Lot 10133 – 1901 (3 Dec) prepared for use though not issued, the famous 2 1/2d. purple on blue imperforate marginal imprimatur

1901 (3 Dec) prepared for use though not issued, the famous 2 1/2d. purple on blue. A fantastic and incredibly rare imperforate marginal imprimatur from the left of the registration sheet, a beautifully fresh example with large balanced margins on the other three sides, the reverse with large hinge remainder mostly confined to the margin, otherwise with post office fresh gum. small black dot in the margin at foot mentioned for accuracy only and in no way detracting from the stunning appearance of this wonderful imprimatur of exhibition quality, the first to have come to the open market for several decades.

By 1896 the contribution of stamped receipts to the Inland Revenue was waning (while income tax was buoyant) . Accordingly the control of stamp policy shifted more and more towards the Post Office. The PO was of course a signatory to the UPU recommendations, which included the ruling that the colour of the international letter rate should be blue. Previously the blue paper used for the 1887 2 1/2d. was considered adequate to answer this; but the PO, encouraged by the change of the 1/2d. to green, were not satisfied, and , nearly at the last minute (5 Dec.) changed the 1887 colour of purple on blue paper to blue on white. Consequently 17611 sheets of the 1887 colour were destroyed, but for a few stamps which survived.