1d., drab.4d., bright blue.
These two stamps, the first to be printed for the Colony by Messrs. De La Rue & Co., were chronicled in thePhilatelic Recordof February, 1883, so we may safely put down the date of issue as January. The colours of both values were unchanged, and, allowing for the difference of appearance in Messrs. De La Rue & Co.’s stamps, caused by the whiteness and surfacing of the paper, there is hardly any change to be noticed even in their shades. The One Penny is perforated 14, the machine used having been the “comb.” The Four Pence is also perforated 14, but not having been able to examine a block, or even a pair of these stamps, we are unable to say which of the two machines was used. In all probability it was the guillotine-machine.
February 1883.
“2½ Pence,” in black, on 1d., rosy-lake.
Although a surcharged, this is by no means a provisional stamp, since it was made to obviate the necessity of making a plate for the new value of Two Pence Halfpenny required for the Postal Union rate, and, with a change of colour of the One Penny value on which the surcharge is printed, it has remained current ever since its issue in February, 1883.
It was chronicled in thePhilatelic Recordof March, 1883, and is dated February in the last edition of M. Moens’Catalogue. The surcharge is printed in black, in block figures and capitals 3 mm. in height, and the extreme length of the whole surcharge is 16 mm. A bar, 1 mm. in width, and 14 mm. in length, is printed at a distance of 1 mm. below the “2½ Pence,” and the surcharges are so printed on the sheet that these black bars fall more or less exactly on the lower labels of the stamps, and obliterate the original values. Like the stamps of the last issue, the sheets were perforated 14 by the comb-machine.
We have been shewn some specimens of the One Penny rosy-lake, which their owners fondly imagined were stamps that had escaped the surcharge “2½ Pence.” This is not so, as the One Penny stamp was afterwards issued in exactly the same colour as the surcharged variety we are now considering:videIssue 25.
October 1883.
4d., dull blue.6d., bright green.1s., orange-vermilion.
In thePhilatelic Recordof November, 1883, the editor chronicles the two higher values of this issue, on the authority of Dr. Viner, but they were not noticed in theTimbre-Posteuntil January, 1884. We have every belief that the Four Pence, dull blue, was issued with the two other values, but we can find no contemporary record of it. It is called “bleu terne” and dated 1883 in the First Supplement (published July 1884), to the 6th Edition of M. Moens’Catalogue. This settles the question as to its colour at least, for although M. Moens’ in the current edition of hisCataloguehas dropped the term “bleu terne,” and substitutedfor it two colours, “outremer” and “bleu foncé,” we cannot help thinking that in this instance he has followed the lead of the London Society’sWest Indian Catalogue, which employs precisely these terms in describing the colour of the blue Four Pence perforated 12, ignoring the dull blue stamp altogether. The stamps so described in the London Society’s list certainly belong to a later printing, and we believe them to have been non-existent in July, 1884, when M. Moens issued the First Supplement to the 6th Edition of hisCatalogue. The colour of the Four Pence of this issue is a dull dirty blue, inclined to grey-blue, and cannot possibly be mistaken for any of the shades of the Four Pence of the next issue. It is a very rare stamp, particularly unused. All the stamps of this issue are perforated 12 by the guillotine-machine described in our note to Section II.
September 1884.
½d., dark green.4d., ultramarine, with light and dark shades.
In thePhilatelic Recordof March, 1884, will be found an account of a spurious provisional Halfpenny, for which theDeutsche Philatelisten Zeitungseems to have been responsible. The stamp is described as the Six Pence, green, divided vertically, and each half surcharged in black “Halfpenny.” In the June number of thePhilatelic Recordthe editor says: “The result of enquiries made of the Postmaster of St. Vincent is that no such stamp has been issued. There are still large supplies of the small ½d., orange, on hand, which is attested by the fact that the watermark of this stamp has not yet been altered to C.A. and Crown.” The newHalfpenny printed in green, and perforated 12, was afterwards chronicled in the October number of the same journal.
We believe it was at this time that the third and last printing of a blue Four Pence was made by Messrs. De La Rue & Co., and that this is the ultramarine, or dark blue stamp, that is dated by the London Society as having been issued at the end of 1883. Both the stamps of this issue are perforated 12, and this is the last instance in which a machine of this gauge was used for St. Vincent stamps.
