The Humble Half P.

MACHIN DECIMAL STAMPS.

THE HUMBLE HALF P!

by Ron Shanahan

Issued on 15th February 1971 as part of the new decimal definitives the first issue was Type 1,
on Original Coated Paper with PVA gum and two 9.5 mm phosphor bands.

This is the coin with which you could buy a half new pence stamp.

To add interest to this low value stamp, it can be found from various sources – Sheets, booklets and coils.

It was issued with either 2 band phosphor, one band left, one band centre or on phosphorised paper.

The paper and gum variations were OCP PVA – OCP GA – FCP PVA – FCP GA – FCP PVAD.

OCP = Original Coated Paper. FCP = Fluorescent Coated Paper.

PVA = Polyvinyl alcohol. GA = Gum arabic. PVAD = Polyvinyl alcohol Dextrin.

THE SHEET PRINTINGS.

The sheets of stamps were printed in double panes of 400 stamps consisting of two panes (no dot and dot)
each of 200 stamps arranged in twenty rows of ten stamps, the panes being guillotined before issue.

THE BOOKLET PRINTINGS.

10p Stitched booklets.

Panes of four.

In booklets DN46 to 48 the type 1 ½p was se-tenant vertically with the 2p as illustrated.

In booklets DN49 to 75 the type 2 ½p was se-tenant horizontally with the 2p.

Differences in the Value Master Negatives account for quite significant changes in the appearances of certain value digits.
½p Type 2 values with bolder digits and letter P are used on the horizontal se-tenant booklet panes of four.

For a closer look at the 10p booklet issues click on this link

25p Stitched booklets.

Panes of six, five stamps plus advert label.

In booklets DH39 to 43 the advertisement label was for B. Alan Ltd.

In booklets DH44 to 52 the advert label was for Rushstamps.

50p Stitched booklets.

Panes of six, five stamps plus advert label.

In booklets DT1 to 4 the advert label was for Esso.

In booklets DT5 to 12 the advert label was for Rushstamps.

For a closer look at the 50p booklet issues click on this link

For a listed and clearly evident flaw on the cylinder panes click on this link

Panes from the £1 Wedgwood booklet.

The third pane in this booklet contains a vertical strip of 3 ½p stamps
with one strip of 3 2½p to the left and two strips of three to the right as illustrated.

The fourth pane in this booklet contains four ½p and two 2½p.
This pane is the only source of the ½p with a single phosphor band to the left of the stamp.
This is stamp two on row three, (bottom right hand stamp)

10p folded booklets.

Panes of six.

10p cover shows 10p in dots. Issued March 10th 1976.
½p se-tenant vertically with 6p and 1p.

10p cover illustration shows oast houses. Issued February 8th 1978.
½p se-tenant vertically with 7p and horizontally with label and 1p.

50p folded booklets.

50p cover shows 50p, Royal Mail Stamps and contents.Panes of 10. Issued January 26th 1977.
½p se-tenant vertically with 1p and 8½p and comes in two formats with the 8p left and right on the pane.

50p cover illustration shows a Lanchester veteran car. Panes of 6. Issued January 26th 1981.
½p se-tenant vertically with 1p and horizontally with 11½p and comes in two formats with the 11½p left and right on the pane.

50p cover illustration shows Paxton's tower. Panes of 8. Issued February 1st 1982.
½p se-tenant vertically with 12½p and horizontally with 3p. It comes in two formats with the 12½p left and right on the pane.

THE COIL PRINTINGS.

5p multi value Se tenant strip of five 2p + ½p + ½p + 1p + 1p.

This coil strip was issued with OCP and GA, FCP and GA, FCP PVAD (thin paper and normal paper.)

10p multi value Se tenant strip of five 6p + 2p + 1p + ½p + ½p.

This coil strip was issued with FCP and PVAD. Also OCP and PVA.

10p multi value Se tenant strip of five 7p + 1p + 1p + ½p + ½p.

This coil strip was issued with FCP and PVAD

Readers Digest coil Strip of four ½p + 4p + 4p + 4p.

30 December 1981. This coil strip was produced by the Post Office for the use of a large direct mail marketing firm and was issued and sold at the Philatelic Bureau and Post Office philatelic counters. The strips were usually mounted by waxed strips on Reader's Digest promotional cards. The gummed side showed disturbance to some degree as shown in the illustration below.

It was issued on Phosphorised (fluorescent coated) paper with PVAD gum.

I do not have an example of the Reader's Digest card with this strip, but it was similar to this illustration.

This home-made last day cover from a friend in the U.K. bids a last farewell to the Humble Half P

Some people say Good Riddance but it had a good life in the philatelic history of the U.K. as the items above show.

For more details about some coils click on this link

Source acknowledgments:-
Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Volume 4.