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The stamps I choose to show today are from 3 definitive series... two of them , from the British India are very common and famous... the other one , from Sarawak is not so well known...

All of these 30 stamps are spare stamps ... the series was first issued in 1882 , some new values in 1892 , high values in 1895 and in 1900 5 new colors or shades...; the design itself is based on the portrait of  Queen Victoria surrounded by different frames...the portrait is one of the most common representations of the Queen and it is used in India since 1854...As you can see many colors and shades are represented , and they belong to the 1882 , 1892 and 1900 issues (I don't have any of the high values of these series...)
I have these stamps for a long time and I decided to enter them now to the collection because of the clear visibility of the Wmk...The wmk represents a Star and it is identic to the one used in the King Edward VII series...
I'm not an expert in Cancellations from this period, but I want to show something that troubled me .. it is a 4 A stamp (Slate Green) with parts of a normal cancellation from that period and a purple overprint, but not a common one ...Actually I don't know what it is...I have searched the net for articles about this subject but I didn't found anything that help me... perhaps You know and if it is the case, please comment on this post...

1st Group : Sc(36,36,56,56,36) 36 : Deep Blue Green 56: Pale Blue Green
2nd Group : Sc(57,57,57,57,38a) 57: Carmine rose 38a: Plum
3rd Group : Sc(38.38.38a,38,40) 38 : Purple Brown 38a: Plum 40: Ultramarine blue
4th Group : Sc(40,58,58,58,58) 40: Ultramarine blue 58: pale violet
5th Group : Sc(59,59,59,48,48) 59: Bright Ultramarine blue 48: Bright Green
6th Group : Sc(48,42,42?,42,42) 48:  Bright Green 42: Olive Green 42?: Slate Olive Green

There is not much more to say about this King Edward's series, that was not said about the Queen's series...The portrait is very common in many countries ruled by the British Crown, the frames are similar, the watermark is similar (star) , but there were only two issues related to this series.. the series was first issued in 1902 and in 1906 two more 1/2A and 1A stamps were issued, with similar colors...I'm not counting with Overprints and surcharges of these series, of course (Queen Victoria and King Edward..)...I will not make adtional comments to these series because they are very common and there is plenty of literature about them...

1st Group : Sc(60,60,60,60,61) 60: Grey 61: Green
2nd Group : Sc(61,61,62,62,62) 61: Green 62: Carmine
3rd Group : Sc(63,63,63?,63?,63) 63: mauve 63? violet
4th Group : Sc(63,65,65a,65a,64) 63: mauve 65: olive green 65? brown olive 64: Ultramarine Blue
5th Group: Sc(64,64,64?,68,68) 64: Ultramarine blue 64? Light Ultramarine blue 68: Red Violet

SARAWAK

Under British Protection from 1888 , Sarawak was administered as a Crown Colony from 1946 until 1963 , when it became a states of the Federation of Malaysia.. the design is the same , but above are represented 2 different series, one without Wmk (1st,2nd,3rd groups) and the other with Wmk (4th and 5th groups) .. the series was first issued in 1918 and the wmk series is from 1928... I have to say that the Watermark is difficult to see in it's totality , due perhaps to the usual and familiar Chalk surfaced paper...(however fragments of this watermark are always visible..) : the portrait represents Sir Charles Vyner Brooke, the last white Rajah of the Sarawak..
When I was scanning the stamps, I noticed that the design of the frames has some "New Art" or "Art Nouveau" influence...that I know, it is one of the few definitive series from Territories under British Protection or colonies, that presents this influence... it is a beautiful stamp, with other particularity concerning stamp Catalogs...most of these stamps present us two colors.. the problem is to know what are the indicators of that colors to the catalogs... only when You reach the 1$ stamp, You find the solution...the color of the Country Label  and the inner frame of the numerals board are the key to the correct reading of the catalog...

1)2)3) 1918 "Sir Charles Vyner Brooke" (21) [Typo (De La rue)] Sc(50,51,53,55)(61,61a,65,66)(67,69,70)
4)5) 1928 "Sir Charles Vyner Brooke" (15) [Typo] Sc(79,80,81,84)(89,90,91,92,93)

To end this small section and the post, I like to share with You 3 beautiful stamps from two series of the reigns of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II...these stamps have a beautiful design and excellent engraving work, and this rapidly turned them into "Most Wanted stamps"... please look at them carefully, and them go buy them , rapidly...(leave some of them to me, please..!!)

1)2) 1950 "Pictorial Series / Various Designs" (15) [Recess (Bradbury Wilkinson)] Sc(191,188)
3) 1955/1957 "Pictorial Series / Various Designs" (15) [Recess] Sc(205)

A small post where I saved the best to last...Hope you like it.

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