The variety of the Halfpenny printed in orange-yellow, but otherwise identical in all other respects with the green Halfpenny of this issue, has been known to us for some two years. A specimen of it was found by our publishers in a collection they had purchased, and at least two others are known, one of which has recently (January, 1895) been advertised for sale. All these are unused, and are printed on “Crown C.A.” paper, gummed, and perforated 12. We have catalogued this stamp as a variety “prepared for use, but never issued,” and, although it would be indiscreet to repeat here all the gossip we have heard on the subject, this fairly represents the case, as far as the evidence that has reached us can be trusted. One thing is at least certain, and that is, none of these yellow Halfpennies ever reached the Island officially.
March 1885.
“1d.” in black, on “2½d.” on 1d., rosy-lake.
This provisional stamp was made in the Island by surcharging “1d.” in black on the Two Pence Halfpenny of Issue 20, the surcharged value of that stamp being obliterated by two black bars printed across the sheet. Thenumeral “1” is 8½ mm. in height, and 1½ mm. in width; it has usually a straight serif, and a foot 3½ mm. long; the letter “d” is 4 mm. in height, and its extreme width is 3 mm. The bars that obliterate the original surcharge “2½ Pence” are each ½ mm. wide, and there is a space of ¾ mm. between them; between the upper of these two bars and the foot of the figure “1” there is a space of 3¼ mm. The top of the “d” is about level with that of the figure “1,” but the position of the letter varies, and it is sometimes a little higher or a little lower than the numeral. Between the “1” and the “d” there is a space of 1½ mm. The only variety of the surcharge that we have found is a stamp which has the serif of the numeral “1” sloping upwards. There appear to be no other varieties of surcharge on the sheet, unless we reckon as such the slightly varying positions of the letter “d” or a type of the figure “1” which has the right hand projection of the foot broken off.
This provisional One Penny was chronicled in thePhilatelic Recordof April, 1885, and there can be no doubt it was issued in March. Its perforation is of course the same as that of the Two Pence Halfpenny of Issue 20.
April 1885.
½d., dark green, shades.1d., carmine.4d., red-brown.
The One Penny and Four Pence of this issue were chronicled in thePhilatelic Recordof May, 1885, and these two at least were issued in April. There is no such certainty with regard to the Halfpenny, dark green, perforated 14, asthis is another St. Vincent stamp that altogether escaped being noticed in the periodicals. The earliest record of it we can find is in Mr. Gilbert E. Lockyer’sColonial Stamps, published in April, 1887. In this work it is grouped with other values as having been issued in “1885-86.” This is a little vague, but we do not suppose that Mr. Lockyer had any more precise information about the date of issue than we ourselves have now. Taking into consideration that the Halfpenny, dark green, perforated 12, of Issue 22, September, 1884, is rather a rare stamp either unused or used, we are inclined to assign to it as short a life as possible, and we believe that the Halfpenny perforated 14 must have been sent out by Messrs. De La Rue & Co. in April, 1885, rather than in June, 1886, with the new printings of the One Penny and Four Pence.
The colour of the Halfpenny is dark green, varying in shade, and it does not differ in this respect from the Halfpenny of Issue 22. The impression is sometimes rather blurred, or woolly, and when this is the case the letters of the inscription appear narrower, and have badly defined edges.
We have called the colour of the One Penny, “carmine,” and that of the Four Pence “red-brown.” In thePhilatelic Recordof May, 1885, they were called “bright-rose” and “reddish-chocolate,” but in July, 1886, the editor of that periodical, says, “… we think it better to explain that the colour of the One Penny of 1885, when compared with the more recent issue, must be rather termed ‘vermilion-red’ than ‘bright-rose.’”
The Four Pence is rather scarce even used, and unused it is decidedly rare.
All the stamps of this issue are perforated 14 by the guillotine-machine, and the Halfpenny is one of the values that still remain in issue in the Island.
June 1886.
1d., pink, shades.1d., rosy-lake.4d., purple-brown.4d., lake-brown, shades from deep to pale.
