The Second POSTAGE-REVENUE Issue

View the Complete Set
In December 1920, the Crown Agents announced (Gisburn):
"Early this year it was found that the dandy roll, used to manufacture the over-all watermarked papers for issues of Colonial postage and revenue stamps since the year 1903, was worn out. It was decided to manufacture a new roll bearing the Imperial Crown and the letters C.A. (Crown Agents) shown in script capitals. This has now been done, and the old roll has been destroyed. Supplies of white and blue papers have already been made from the new roll, and as the existing stocks of green, yellow, and red papers are used up the new paper will be brought into general use."

From Gibbons
The first stamp to be issued for the Protectorate on the new paper was the ½d, in October 1922. Gradually, as existing stocks were exhausted, all values were replaced except for the 2½d and £1. New values of 1½d and 4½d were added in 1924 and 1930 respectively, and the color of the 1d was changed from scarlet to pale violet in 1927. The entire issue was comb perforated 14.

For an unknown reason, the 1½d value issued in 1924 was printed using the old POSTAGE-POSTAGE (Plate 1) keyplate. Gisburn opines that this may be due to all of the POSTAGE-REVENUE plates being in use for other printings at the time. This plate was then retained in other printings for consistency. All other issues were printed from Plate 3, which had plate numbers in the bottom margin only--under No. 56 in the left-hand pane, and under No. 59 in the right-hand pane. A die proof of the duty plate die for the 4½d exists in black on thick glazed card. Gisburn notes that other proofs may exist.

       

Specimens for this issue are relatively complicated. The ½d, 1d scarlet and 2d values were overprinted using Samuel D12 as for the previous keyplate issues. The 4½d value was perforated using Samuel D19. All other values were overprinted using Samuel D16 (15.5 mm x 1.75 mm). The 4d, 1/-, and 2/6 were overprinted in red, the other values in black. Additionally, the 1/- exists overprinted with Samuel D18 (16.5 mm x 2.75 mm).
All values, with the exception of the superseded 1d scarlet, the 5d (exhausted in 1929), and the 10/- remained on sale until replaced by the George VI pictorial issues in 1939. T he printing history for the issue is as follows: (Gisburn)
Delivery Date from Printer Value Quantity
August 1921 ½d 121,680
August 1922 1d 122,160
July 1923 * 2d 12,000
3d 12,480
February - March 1924 + 1½d 119,640
3d 12,400
10/- 12,000
December 1925 ½d 12,000
1d 60,000
4d 12,600
2/- 12,480
September 1926 + 1½d 120,960
4d 13,200
August 1927 ½d 12,600
3d 12,600
5d 12,600
6d 12,600
1/- 12,600
2/6 12,600
5/- 12,360
1/- 12,600
November 1928 + 1½d 120,480
6d 12,600
1/- 12,360
2/6 12,120
5/- 12,960
June 1930 3d 13,200
September 1930 4½d 13,200
October 1930 + 1½d 121,200
September 1931 ½d 11,880
November 1932 + 1½d 60,720
4½d 13,320
March 1933 ½d 13,320
November 1933 + 1½d 120,120
February 1935 3d 13,800
August 1935 ½d 13,800
July 1936 + 1½d 119,760
2d 12,600
December 1936 ½d 13,800
1d 12,960
May 1937 ½d 39,840
December 1937 1d 23,640

* Conflicts with reported issue date of April 1923.

+ POSTAGE-POSTAGE.