Stamp Collections at the British Library - The Fletcher Collection
The collection covers a period of more than three centuries and highlights the development of Britain's postal services. Originally displayed in more than three hundred volumes the entire collection is now kept in archive boxes within a proper temperature and humidity monitored environment.
Around a half of the collection comprises of pre-stamp material arranged by Post Office Service or postmark type alphabetically by city or town. Among the highlights is a letter carried by the original London Dockwra Post in 1682 and a study of the handstamps once the Government took over the service. The collection also includes a remarkable group of early 19th Century 5th Clause Posts. The Uniform Rates include numerous examples of the 1839-1840 handstruck 4d including examples used from Dublin, Edinburgh and Glasgow on 5th December 1839 which was the first day of the new rate. There are also rare private prepaid envelopes printed by Baraclough in brown and Buchanan in blue.
The other half of the collection is made up by an exceptional range of, mostly used, stamps including plate reconstructions from the Queen Victorian era including all of the 1840 Penny Black plates.
The line-engraved collection includes numerous first, second, and third state impressions of the 1840 Penny Black and 1841 Penny Red. Notable rarities include an 1841 penny red-brown from plate 77A "B(A)" with the "A" square blank plus a fine example of the 1864-79 1d red plate 77 used. The 1864-79 penny plate number issues also include plate reconstructions of all plates up to and including 225.
The surface printed issues in the collection include many abnormals like the 1862-64 3d "white dots", two 9d "hair lines", an 1865-67 10d with Emblems watermark, 1867-80 6d mauve from plate 10 and an 1873-80 4d green from plate 17.
Rare official overprints including "I R OFFICIAL" from 1884-88 watermark Crowns £1 JC displaying the frame-break variety and an unused example of 1884-88 Orbs watermark £1 stamp. Later issues include 1902-04 King Edward VII 6d "I R OFFICIAL" overprinted "SPECIMEN" and the King George V Silver Jubilee Prussian Blue.
The Fletcher Collection also features sections of postal stationery including complete uncut sheets of the Mulready 1d and 2d envelopes and lettersheets. There is a Mulready penny lettersheet used on 2nd May 1840 and later issues include an extensive group of embossed envelopes with advert rings.
There is also a fascinating section of GB stamps used abroad including covers showing mixed issue frankings from the Danish West Indies, Nicararagua, and Beirut.
To seek access to, or learn more about, the Fletcher Stamp Collection and the other amazing stamp collections cared for by the British Library contact:
Philatelic Collections
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
United Kingdom
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