Great Britain line-engraved stamps can be collected in many different ways. Some collectors focus on major issues such as the Penny Black and Penny Red, while others specialise in plates, shades, postmarks, varieties, multiples or postal history.
Used and unused stamps
Most surviving line-engraved stamps are used examples bearing a postmark or cancellation. Used stamps are often collected not only for the stamp itself, but also for the information provided by the postmark.
Unused stamps are examples that were not used postally. These may be mint hinged, unmounted mint, or unused without gum. For many nineteenth-century issues, genuinely fine unused examples can be much scarcer than used examples.
Condition and margins
Condition is especially important with imperforate stamps. Because they were cut from sheets by hand, collectors generally prefer examples with four clear margins around the printed design.
A stamp cut into the design is usually less desirable, although rarity, plate, shade, postmark or variety can still make an imperfect example highly collectable.
Postmarks and postal history
Postmarks can transform an otherwise ordinary stamp into a much more interesting item. A clear date, scarce town, unusual cancellation, overseas use or attractive Maltese Cross can all add interest.
Some collectors build collections around postal history rather than stamp issue alone, seeking examples that show how and where the stamps were actually used.
Shades and printing variation
Line-engraved stamps were printed over long periods and in very large numbers. Differences in ink, paper, printing conditions and production period can result in a wide range of shades.
Shade collecting is popular but can be difficult, especially where colour has been affected by age, washing, chemical treatment or storage conditions. Comparison with reliable reference material is often essential.
Multiples
Pairs, strips, blocks and larger multiples are often more desirable than single stamps. They can show relationships between adjoining positions and may provide useful evidence for plating, reconstruction and the study of plate varieties.
Varieties and plate characteristics
Many collectors enjoy searching for varieties such as re-entries, guide lines, retouches, basal shifts, corrosion marks, inverted watermarks and misperforations. Some are minor curiosities, while others are scarce and highly prized.
Part of the attraction of line-engraved collecting is that an apparently modest stamp can become much more interesting when its plate, state, postmark or variety is understood.
Ways to build a collection
There is no single correct way to collect line-engraved stamps. A collection might be arranged by issue, plate, shade, postmark, county, condition, value, variety or postal history.
For many collectors, the appeal lies in gradually learning how these different areas connect. A Penny Red, for example, can be studied as a stamp issue, a plated item, a shade, a postmark, a postal-history object and a survivor from a particular stage in Victorian stamp production.