Great Britain 1884 £1 brown-Lilac (Watermark Three Crowns), SG185.
A very fine unused with original gum example, lettered 'EC', with large part original usual “off-white” gum and a fresh vibrant colour.
A beautiful example of this very rare high value Queen Victorian surface printed classic rarity.
The £1 brown-lilac stamp is a heavyweight of British philately. The Long One Pound stamp is a stunning feature of Great Britain’s postal history. They are widely adored amongst collectors, but outside the financial reach of many because they are so rare and valuable.
The unique horizontal format caused a great stir at the time when it was first issued in 1884. These surface-printed stamps were produced by the printers, Thomas De La Rue.
It has an ornate style with corner letters which are different for each stamp in the sheet, typical of the stamps in the reign, to deter forgers.
The £1 brown-lilac was only in circulation for a very short time in 1884 as it was soon re-issued in a green colour.
It is an elusive stamp missing in most collections and thus highly desirable, particularly in mint quality condition.
Provenance: Ex “Vaduz”, King Carol of Romania.
Accompanied by a 2012 British Philatelic Association (BPA) Certificate of Authenticity.
SG catalogue value: £18,000.
