The Early Postage Stamps of British Guiana. 391 
No Official Notice of the date of issue of these two stamps has 
been unearthed ; our only record being dated specimens: the earliest 
known being the 4c. dated October 18th, 1853, and the 1c. vermilion 
dated September Ist 1855, no doubt they were in use at earlier dates, 
which we hope may be forthcoming. 
It may be of interest, as indicating the rise in value of this issue to 
give the catalogued value at the present day and 30 years ago. They 
are for used specimens. 
1882 1912/3 
lle. vermilion f 100/- 
es, dull red : 7/6 75/- 
ea, red brown rT 75-- 
4de., blue (shades) 5/6 30/to 35/- 
In 1860 the 4c. value appeared printed from a fresh die ; the main 
difference being that the figures indicating the year 1853 wer enclosed 
with a white frame in each corner. There are no variations of colour. 
This supply must have been a small one, as the stamp is very scarce. 
catalooued—in 1912 at £3. 
THE 1856 ISSUE. 
The next issue and fourth in point of order, was the provisionally 
produced stamps of 1856; printed by Messrs. Baum & Dallas at the 
Royal Gazette Office, 23, High and Church Streets. 
The printers, in making up the design of this provisional stamp, no 
doubt desired to emulate the productions of Messrs. Waterlow & Sons, in 
their first efforts in supplying stamps to this Colony : by producing two 
stamps, similar to the 1852 issue, in value and in the colour of paper 
employed. 
While Messrs. Waterlow & Sons were enabled to produce the 1852 
issue from two engraved dies on copper reproduced by lithography, our 
local printers were constrained to resort to ordinary printers’ type, to make 
up the design from which the stamps were printed. 
The chief features of the design are :—A “ship” such as was used 
for the heading of the shipping column of the Royal Gazelte, occupying 
the centre; above this the words ‘* Damus petimus” and below “ que 
Vievssim ” in small type, enclosed in a frame formed of printers’ rule. 
Outside of this frame are the words BRITISH at top, GUIANA at 
bottom ; POSTAGE (reading upwards) on left and FOUR CENTS (also 
reading up) on the right in roman capitals. 
The number of stamps, each of which varied slightly in the relative 
position and spacing of the inscriptions, which wegt to make up a sheet ; 
is unknown. And they have always been too scarce for any one to 
attempt plating. Pairs are practically unknown, 