The change in colour of the two values of this issue was first chronicled in thePhilatelic Recordof July, 1886, where they were spoken of as “recent arrivals,” and their colours described as follows: “The present colour of the One Penny is a decided pink, and it is printed in water-colour; while the Four Pence is a very dark puce-brown.” For the One Penny we have adopted the term “pink,” but prefer “purple-brown” to “puce-brown” for the Four Pence. Besides the usual pink shades of the One Penny we have found that stamp in a colour identical with some of the specimens of the rosy-lake One Penny, which, surcharged “2½ Pence,” appeared in 1883. We have given this stamp a separate number in the Reference List, as, had we been content to include it as a shade of “pink,” it might in time have come to be considered as an error of Issue 20, without surcharge, which it certainly is not. There must have been a great number of printings of the One Penny made since 1886, as the stamp is still current. They are now coming over, in 1895, in shades undistinguishable from the carmine stamp of Issue 24.
If there are any shades of the purple-brown Four Pence they are very slight. It is by no means so scarce a stamp as the red-brown Four Pence of the last issue, but it is not nearly as common as any of the shades of the lake-brownFour Pence, and we think there could only have been one printing of it. The Four Pence, lake-brown, is certainly the result of later printings, but we cannot say for certain when the first of these was made; the earliest date we have found on one is October 2nd, 1886.
All the stamps of this issue are perforated 14 by the guillotine-machine.
October 1888.
6d., dark lilac.5s., lake.
The Six Pence, dark lilac, was first chronicled by theTimbre-Posteof November, 1888, although by some oversight M. Moens in the current edition of hisCataloguehas dated it December, with the Five Shillings lake. These two stamps were probably sent out together, and issued in October, 1888.
The Six Pence is a dark lilac, more inclined towards blue than red. We are certain that this, and not the red-lilac, was the first printing, as the specimen in the “Tapling Collection,” which came over at the time, is dark lilac.
We have recently seen two unused specimens of the Five Shillings, watermarked Crown C.A., which in colour are almost identical with the Five Shillings of Messrs. Perkins, Bacon & Co.’s printing (Issue 14). An examination of the stamps showed that they had no gum, and that the paper was very white and without surface, clearly showing that the stamps had been tampered with. We have no hesitation in condemning these varieties, as being only the ordinary lake stamps with the colour changed.
All the stamps of this issue are perforated 14; the Four Pence and Five Shillings are done with the guillotine-machine,but the Six Pence is one of the later instances in which the comb-machine was used.
The Five Shillings, lake, is still current.
August 1889.
“2½ Pence” in black on 1d., milky-blue, shades.
The issue of this stamp must have taken place in August, 1889, as it was chronicled in the September number of thePhilatelic Recordof that year. The editor seems to have been rather confused in his ideas about St. Vincent stamps, as in April, in noting the change of colour of the Six Pence from green to lilac, which had taken place six months previously, he surmised that the Six Pence of the former colour had been used up for making provisionals, and he now speaks of the “2½ Pence” on One Penny, lake, as having been issued in 1882, whereas it was not issued until 1883.
The surcharge “2½ Pence” does not call for any remarks, as it is identical with that of the same value of Issue 20. The stamp remained current until August, 1890, when the supply seems to have become exhausted, owing possibly to large purchases for philatelic purposes, and it became necessary to make a provisional, pending the arrival of a fresh supply from the printers in England.
It was perforated 14, and is the last stamp in St. Vincent for which Messrs. De La Rue & Co. used the comb-machine. Its colour is a pale milky-blue, not unlike that of one of the Six Pence values of St. Helena, and a few slight shades are to be found.
August 1890.
“2½d.,” in black, on 4d., lake-brown.
As we have said in our note to the foregoing issue, this provisional was made locally, during a temporary dearth of the De La Rue surcharged Two Pence Halfpenny, by surcharging “2½d.” in black on the Four Pence, lake-brown, of Issue 26, the original values being obliterated by black bars printed across the sheet. These bars are 1 mm. in width, and do not extend right across the sheet, but only reach to within 2 mm. of the frames of the right and left hand stamps in the rows. The total length of the surcharge, including the period after “d.,” is 10½ mm. The height of the large figure “2” is 4 mm.; its width is 2½ mm., and it has a curved foot. The small figure “1” is rather more than 2 mm. in height, and the small figure “2” is the same. The “d” is 4 mm. in height by 2 mm. in width, and is followed by rather a large full stop placed within 1 mm. of it. The surcharges are printed from type, and a good many minor varieties are to be found, of which the principal is one in which the fraction line is omitted. Other varieties consist of the large figure “2” with a break in the body just above the foot; small figure “2” with a break in the curve of the head; small figure “1” with differently shaped serifs; and fraction lines of varying lengths in different positions; but none of these varieties are of any great importance.
