Current numbers study (illustrated)

Current numbers on the selvage are very hard to find, I have only one example in my own collection.
For the rest I have to beg, borrow and steal. For an introduction to current numbers go here.
Both Perkins (line-engraved) and De La Rue (surface-printed) had their own series of current numbers.

This lovely scan shows plate number 146 (circled)
and the Perkins current number 163 (above stamps AA and AB).

This lovely scan shows the De La Rue current number 286 (above stamps AB).

Image source British Postal Museum from the R M Phillips Collection. Voll XXXII Pg 52.

Ilustrated current numbers used in this study are listed below.

Line-engraved (Perkins) complete list here

Surface-Printed (De La Rue) complete list here

As a side note: if you look at the R M Phillips collection in detail, he has many more examples of the plate number in the selvage (~100) but only about 27 showing the current number. Thanks to Wiggins (on line-engraved) and Beaumont and Easton (on surface-printed) for their great works on Current Numbers. Stanley Gibbons need to catch up and include these in the specialised catalogue Vol 1. These are great rarities (only two per sheet), I am surprised that Stanley Gibbons has not done this before... Gibbons do cover control letters so why not current numbers?

One of the gems in the R M Phillips collection is the misplaced De La Rue Current Number 407 it should be under the stamp TK not TJ. For the full pane see here.

Image source British Postal Museum from the R M Phillips Collection. Vol XXXII Pg 30.

See Beaumont and Easton page 328 on why the Current Number should be below stamp TK not TJ. Also see the mirror image here showing the Current Number above stamp AB we should therefore expect the other current number on the plate to be below TK not TJ. For an example of the Current Number in the correct position, i.e. under stamp TK see the 1s green plate 5 here. Unfortunately we do not have mirror image current number for the 3d plate 10 to see whether it is above stamp AB or AC. If you have this stamp email me Ross Taylor

Examples of different surface-printed current numbers

For surface printed stamps, only two stamps on the plate have the current number on the adjacent selvage, for the 2½d, 3d, 4d, 6d, 9d, the second stamp at the top-left (AB) and the second stamp from the bottom right (TK). For the 8d and 1s stamps the current number is above stamp (AA) and below (TL), see Beaumont and Easton see illustrations pages 323 to 333.

For illustrations of the Current Number above stamp AB see here and hereand here and here

For illustrations of the Current Number below stamp TK see here and here and here

For illustrations of the AA and TL (8d) examples of current numbers see here

The only example of current number under stamp TJ (407) see here

For illustrations from the top-left of the plate see the 5s and 10s high values.

For the line-engraved (Perkins) Current Numbers see here
For the Surface printed (De La Rue) Current Numbers see here

For my source on the Perkins current numbers see Postage Stamps of GB, Part 2, Wiggins
For my source on the De La Rue Current numbers see Postage Stamps of GB, Part 3, Beaumont and Easton

For examples of the plate number on the selvage go here (from R M Phillips collection)

For full panes go here

back to main stamps page