Railway Letter Stamp (essay)
Queen Victoria
1890
In 1890 De La Rue sent specimens to the British Inland Revenue for a proposed print run of 250,000 of the 3d Jubilee stamp to be overprinted "Railway Letter Postage" in 3 lines. The 3d rate comprised the normal 1d postage plus 2d paid to the railway company. The government then dropped the project but about 6 of the essays (with variant fonts) still exist.
Image courtesty of Cavendish auctions.
page last updated: 2 July 2006
gbos: GB Overprints Society