Plate proofs of De La Rue Sideface issues

[bill]

This post refers to the various plate proofs of the De La Sideface issues.
They sometimes turn up in auctions and even in dealers' stands.

In Basset Hull's book of 1890, we read the following:

"Messrs. Thomas De La Rue and Co. sent out various proof impressions
with their plates of 1870 and 1871. The majority of these seem to have
been destroyed, but a few specimens were preserved by the late Hon.
T. D. Chapman, Postmaster-General, at whose suggestion the design had
been adapted from the Nova Scotia stamps. Some of these are now in the
possession of Mr. Chapman's family. They are printed in Messrs. De La Rue
and Co.'s finished style on glazed unwatermarked white paper, and are
imperforate. The following are the colours of the specimens I have been
permitted to examine

One Penny, rose (adopted colour).
Two Pence, "bright green, lighter than the adopted shade ; in fact, exactly the
same as the 1878 issue printed in England.
Three Pence, pale chocolate (adopted colour).
Four Pence, light blue (adopted colour).
„ greyish-black.
Nine Pence, magenta (a lighter shade than the present Five Shillings).
„ bright purple, and deep purple-black, or prune.
Ten Pence, bright purple."

(These are apparently not overprinted in any way, otherwise Basset Hull
would have mentioned it with relevant details.)

However, Tinsley's chapter on the Sideface issue tells us that most of
these plate proofs were printed on paper watermarked Crown CC.
There are a few differences in colour descriptions as well. Tinsley only
lists the 9d and 2½d on 9d plate proofs as existing on unwatermarked
paper. According to Tinsley, all values from 1d to 5/- exist as plate
proofs on paper watermarked Crown CC.

Perhaps readers of this BB may be able to contribute further to this
topic. In particular, which values and colours exist on either type of
paper (unwatermarked or watermarked Crown CC) without overprint?

Note that the ½d is not part of this series since the ½d Sideface was
printed from a plate made in Melbourne.

[Hobbit123]

I am currently working on the De la Rue Archive photos that are being put up online by The RPSL Library, and they should become accessible generally as a research resource. I have completed the section on the Sidefaces, so they may well have been posted by now. I will try to find out what the link is and I will then edit it in to this post.