LA RUE PRINTINGS (1882 – 1932)
from the collection of Russell Boylan
The island of St. Vincent lies within the Windward Islands or Lesser Antilles, in the eastern Caribbean Sea.
It consists of the island of Saint Vincent and the northern Grenadine Islands, which stretch southward toward
Grenada.
The island’s postage stamp production began with Perkins, Bacon who prepared and printed the stamps of
St. Vincent from 1861 until December 1881 when the Government of St. Vincent cancelled the contract due
to disputes over production quality. The Crown Agents handed over the Plates to Thomas De La Rue & Co.
who maintained the printing of St. Vincent stamps unabated until 1932.
In a similar vein to other colonies in the Caribbean, the Arms of the Colony and the Monarch’s portrait form
the subject matter of De La Rue’s uninterrupted contract with the Colony. De La Rue’s printing was renowned
for the richness of the colours.
Samuel has described the policy of St. Vincent Postal authorities with respect to local Specimen overprints as
“very strange”, some 14 different types being recorded, with a number of those types displayed in the course
of this exhibit.
1883 6d bright green. 1883 1s orange-vermilion. Essay from the Universal Key Plate.
This Frame features the following:–
1882: De La Rue Plate Proofs produced from the Perkins, Bacon Plates.
1882: 1d drab in block of 24; the largest known multiple.
1882: 4d ultramarine marginal block and March 1883 ‘Lucas’ cover to London.
1882: 4d dull ultramarine with ‘ & Co’ cover to Jamaica.
1885: 4d red-brown with 4d blue registered franking to the British Consulate in Palermo, Italy.
1883: 6d bright green, 1s orange-vermilion & 1884 ½d green perf. 12 in blocks of four.
1888: 6d violet in block of 6 with ‘SPECIMEN’ in strip of three as issued to UPU members.
1888: 5s Colour Trial and ‘SPECIMEN’ overprint Samuel Type D11 from the De La Rue collection.
1883 – 86: Local Specimen overprints, Messenger Type VI.
1896: Essays in the Universal Key Plate design and revised Arms Essay.
1897: 2½d, 5d and 3d Specimens in strips of five as distributed to UPU members.
