Classical Stamps

not issued: The brown-red stamp exists also on bluish paper.
According to Michel,these unissued stamps were found amongst remainders
in the 1880´s.Quite affordable early (printed 1858/59) stamps.

 

issued 1862

 

issued 1863,from a set of 11.
The one shilling has a nice strike of the B53 cancel for inland use.
(If the 2 P. would have a readable B65 cancel,it would be a rare stamp.
B65 was used in Rodrigues)

 

Just a few classics from Canada:

Cent-definitve,issued July 1st,1859; from a set of 6;

 

I nearly overlooked these two from my Fauna thematics:

1859 definitive issue;
I like the lower one more,because of it´s more intensive colour.

 

One "large queen" only:

issued April 1st,1868

 

"Small Queens",issued 1870/94
(part I of 2)

 

(part II of 2)

 

Just two stamps from Chile:

5 C. issued 1858 (most likely)
2 C. issued May,1867

 

issued Jan.13th,1872
Again a "two only country".But then the independent kingdom of Fiji has issued
six stamps only,before it was ceded by King Cacabau to Britain in 1874.
The US had tried to lay hands on Fiji,with,what would be considered today as
a dirty tricks campaign.So the Fijian asked Britain to save them.
Till today on Oct.10th,the national holiday of Fiji celebrates the begin of
british colonial rule in 1874 and the indepence of Fiji in 1970.

 

Bavaria issued the first postage stamps in Germany on Nov.1st,1849.
1 Kreuzer black,3 Kr. blue and 6 Kr. orange brown (different tones),
listed by Michel as nos.1,2 I and 4 I.Unfortunately I do not own any of them.
Because Nov.1st is a public holiday in Germany,when only major post offices
are on service,first-day-use is rare and expensive for the 3 and 6 Kreuzer,but
not found for the 1 Kreuzer yet.
My earliast stamp is Michel no.2 II.,issued in Sept.1850 and printed from
four different plates till 1858:

To distinguish between Mi.2 I and 2 II is pretty much a nightmare.
However as the 2 I print was about 2 millions and that of 2 II 74 millions,
it is more likely to find the latter,what is a very affordable classic.

 

The early stamps of Bavaria till 1868,except the 1 Kreuzer black from 1849,
were printed on papers with an embeded (red) silk-thread,as a security measure.
The silk-threads are visible on the backside or from front,held against light.

 

Series of 1850/58. Missing is the 12 Kreuzer red.

 

Not much of a security measure if the post office cannot see the thread when it is on the envelope. Despite the image quality the threads are visible on all the stamps posted. I have seen hundreds of these and it never needs a light to be visible. Also the 2I & 2II are easily distinguished, the 2I is a bright Prussian blue, the 2II is a dark blue almost black in some cases.
As well the 2II has a break in the lower right 3 (as seen above) plus several other features
Also if by 2I & 2II you mean the Michel 2a & 2b, the 2B has a higher CV not lower. The Prussian blue 2I is more common

 

Silkthreads visibilty from the front depends on the paper.As the papers were hand-made,they differ.On the shown 3 Kr. and 6 Kr. they are hardly visible
from the front,but easily if hold against light.
I think at first we might agree,that Scott´s (at least the issues I own) listing
of the 3 Kreuzer blue (Sc.no.2) is superficial,at best.
I think you somehow confused the Michel-numbers.There is neither a 2a & 2b,
nor a 2B.
2 I,issued Nov.1st 1849,plate 1,is listed with subnumbers a and b.
What makes it so difficult are the colour-information:
2 Ia: (lebhaft)preußischblau (Töne) [blau]
(lively)prussian blue (tones) [blue]
2 Ib: (dunkel)blau [schwarzblau)
(dark)blue [black-blue]

2 II,issued (earliast) Sept.1850 has no subnumbers,but is listed as printed
from four different plates (plates 2 - 5)
the colour is given as (grau)blau bis grünlichblau,i.e.(grey)blue to greenish blue.
If you have a close look to those colours,you will see that all exist as just blue.

The differences between plate 1 and plate 4 f.i.are minimal,so it is not easy
for collectors to distinguish 2 I from 2 II.If of course you have or have seen
hundreds it will be,for sure,much easiar.
The broken 3 is not mentioned by Michel,so I believe itis no constant help
to distinguish 2 I from 2 II.
Prices:
if 2 II is taken as 1, 2 Ia will be about 20 and 2 Ib about 40.

 

New colours,issued Oct.1st,1862

 

Coat of arms series,issued Jan.1st,1867,6 Kreuzer March 1867.

 

6 Kreuzer in new colour,7 Kreuzer additional value,issued Oct.1st,1868.

 

Stamps,now perforated and on watermarked paper (rhombuses),were issued
July 1st,1870 (missing are 7,12,18 Kr.) and Jan 1st,1873 9 Kr. and
10 Kr. (missing).
1,3,7,10 and 18 Kr. were re-issued on July 5th,1875,now on paper
watermarked "horizontal wavy lines" (all missing).