2d Red
4d Blue
6d Grey
1/- Brown

1854 to 1859

swan wmk paper upright or inverted

Single Pane plates, 240 on, 12 rows of 20

Imperf

Even before the issue of the 1d black in August, steps were taken in June 1854 to have 4d (inter colony) and 1/- (double rate UK postage) values produced locally.

The first printings of both values were supplied to the Treasury on 4th July, still, well before the initial release adhesives to the public. It was 3 years later when the  2d and 6d values appeared. Printings were discontinued when 'proper' PB recess plates were supplied in 1860.

The illustrations above are ordered chronologically to show the steps in production of plates made, literally, from stone.

Parts of a penny black printed sheet was used to produce stone tablets with the impression of the swan etched in and words of value and bordering suitably altered for the 1/- and 4d.

The resulting 4d stone was used later used to produce the 6d value, and, the 6d, in turn, was used to create the 2d.

As printings they were a visual disaster but were a necessity to supply something more practical  than the 1d denomination.

Perforations

pin perf and roulette

All stamps were supplied to post offices in imperf sheets. How those offices cut up the sheet was up to them. Small outposts invariably tore them by hand, used scissors (an expensive item), or the good old kitchen knife. Larger PO's introduced a more efficient mechanical means either by guillotine, or using a hand operated wheel. Popularly termed 'roulette' with sharp cutting edges variably spaced, or 'pin perfs' by a similar device. There was no one 'roulette' merely a collection of different hand held devices, with a wheel, that would conveniently slice up the page in some way.

They are visually interesting and collectible as items in their own right as examples of the methods used and nothing more. If you choose to pay a premium for damaged stamps, pay a premium or create your own from a well margined imperf.