PERFINS ON REVENUES

Private perfins can also be found on some of the revenue stamps of Great Britain. Perhaps the most common of revenues to be found perfined are the Foreign Bill issues, closely followed by Contract notes.

Less common are private perfins on the official Telegraph stamps of which approximately 90 examples have been reported by members of the (GB) Perfin Society.

The most peculiar thing about these perfins are the dates of usage. Although the stamps themselves were in use for over 5½ years (between February 1876 and August 1881), approximately 50% of all reported perfinned telegraph stamps are cancelled with dates for the first two weeks of December 1877.

Click here for a list of perfin dies.

Even less common are private perfins on the Liverpool Corn Trade revenue stamps, of which only three dies have been recorded (the third being R.P/&S). All three dies probably turn up on postage stamps ; I say "probably" since the die R.C/&Co shows minor differences to the die recorded as appearing on postage stamps.

This final revenue stamp is a bit of a mystery since it does not appear in any of the revenue stamp catalogues. The perfin die has not been seen on any postage stamp, however a sample strike of this perfin can be found in records maintained by Sloper's. This identifies the user as Sir A. MacAlpine & Co. Ltd.