We take the date of issue from the list of provisional stamps furnished by Mr. Frank W. Griffith, late acting Colonial Postmaster of the island, published in the London Society’sWest Indian Catalogue.
November 1890 to 1891.
“2½ Pence,” in black, on 1d., bright blue; shades.6d., pale red-lilac.6d., deep red-lilac.1s., vermilion-red.
In this issue we have grouped together the stamps printed subsequent to the issue of the provisional “2½d.” on Four Pence, lake-brown, up to the end of 1891, but for none of which can we give more precise dates. All these stamps are perforated 14 by the guillotine-machine.
The Two Pence Halfpenny differs from the previous printing of the same value in the colour of the stamp, which is now in varying shades of bright blue, instead of in milky-blue as before. When in sheets, or blocks, it can also be distinguished from its predecessor by the perforation having been done by the guillotine-machine, whereas the Two Pence Halfpenny of Issue 27 was perforated by the comb-machine. Its issue was chronicled in theTimbre-Posteof January 1891, in the following terms: “Le 2½ pence, surcharge noire sur le 1 penny, est imprimé en blue vif. Ce timbre vient de nous parvenir ainsi en remplacement de celui, même valeur, dont la surcharge avait été appliquée sur le 4 p. lie de vin.” From dated specimens we have seen, we infer that the issue took place in November, 1890, or even before that date.
We are altogether in the dark as to when the first printing of the red-lilac Six Pence took place. Although this stamp in both its shades of pale and deep red-lilac differs materially from the dark lilac stamp of Issue 26, we can find no chronicle of it anywhere; but we do not think we are far out indating it at the early part of 1891. In describing the Six Pence of Issue 26, we said that the lilac colour of that stamp inclined more towards blue than red. In both shades of the Six Pence we are now considering the red predominates over the blue, so that the colour almost approaches lake. It is necessary to be quite clear on this point, as there seems to have been only one printing of the dark lilac Six Pence, and it is bound, sooner or later, to become a much rarer stamp than the red-lilac one, which has already had a currency of four years.
There is much the same difficulty with regard to the date of issue of the One Shilling, vermilion-red. This stamp differs both in colour and perforation from the orange-vermilion Shilling of Issue 21, which was perforated 12, but it was unnoticed by philatelists until Mr. Gilbert Lockyer called attention to its existence, in a letter inStanley Gibbons’ Monthly Journalof December, 1891. In this letter Mr. Lockyer states that Mr. E. Hawkins possesses a specimen, but there can be little doubt that the stamp had been at least some months in issue before this mention of it.
All the stamps of this issue are still current.
November 1892.
“5 Pence,” in carmine, on 4d., lake-brown.
The earliest chronicle of this provisional is inStanley Gibbons’ Monthly Journalfor November, 1892, which is the actual date of issue. The stamp was made locally, pending the arrival of a supply from the printers, by surcharging the Four Pence, lake-brown, with “5—Pence,” in thin block capitals, in two lines, and obliterating the original values bybars printed across the sheet. The colour of the surcharge is carmine, inclined to lake. The editor of thePhilatelic Recordevidently looked with great suspicion on the necessity for this provisional, as when chronicling it he made this remark: “It is said that the issue only lasted an hour, after which the price outside rose to shillings in place of pence.” The dimensions of the surcharge are as follows: The figure “5” is 4 mm. in height, and 2¾ mm. in width; the word “Pence” measures 12 mm. × 2¼ mm. The width of the bar is 1 mm., and this bar extends right across the sheet, and terminates exactly at the outer frame of the right and left-hand stamps of each row. The space between the bar and the word “Pence” is 5½ mm., and that between the same word and the figure “5” is 1¾ mm. At a distance of 20 mm. above the bar there is a row of small ornaments, two to each stamp, so grouped in pairs that they fall exactly on the stars in the two top corners of each stamp—that is, when the surcharges are in exact register with the sheet. It is not easy to say what these ornaments are, or why they have been introduced. They measure about 2 mm. each way, and are very faintly printed. As far as we can make out they are printer’s type ornaments of a somewhat uncommon pattern, and the illustration here given is from an enlarged drawing of one of them.
