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 those with the same plate number. 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 | Oct 30, 1876 | — | — | — | 5 + 2 |
| 2 | Oct 31, 1876 | — | — | — | 6 + 1 |
| 3 | Nov 1, 1876 | — | — | — | 5 + 1 |
| 4 | Nov 2, 1876 | — | — | — | 6 + 1 |
| 5 | Nov 3, 1876 | — | — | — | 8 + 1 |
| 6 | Nov 4, 1876 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 7 | Nov 6, 1876 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 8 | Nov 7, 1876 | — | — | “BEFORE HARDENING” | 7 + 1 |
| 9 | no date | — | — | Basic Die Proof | 2 + 1 |
| 10 | Nov 17, 1876 | 1 | — | “Before HARDENING”, “FJ” | 1 |
| 11 | Nov 17, 1876 | 1 | — | “Before Striking”, “FJ” | 1 |
| 12 | Nov 21, 1876* | 1 | — | “AFTER STRIKING”, “FJ” | 2 |
| 13 | May 14, 1877 | 2 | EB | “BEFORE STRIKING”, “HA” | 1 |
| 14 | May 25, 1877 | 2 | — | “AFTER STRIKING”, “HA” | 1 |
* Smudged “6” looks like “1878”.
SG lists partially dated “Nov 76” between Nov 3 and Nov 4. Not seen by us.
Institutionalised/Total: 8/64.
4d. Die Proofs
No. 1a — Oct 30, 1876
No. 1b — Oct 30, 1876
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
Ex A. J. Lowe.
Ex Klempka Family.
No. 1c — Oct 30, 1876
No. 1d — Oct 30, 1876
No. 1e — Oct 30, 1876 — reconstruction.
No. 1f — Oct 30, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 1g — Oct 30, 1876 — reconstruction.
Phillips Collection.
No. 2a — Oct 31, 1876
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 2b — Oct 31, 1876
No. 2c — Oct 31, 1876
No. 2d — Oct 31, 1876
No. 2e — Oct 31, 1876
No. 2f — Oct 31, 1876 — no image.
Pencil sketch of the Queen’s face.
No. 2g — Oct 31, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 3a — Nov 1, 1876 — “A”
No. 3b — Nov 1, 1876 — “B”
Pencil sketch of the Queen’s face, since been erased.
No. 3c — Nov 1, 1876 — “C”
No. 3d — Nov 1, 1876 — reconstruction.
No. 3e — Nov 1, 1876
No. 3f — Nov 1, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 4a — Nov 2, 1876 — “A”
No. 4b — Nov 2, 1876 — “B”
No. 4c — Nov 2, 1876 — reconstruction.
No. 4d — Nov 2, 1876
No. 4e — Nov 2, 1876
No. 4f — Nov 2, 1876
No. 4g — Nov 2, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 5a — Nov 3, 1876
No. 5b — Nov 3, 1876
Fig. 95 in Langmead and Huggins.
No. 5c — Nov 3, 1876
No. 5d — Nov 3, 1876
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 5e — Nov 3, 1876
Ex Chuichi Ota.
No. 5f — Nov 3, 1876
Ex Klempka Family.
No. 5g — Nov 3, 1876
No. 5h — Nov 3, 1876
Pencil sketch appears to show changes to the upper lip.
No. 5i — Nov 3, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 6a — Nov 4, 1876 — reconstruction.
No. 6b — Nov 4, 1876
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 6c — Nov 4, 1876
No. 6d — Nov 4, 1876
No. 6e — Nov 4, 1876
No. 6f — Nov 4, 1876
No. 6g — Nov 4, 1876
No. 7a — Nov 6, 1876
Another listed as initialled (not seen by us),
and the following with “D” suggests four proofs dated Nov 6.
No. 7d — Nov 6, 1876 — “D”
No. 8a — Nov 7, 1876
No. 8b — Nov 7, 1876
No. 8c — Nov 7, 1876
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 8d — Nov 7, 1876
No. 8e — Nov 7, 1876
No. 8f — Nov 7, 1876 — reconstruction.
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 8g — Nov 7, 1876
No. 8h — Nov 7, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 9a — no date
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 9b — no date
No. 9c — no date — no image.
Royal Philatelic Collection.
No. 10 — Nov 17, 1876
Ex Klempka Family.
No. 11 — Nov 17, 1876
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 12a — Nov 21, 1876
Smudged “6” looks like “1878”.
No. 12b — Nov 21, 1876
Smudged “6” looks like “1878”.
No. 13 — May 14, 1877
No. 14 — Nov 25, 1877