The Halfpenny Green Queen Victoria Stamp From The 1894 Second Waterlow Issue of Niger Coast Protectorate - Part 2

This week I will explore the perforations found on this first value of the Second Waterlow set. Gibbons lists four perforaiton groups for this stamp:

1. 14.5 to 15
2. 14.5 to 15, compound with 13.5 to 14
3. 13.5 to 14
4. 13.5 to 14, compound with 12-13

The second two are listed as the scarcer perforations, and command quite a significant premium over the basic catalogue price. I suspect, based on what I have seen with the first Waterlow issue, that this is an oversimplified picture of what actually exists. However, that is what this post will set out to establish. 

I have a lot more examples of this stamp than I can possibly hope to check today. So what I will do is start the measurements and get through as many as I can, and publish my findings today. Then, over the next several weeks, I will add additional measurements as they surface, and amend my conclusions if necessary. 

I have found the following measurements:

• 13 x 14.1 x 12.9 x 14
• 14 x 12; 13; 12.5 x 14 x 14
• 15 x 15 x 15.1 x 15
• 14 x 14.1 x 14.1 x 14.1
• 14.25 x 14.1 x 14.1 x 14
• 14.75 
• 14 x 14.25 
• 14.2 x 14.2 x 14 x 14.1
• 14
• 15.1 x 15.1 x 14.9 x 15
• 14.8 x 14.8 x 15 x 14.8
• 15
• 15 x 15.1 x 15.1 x 15.1
• 15 x 14.8
• 15 x 15 x 15 x 15.1
• 14.1 x 12.3;12.7 x 13.9 x 12.7
• 15 x 14.9 x 14.9 x 14.6
• 15.1 
• 13.9 x 14 x 14 x 14.2
• 14.2 x 14.1 x 14.1 x 14
• 14.2 x 14.1 x 14.1 x 14
• 14.25 x 14.2 x 14.25 x 14.1
• 14 x 14.1 x 14.1 x 14.25
• 14 x 14 x 14.25 x 14
• 14.2 x 14.2 x 14.2 x 14.1
• 14.1 x 13.9 x 14.2 x 13.9
• 14.1 x 14.1 x 13.9 x 14.1 
• 14.1 x 14 
• 14.25 x 14 x 13.9 x 14
• 14.2 x 14 
• 14.1
• 14.2 x 14.1
• 14 x 14.2
• 13.9 x 14.1
• 14.1 x 14 x 14 x 13.75
• 14.5 x 14 x 14.1;14.4 x 14
• 14.5 x 15
• 14.1 x 13.9;14.4 x 14.1 x 14.4;13.9

As I suspected, it is clear that Gibbons has indeed over-simplified the classification. Clearly, close variations of 14, 14.5, 15 and 13.5 are all distinctly separate perforations. Variations of 0.2 on either side of a measurement can be considered as the same measurement for purposes of this classification, but more than that, it should be considered a new measurement. So, on that basis what we have here is:

1. 13 x 14 
2. 14 in compound with 12-13
3. 15
4. 14
5. 14.25 x 14
6. 14.75
7. 14 x 14.25
8. 14 x 12.5
9. 15 x 15 x 15 x 14.5
10. 14 x 13.75
11. 14.5 x 14
12. 14 x compound of 14 and 14.5.

So, there are still quite a few interesting variations, but 14 and 15 seem to be the most common, with the other measurements being quite a bit scarcer. 

This concludes my examination of the first value of the Second Waterlow Issue. Next week, I will begin my examination of the 1d vermilion stamp of the series.