Great Britain - SG187(a) Imperforate, Mint, (with normal example for comparison)

From my late fathers collection, a scarce example of the 1884 Halfpenny Slate-Blue Imperforate, Mint, hinged. This is a listed variety in the Stanley Gibbons Concise Catalogue 2023, under SG187a. Included is a normal example of SG187, which allows a good comparison of the relative margins and watermarks.

As can be seen the Imperforate example has a very clear Watermark Imperial Crown, plus good margins, which are not present on the perforated example. Condition is very good, although there is some gum loss on the top edge. Please see all the various photographs to help make an informed judgement, as they are an important part of the description. No certificate, but the stamp demonstrates strong watermark, creditable wide margins and colour to give some confidence. S Gibbons CV £3250 2023.