The whole surcharge—values, bars, and ornaments—is evidently done from acliché, and there are no varieties on the sheet. In the one now before us, the third stamp from the left on the bottom row has the first “E” of “Pence” double printed,with a space of about ½ mm. between the two impressions. We cannot say whether this is a variety existing on every sheet, or whether it is peculiar to this one only.
March 1893.
4d., canary-yellow.“Five Pence,” in black, on 6d., dull carmine.“Five Pence”””carmine-brown.
These values were issued in March, 1893, and are perforated 14 by the guillotine machine. The Four Pence is the old design, but with the colour once more changed to canary-yellow. For the Five Pence Messrs. De La Rue & Co. printed the current Six Pence in a new colour, and surcharged each stamp, over the original value, with the words “FIVE PENCE” in a straight line of block capitals, measuring 13½ mm. × 2¾ mm. There are two very distinct colours of this stamp—dull carmine and carmine-brown. They were both in existence in November, 1893, at which date they were chronicled inStanley Gibbons’ Monthly Journal.
The stamps of this issue are still current.
SAINT VINCENT.An Actto authorise the appointment of a Colonial Post-Master for the Colony of Saint Vincent, and to transfer to the Executive Government of the said Colony the control over the Post Office therein, heretofore exercised by Her Majesty’s Post-Master-General.
SAINT VINCENT.
An Actto authorise the appointment of a Colonial Post-Master for the Colony of Saint Vincent, and to transfer to the Executive Government of the said Colony the control over the Post Office therein, heretofore exercised by Her Majesty’s Post-Master-General.
Whereasit hath become necessary to provide for the appointment of a Colonial Post-Master, and to transfer to the Executive Government of the Island of Saint Vincent and its Dependencies, the authorities, power, and control, over the Post Office Establishment of the said Island, heretofore exercised by Her Majesty’s Post-Master General.
Be it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council, and Assembly of the said Island of Saint Vincent and its Dependencies, as follows; that is to say—
Appointment of Post-Master
1. Immediately on the passing of this Act, and so from time to time as often as a vacancy shall occur in the said Office, there shall be appointed by the officer for the time being administering the Government of the said Island of St. Vincent, by Commission under his hand and the Public Seal of the Colony a fit and proper person to be Colonial Post-Master of the said Government, &c., &c., &c., &c.
General Post Office in Kingstown.
5. There shall be one General Post Office provided by the Executive Government, in the Town of Kingstown, where all Letters, Newspapers, Books, Pamphlets, and other Papers, which shall arrive in this Colony from any place out of the same (unless excepted or exempted by any Act of the Imperial Parliament, or by this Act) shall be broughtand received, and whence the same shall be delivered to the persons to whom addressed, and where all Letters, Newspapers, Books, Pamphlets, and other Papers (except such as are excepted or exempted as aforesaid) shall be posted and received for transmission to any place out of this Colony, and whence the same shall be despatched to all places out of this Colony; and such General Post Office shall be in such part of the Government Buildings, in the said Town of Kingstown, as the Governor, with the consent of the Executive Council shall, from time to time, fix and direct; and the hours of attendance at such Post Office shall be governed and regulated by and according to the Rules to be made, as hereinafter provided for the governance of the Post Office Establishment of this Colony.
Postage prepayable in money until stamps provided. Proviso, stamps may be used when provided.
11. The Postage on all Letters, posted in this Colony for transmission to any place out of the same, shall be paid by the sender on delivering the same at the Post Office in money, until stamps shall be provided, under the provisions of this Act. Provided always, that Letters written on stamped paper, or enclosed in stamped covers, or having a stamp affixed thereto (the stamp, in every such case, being of the value or amount in this Act expressed, and specially provided for the purpose, under the authority of this Act) shall if within the limitation of weight fixed by or under the authority of any Statute of the Imperial Parliament in that behalf, and if the stamp have not been used before, pass by the Post free, subject only as to such Letters as shall not be sent to the United Kingdom, to such Postage as the same shall or may be liable to, on arrival at their places of destination, under the Laws of such places respectively.
Postmaster to collect One Penny for Local Government on all single letters to and from the United Kingdom, and so in proportion, &c.
