The 1882 3d Provisional

In 1882 the letter rate for inland letters under ½ ounce was reduced from 4d to 3d. Although new stamps were ordered from de la Rue, a provisional issue was again required in the interim period, and therefore stocks of the 4d ultramarine stamp were overprinted with "3d".

The fount used was mixed, with three types of numeral "3" and two types of "d".

Type A

Type A has an seriffed "3" and upright "d".

Type B

Type B has a seriffed "3" and italic "d".

Type C

Type C has a seriffed "3" and a thicker italic "d". The stamp on the right of this pair is type C (the other is type E).

Type D

Type D has a sans-serif "3" and upright "d". The sans-serif "3" is diagnostic.

Type E

Type E has an italic "3" and an italic "d". The italic "3" is diagnostic. The stamp on the left of this pair is type E (the other is type C).

Forgeries

A forgery of this issue can be found here.