Great Britain 1840 1d intense 'penny black' Plate 6, SG1.
A very fine used good to large four margin example lettered 'FK', neatly cancelled by red Maltese Cross.
A visually striking example of the world's first postage stamp.
Plate 6 is one of the scarcer early printing plates, put to press on 15 June 1840 and registered on 17 June, with an active life of only six months. The earliest known date of use is 24 June 1840. This intense black printing was therefore printed in June or July 1840 during the first months of the stamp's use.
GB Specialised Catalogue Number: AS40
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £525.
