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 | Nov 8, 1876 | — | — | Dark background to Queen’s head | 0 + 1 |
| 2 | Nov 8, 1876 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 3 | Nov 8, 1876 | — | — | “Postage” in pencil | 1 |
| 4 | Nov 9, 1876 | — | — | — | 4 + 2 |
| 5 | Nov 10, 1876 | — | — | — | 7 + 1 |
| 6 | Nov 14, 1876 | — | — | — | 4 + 2 |
| 7 | Nov 15, 1876 | — | — | — | 9 + 1 |
| 8 | Nov 16, 1876 | — | — | — | 4 + 1 |
| 9 | Nov 17, 1876 | — | — | — | 2 + 1 |
| 10 | Nov 17, 1876 | — | — | “BEFORE HARDENING” | 4 + 1 |
| 11 | no date | — | — | Basic Die Proof | 2 + 2 |
| 12 | no date | — | — | Cut down on thin glazed card | 0 + 2 |
Institutionalised/Total: 14/53.
£5 Die Proofs
No. 1 — Nov 8, 1876 — reconstruction.
Dark background to Queen’s head.
Langmead Collection.
No. 2a — Nov 8, 1876
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 2b — Nov 8, 1876
No. 3 — Nov 8, 1876
“Postage” in pencil.
Fig. 100-1 in Langmead and Huggins.
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 4a — Nov 9, 1876
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 4b — Nov 9, 1876
Fig. 100-2 in Langmead and Huggins.
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 4c — Nov 9, 1876
No. 4d — Nov 9, 1876 — reconstruction.
No. 4e — Nov 9, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 4f — Nov 9, 1876 — reconstruction.
Used as an essay for the £5 postage stamp in 1881.
See the British Philatelist, Vol XXXII, No 3, p.21, May 1939.
Royal Philatelic Collection.
No. 5a — Nov 10, 1876
Fig. 100-3 in Langmead and Huggins.
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 5b — Nov 10, 1876
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 5c — Nov 10, 1876
No. 5d — Nov 10, 1876 — reconstruction.
No. 5e — Nov 10, 1876 — reconstruction.
No. 5f — Nov 10, 1876
No. 5g — Nov 10, 1876 — no image.
Used as an essay for the £5 postage stamp in 1881.
Described on p.107 of Beaumont & Easton but not seen by us.
Perhaps confusion with the Nov 9 essay above — No. 4f ?
No. 5h — Nov 10, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 6a — Nov 14, 1876
Ex Chuichi Ota.
No. 6b — Nov 14, 1876
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 6c — Nov 14, 1876
No. 6d — Nov 14, 1876
Fig. 100-4 in Langmead and Huggins.
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 6e — Nov 14, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 6f — Nov 14, 1876 — reconstruction.
Phillips Collection.
No. 7a — Nov 15, 1876
With four pencil lines.
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 7b — Nov 15, 1876
With four pencil lines.
No. 7c — Nov 15, 1876
No. 7d — Nov 15, 1876
Fig. 100-5 in Langmead and Huggins.
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 7e — Nov 15, 1876
No. 7f — Nov 15, 1876
Ex Klempka Family.
No. 7g — Nov 15, 1876 — reconstruction.
No. 7h — Nov 15, 1876 — reconstruction.
No. 7i — Nov 15, 1876
No. 7j — Nov 15, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 8a — Nov 16, 1876
No. 8b — Nov 16, 1876
Fig. 100-6 in Langmead and Huggins.
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 8c — Nov 16, 1876
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 8d — Nov 16, 1876
Ex R. E. (Bob) Philipps.
No. 8e — Nov 16, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 9a — Nov 17, 1876
Fig. 100-7 in Langmead and Huggins.
No. 9b — Nov 17, 1876 — reconstruction.
Ex A. J. Lowe.
No. 9c — Nov 17, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 10a — Nov 17, 1876
No. 10b — Nov 17, 1876
Fig. 10 in Jackson.
Fig. 100-8 in Langmead and Huggins.
No. 10c — Nov 17, 1876
No. 10d — Nov 17, 1876
Ex Dr Douglas Latto.
No. 10e — Nov 17, 1876 — reconstruction.
Langmead Collection.
No. 11a — no date
No. 11b — no date
No. 11c — no date — reconstruction.
Size slightly reduced and corner missing.
Langmead Collection.
No. 11d — no date — reconstruction.
Used as an essay for the £5 postage stamp, and later dated “2 JAN 82”.
See the British Philatelist, Vol XXXII, No 3, p.22, May 1939.
Royal Philatelic Collection.
No. 12a & 12b — no date — reconstruction.
Cut down on thin glazed card, endorsed 18 Nov 1876 in pencil on reverse.
Royal Philatelic Collection with an identical copy in the
Board of Inland Revenue Stamping Department Archive in the British Library.