DE LA RUE COLLECTION GB14 SPECIMENS: 1884-93 Group of six comprising Hope Seated 1885 1d, 1884 2d, 1890 4d, 1884 6d, 1889 1/- and Hope Standing 1893 1d each handstamped "CANCELLED" in black with small typeface Samuel GB14. F-VF/M or large part OG, some with album adherence on reverse. An exceedingly rare group thus. Samuel page 35 reads: "Type GB14, a small sans-serif 'CANCELLED' handstamp which was in use from 1881 until the beginning of the 20th century is of a very different category. It is known that from 1886 onwards, by permission of the Inland Revenue, it was used by De La Rue & Co to cancel 12 specimens of each of the postage and revenue stamps the Company printed for the Inland Revenue. 6 of these were to be placed in a reference book in charge of the Inland Revenue controlling officers at De La Rue's works and the other 6 were to be kept in the Company's offices... Although the total numbers overprinted may well have exceeded 12 there is no doubt as to their rarity."
