THE ENGLISH PENNY POSTAGE. STAMP.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 755, 29 April 1881, Page 2

THE ENGLISH PENNY POSTAGE. STAMP.

Messrs Perkins, Bacon and Co., of Fleet-street, were the first manufacturers of this world-familiar label, and the firm, though changed in name, continued the production till the new type-printed stamp made its appearance. The original die was engraved by the late Mr Charles Heath; from this die the Bteel plates were made, containing twenty'rows' "each- of twelve labels, each plate yielding from 300,000 to double that number of sheets without appreciable: deterioration; All the plates are numbered, -and in-forty years 228 wemade,.about seventy .being used' in the first' twenty-four,'and 157' in the last sixteen - years." " In 18855 th'e' original die had -become slightly worn, and was .placed in the ;hands Hjimv phreys, a stilled engraver, . who merely deepened the old; lines .without adding one single new etroke that had tiot' beforV fa?e been transfefted-from ihi&matrix.... When

various American bank note companies were unknown, as also the faultless printing of Messrs Da La Rue and Co., but under.tke old system it was necessary to damp all tho paper before printing, and as each sheet;'dried, it would, at a rule, slightly shrink, and thus destroy. the beautiful effect in some of the latter pro* ductionr. The paper was made at .the. Rush-Mills,- Northampton, .under : r the supervision of an.officer of the^in». r (. land revenue, \ from there.; !passedv .to / Somerset House,' and thence, in reams of BOOsheets,- to Messrs- Perkins ; andiOoi« . who were held accountable for every - sheet, . under, the watchful . eye of another inland ..revenueofficer... When ' ' the printing wad first commenced by. this firm, four ; presse,s,met'the demand, .but the,number increased till• thirty-eight; found, full employment,in turnihg' .out?:.. some 100,000 sheets per week.":'' The guiri"; used iB a mixture of dextrine and'gelatine', ..' and after this process has. been-carried | ; - through, the isheets are returned "to;, *, . Somerset House, where; after perforation,:-.) they are ready to be rsßifedt to thtfpublio. .. . f