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Aron R. Halberstam Philatelists, Ltd.

British Commonwealth Stamps

Aron R. Halberstam Philatelists, Ltd.

Aron R. Halberstam Philatelists, Ltd.

Buying and selling quality, pre-1960 British Commonwealth stamps.

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P.O. Box 150168
Van Brunt Station
Brooklyn, NY  11215-0168 USA

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George VI Keyplate Stamps of Bermuda – A Concise Collector’s Guide

June 29, 2006 by Aron Halberstam Haberstam

Aron R. Halberstam Philatelists, Ltd. aims to provide collectors of British stamps and British Colonial stamps with the ‘bread and butter’ items that make up a comprehensive collection. However at times our stock is particularly strong in one area or another and we become a valuable resource for more specialized collectors as well. Currently, our offerings in King George VI Bermuda Keyplate Stamps are an exceptional example.

Bermuda sg121cf SG 121cf gash in chin variety

For those who are unfamiliar with them, the Bermuda keyplate types of the reign of George VI are collected based upon their many printings (shade and paper varieties) and an array of positional plate flaws. These flaws and the various printings are described in great detail in a reference work by Robert Dickgiesser and Eric Yendall, entitled “King George VI Large Key Type Stamps of Bermuda, Leeward Islands, Nyasaland” and commonly referred to simply as “Dickgiesser.” Of the many, many flaws and printings described in Dickgiesser, only a few of the major ones are listed in the Stanley Gibbons catalogues, though this is still a useful basic reference point.

SG116a LHSG117a usedSG118b LHSG119 First Printing LHSG120c Never HingedSG121b Never Hinged
(place your cursor over the images to see descriptions)

The Dickgiesser flaws are described by the number of the position on the plate, often followed by a letter which refers to the particular flaw if the position features more than one. Key type stamps were printed in plates of 60, in 5 rows of 12 stamps each, position #1 being the top left and position #60 the bottom right.

 SG117b NH postitional flaw 9  SG118f NH pos flaw 24c  SG121d NH flaws 8a,b,c   SG121d NH positional flaw 60c     

Keyplates are particularly desirable in positional blocks, allowing for easier identification of the flaws (some of which are extremely tiny).

SG116e NH block positions 11, 12, 23,24       SG119d NH block       SG120e NH block

It can be quite an adventure to embark upon a search for one of these flaws, magnifier in hand, without some indication of the position. Purchasing items with their positional flaws already described is a much simpler path, and the prices are often not significantly higher for the flaws that Gibbons doesn’t list. We would like to invite our clients to consider adding to their collection with some of these unusual and highly desirable items.

More highlights from our stock (links were removed as the stock changes too often):

SG116 first printing LH SG116d NH block flaws 11 & 22b SG117 first printing NH SG118b NH line perf SG118f LH flaw 49c SG119b NH line perf SG120e LH flaws 21b,c,e very scarce SG120e LH flaw 4 pair SG110-121c LH complete set 
(For a complete list of our current offerings, see our Online Price List and search for Bermuda.)

SG120cf LH gash in chin variety SG 120cf Gash in chin variety

Of course Bermuda was not the only country that used the Keyplate stamp type, nor was George VI the only monarch.  An expansive Keyplate collection would include the reign of George V and stamps of Bermuda, Leeward Islands, Malta, and Nyasaland. 

*A note about reference works: copywrite restrictions do not allow us to reproduce the relevent parts of Dickgiesser’s book for our clients, but we encourage anyone interested to contact the APS Library, ask us for more detailed descriptions, or purchase the work for your own library at a retail outlet such as Subway Stamp Shop.

Filed Under: Philatelic Files, Seller's Files

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