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SG 5 (D1)

1840 Blue

Cover

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Bisect (See below)

Ivory Head

Watermark

Small Crown

Watermark

Small Crown

This stamp has shades of blued paper

In depth knowledge

Plate Numbers for SG5: 1 and 2

A guide to the colours of Maltese Cross (MX) cancels

Black

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Blue

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Bright Orange

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Bright Violet

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Brown

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Brownish-Red

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Lilac-Rose

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Magenta

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Orange-Brown

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Orange-Red

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Pink

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Purple

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Red

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Ruby

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Vermilion

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White

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Yellow

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The Maltese cross cancel changed from red to black in February 1841 primarily to prevent fraud, as the original red ink was easily cleaned off the Penny Black stamps, allowing them to be reused. Switching to a more durable black ink, and subsequently changing the stamp color from black to red, ensured the cancellation could not be removed without damaging the stamp. The penny black was changed to the penny red in order to make the black cancel more visible.

The eight points of the cross also represent the eight “lingue” (national groupings) of the Order's members, namely: Auvergne, Provence, France, Aragon, Castile and Portugal, Italy, Germany and England (with Scotland and Ireland). The complex, eight-pointed shape was designed to "obliterate" the stamp effectively so that the ink would be difficult to clean off, ensuring the stamp could not be used again

A guide to the 12 numbers in Maltese Cross (MX) cancels

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

The purpose of adding a number to the Maltese Cross cancellation on British postage stamps, which began in March 1843 in London and more widely in 1844, was to identify the specific post office or postal worker responsible for cancelling the stamp. Internal Monitoring: In London (1843), the numbers 1-12 were introduced to the center of the cross, likely as a method to monitor the performance of specific postal employees at the General Post Office. They were superceded by bar cancels in 1844.

A guide to the distinctive Maltese Cross (MX) cancels

Aberdeen

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Alderney

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Ashton

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Banff

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Belfast

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Brighton

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Catterick

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Channel Islands

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Coleshill

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Cork

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Coventry

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Dublin

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Dumfries

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Edinburgh

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Greenock

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Hollymount

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Johnstown

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Kelso

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Kilmarnock

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Kinallen

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Leamington

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Leeds

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Lewes

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Limerick

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Manchester

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Melksham

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Montrose

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Mullinger

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North Allerton

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Norwich

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Oxford

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Perth

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Plymouth

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Scotland
Large Diamond

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Scotland
Small Diamond

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Sterling

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Stonehaven

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Tadcaster

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Tallow

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Tarporley

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Tunbridge Wells

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Welshpool

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Whitehaven

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Wincanton

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Wotton-under-edge

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York

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What is the value of SG5?

A mint stamp that has been previoiusly hinged: £3,000-£5,000
A used stamp: £100-£350
An ivory head reverse to a stamp makes little difference to the value of the stamp.

Top Image: River Thames 1840

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