Die proofs are printed in black on white glazed card, typically 92 x 60mm, unless otherwise noted. They are listed below ordered by date, with undated proofs following dated ones. The rightmost column gives the number recorded in our database: in private hands + institutionalised.
The list of die proofs with unique dates is probably complete, and it’s unlikely that a proof with a previously unseen date will be found. However, the number of proofs within each date has not been recorded before, and it’s probable that additional proofs exist, especially for the second issue for which many more proofs were taken.
| 1 | Mar 31, 1875 | — | — | “BEFORE HARDENING” | 1 + 1 |
| 2 | Apr 29, 1875 | — | — | “BEFORE HARDENING” | 4 |
| 3 | Apr 29, 1875 | — | — | “BEFORE HARDENING”, m/s “Made for In. Rev.” | 1 |
| 4 | Apr 29, 1875 | — | — | “AFTER HARDENING” | 1 + 1 |
| 5 | Apr 29, 1875 | — | — | “AFTER HARDENING”, “Cancelled” | 1 |
| 6 | no date | — | — | Solid circle | 1 |
| 7 | no date | — | — | Uncleared square | 1 |
| 8 | no date | — | — | Cut down, m/s “Sent to In. Rev.” | 1 |
| 9 | no date | — | — | In sepia | 0 + 1 |
| 10 | no date | — | — | In pale rose, large circle | 2 |
| 11 | no date | — | — | In green, large circle | 1 |
| 12 | no date | — | — | In sepia, 34x45mm, frame lines | 1 |
| 13 | no date | — | — | In carmine, 97x128mm | 1 |
| 14 | no date | — | — | In green, 92x129mm, frame lines | 1 |
| 15 | no date | — | — | In green, 97x128mm | 1 |
Institutionalised/Total: 3/21.
Small Head, State 2 Die Proofs
No. 1a — Mar 31, 1875
No. 1b — Mar 31, 1875 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 2a — Apr 29, 1875
No. 2b — Apr 29, 1875
No. 2c — Apr 29, 1875
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 2d — Apr 29, 1875
No. 3 — Apr 29, 1875 — reconstruction.
“Made for In. Rev. but not . . . — DLR”
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 4a — Apr 29, 1875 — reconstruction.
No. 4b — Apr 29, 1875 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 5 — Apr 29, 1875
“Dec 78 in DLR’s Charge” added in pencil after the die was returned to De La Rue.
No. 6 — no date
No. 7 — no date
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 8 — no date — no image.
Cut down with m/s “Sent to In. Rev. see IR 2/58 but retd. in Dec 1878 to DLR”.
Not seen by us.
No. 9 — no date — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 10a — no date
No. 10b — no date
No. 11 — no date
No. 12 — no date
On card 34x45mm, with pencil frame lines for a vertical format stamp.
No. 13 — no date — detail.
On card 97x128mm.
Click the image to enlarge.
No. 14 — no date — detail.
On card 92x129mm, with pencil frame lines for a vertical format stamp.
Click the image to enlarge.
No. 15 — no date — detail.
On card 97x128mm.
Click the image to enlarge.
Ex Chuichi Ota.