Gibraltar First 5 issues Queen Victoria 1886-1898

Gibraltar First 5 issues Queen Victoria 1886-1898

Gibraltar 1^st 1886 Issue Bermuda stamps

overprinted ‘Gibraltar’

Gibraltar stamps first appeared in January 1886.  The plates for new stamps inscribed ‘Gibraltar’ were not yet ready, so the first issues were actually overprinted stamps of Bermuda. All of the stamps of Gibraltar, issued between 1886 and 1898 are typographed, perforated 14, and they were printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. on paper with WMK 2 -- the Crown and CA watermark. 

1886 Gibraltar Overprinted ‘Gibraltar’

on Bermuda 2½d stamp

Basic letter rate to a small town near Genoa in Italy.

This rate of 2½d for the first half ounce applied to most European destinations apart from Spain.

Gibraltar 1886-7  - 2^nd Issue Sterling values

The first stamps for the colony that were actually inscribed GIBRALTAR were issued between November 1886 and April 1887. 

Gibraltar 1889-95  -  3^rd Issue overprinted

with Spanish currency

The next issue in July 1889 was made in Spanish currency. The authorities decided on this course of action for reasons of its convenience to traders in Gibraltar. Spanish currency was still the basis of local trade, and a decimal system of coinage more familiar to the majority of the inhabitants. The Spanish exchange was erratic about this time, and as the peseta was standing at about 9½d., it proved most inconvenient to purchasers of Gibraltar stamps in English values. This was a further reason for the change in currency in this issue. New duty plates were required as it was decided that no change in design was necessary, and in the meantime the remaining stock of the current issue was surcharged with fresh values in centimos. This was carried out by Messrs. De La Rue & Co., in London, the stock being returned there for that purpose, and was only on sale between July and November 1889.

Gibraltar 1889-96 - 4^th Issue in Spanish currency

1895 Supplementary Issue

20c, 1p. and 2p. Same Wmk. and perf as the 1889 issue.

In this year two values were added to the preceding issue, which was still current: a 20 centimos and a 2 peseta, and the colour of the value 1 peseta was changed from brown to ultramarine. These were all ex-Plate “2” of the preceding issue. The 20c. was first issued in olive green, but at a later date the value was shown in brown. The difference between the two colours is slight, and it is hard to understand why this variety was issued, unless it was due to an error in the printing. In this issue there is a difference in the type in the word “CENTIMO” as compared with the 1889 issue. The letters are smaller and square, and this is especially noticeable in the case of the two letters “C” and “M”. It is possible that some of these varieties which are also found in the figures of the value may be due to wear of the plate. However, the “1” used for the 1 peseta differs from that used for the 10c., and the “5” in the 5p. has a straight neck, whilst in that of the 25c., the neck is sloping.

Gibraltar 5^th 1898 Issue in Sterling Currency

In early 1896, the currency of Gibraltar was changed back to Pounds Sterling, and it has been that way until 1971 when it introduced Decimal currency.