How rare are the QV High Values?
The key stamps of Queen Victoria comprise the 2/- brown and the two sets of High Values. The first ran from 5/- to £5 and was introduced from 1867 to 1883. The second ran from 2/6d to £1 and appeared from 1883 to 1884, with a final £1 value in 1887.
THE FIRST SERIES 1867-1883
The 2 shillings brown
In terms of numbers issued, this is the rarest of all, but by no means the most expensive.
The 2/- brown was introduced in February 1880 because the colour of the 2½d had been changed to blue, so the 2/- blue had to change colour as well. They printed 1,000 sheets of 240 stamps. Nineteen full sheets and 28 half sheets were unusable and scrapped, so the initial supply was 235,400. The colour change was not a success; post office staff complained about the stamp’s clarity in poor light and after four months, it was