12. And whereas, under arrangements entered into by Her Majesty’s Post-Master-General, one rate, or the sum of one penny, is to be paid to and received by the Local Government on every single Letter coming from the United Kingdom, and received in this Colony from or through HerMajesty’s General Post Office; and a like rate, or one penny, on every single Letter collected in, and sent from this Colony, to the United Kingdom, through the said General Post Office, and a double rate on every Double Letter, and so in proportion, according to the rate or scale governing the Postage on Letters sent by the General Post Office from the United Kingdom to these Colonies, or from these Colonies to the United Kingdom. Be it therefore enacted—That the Colonial-Post-Master shall keep an account, and shall collect and receive, on behalf of the Local Government, such Rates and Postage as aforesaid, as shall be payable for all such Letters as aforesaid.
Scale of Postage to Colony on all Foreign Letters, not passing through the United Kingdom.
13. On every Letter arriving in this Colony, by Her Majesty’s General Post, from any place beyond the limits of the Colony, except from or passing through the United Kingdom; and on every Letter posted in this Colony for transmission to any place beyond the limits of the same, except to or through the United Kingdom, there shall be charged, and paid to Her Majesty, for the use of this Colony, Postage by weight, according to the following Scale, that is to say—
Not exceeding half-an-ounce—One rate of one penny.Exceeding half-an-ounce, but not exceeding one ounce—Two rates, or two pence.Exceeding one ounce, but not exceeding two ounces—Four rates, or four pence.Exceeding two ounces, but not exceeding three ounces—Six rates, or sixpence.
Not exceeding half-an-ounce—One rate of one penny.
Exceeding half-an-ounce, but not exceeding one ounce—Two rates, or two pence.
Exceeding one ounce, but not exceeding two ounces—Four rates, or four pence.
Exceeding two ounces, but not exceeding three ounces—Six rates, or sixpence.
And so on in progression, an additional two rates being charged for every additional ounce or fraction of an ounce.
16. (Provides for Registration of Letters and Book Packets, at rate of one shilling each.)
Governor to provide Postage Dies and Stamps.
17. It shall be lawful for the Governor to cause to be provided, at the Public expense, proper and sufficient Postage Stamps and Dies, or other Implements for expressing anddenoting the Rates or Duties of Postage for this Colony; and such Dies, Stamps, and Implements, shall be kept in such custody, and such Stamps shall be made or impressed from such Dies or other Implements, and sold in such manner as the Governor, with the consent of the Executive Council, shall from time to time direct by writing under his hand.
Act passed June 14th, 1860.
Note.—Another Act was passed on September 10th, 1863, which raised the postage on letters despatched to foreign countries, with the exception of those going to or through the United Kingdom, from one penny to two pence the half ounce, and so on in proportion. The charge of one penny on letters coming to St. Vincent through the Imperial Post Office was at the same time abolished.
[6]This stamp was used for making the provisional One Penny of Issue 13.
[6]This stamp was used for making the provisional One Penny of Issue 13.
[7]This stamp was used for making the provisional Four Pence of Issue 16.
[7]This stamp was used for making the provisional Four Pence of Issue 16.
[8]This stamp was used for making the provisional Halfpenny of Issue 15, and the provisional One Penny of Issue 17.
[8]This stamp was used for making the provisional Halfpenny of Issue 15, and the provisional One Penny of Issue 17.
* Comb-machine. † Guillotine-machine.
[9]This stamp was used for making the provisional One Penny of Issue 23.
[9]This stamp was used for making the provisional One Penny of Issue 23.
[10]This stamp was used for making the provisional Two Pence Halfpenny of Issue 28, and the provisional Five Pence of Issue 30.
[10]This stamp was used for making the provisional Two Pence Halfpenny of Issue 28, and the provisional Five Pence of Issue 30.
Note.—The colours in the above list are those given in the printers’ books. The list will be found of the greatest assistance to philatelists in helping them to determine the relative rarity of the stamps of Section I. It must, however, be borne in mind that at least two other factors enter into this problem. These are the number of stamps that were surcharged “Revenue” for fiscal purposes, and also the number of unused stamps that were stocked by the dealers at the time of their issue. Take for instance the Four Pence of 1866 and the Four Pence of 1877, of which the numbers printed were 15,000 and 6,000 respectively. Theoretically speaking, the latter should be 2½ times as rare as the former, but in reality it is much more so. The earlier one was stocked by the dealers, and is no rarer unused than used. The later stamp unused is at least ten times as rare as the first Four Pence in the same state, although the relative rarity of the two stamps when used is, roughly speaking, in proportion to the quantity printed of each.