Great Britain 1880 5d Indigo die proof, SG169var.
A superb example printed by De La Rue in black on white glazed card (92x61mm) dated twice "5 AUG 80" in blue.
A scarce specialised Queen Victoria philatelic piece.
The 5d stamp was required for correspondence with India and China paying double rate (1 ounce). A hand-painted essay in the issued design, except that it had corner letters and was for 9d, was amongst those submitted on 31 May 1880. It ultimately became the issued 5d stamp. Printing was delayed while the colour was decided.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,600.
