The Lilac and Green issue is a series of

postage and revenue stamp A postage and revenue stamp, sometimes also called a dual-purpose stamp, is a stamp which is equally valid for use as a postage stamp and as a revenue stamp. They often but not always bear an inscription such as "Postage and Revenue". Dual-purpose ...

s issued in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

in 1883 and 1884. The stamps are known as such because they were only printed in those two colours;

lilac ''Syringa'' is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering plant, flowering woody plants in the olive family or Oleaceae called lilacs. These lilacs are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and wid ...

being used for the d, 2d, d, 3d values and dull

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

for the 4d, 5d, 6d, 9d and 1s. New stamps were required because The Customs and Inland Revenue Act of 1881 necessitated postage stamps that were also valid as revenue stamps. Therefore, the

Penny Lilac A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is t ...

issued that year was inscribed "POSTAGE AND INLAND REVENUE" and the Lilac and Green stamps were inscribed "POSTAGE & REVENUE", whereas the previous 1880 stamps (known as the Provisional Issue) were only inscribed "POSTAGE". The colours were used because the authorities were concerned that the existing stamps were being soaked off envelopes and reused, and they wished to use fugitive inks that would wash away if immersed in water; the only fugitive ink colours available at the time were lilac and green. The first stamp to be introduced was the 9d on 1 August 1883, which was rushed into use because there was an urgent need for a stamp of that value; the others followed on 1 April 1884. The designs featured

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

’s head in profile, with lettering in the corners. The 2d, d, 6d, and 9d stamps were in horizontal format and the d, 3d, 4d, 5d and 1s were vertical. The dull stamps were not popular, and the 1884 Stamp Committee was formed to make decisions about improved replacements. In 1887 they were superseded by the

Jubilee Issue The postage and revenue stamps of the United Kingdom issued in 1887 are known as the "Jubilee" issue because they were issued during the year of the Golden Jubilee of the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne in 1837. They continued in use ...

, with a variety of designs and colours.

Stanley Gibbons The Stanley Gibbons Group plc is a company quoted on the London Stock Exchange specialising in the retailing of collectable postage stamps and similar products. The group is incorporated in London. The company is a major stamp dealer and philat ...

''Great Britain Specialised Stamp Catalogue Volume 1: Queen Victoria'' Due to the fugitive nature of the ink, many surviving examples of the green stamps have lost their original colour following soaking to remove them from paper; the examples that still have good colour are the most sought after by

philatelists Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is possi ...

References

{{reflist Postage stamps of the United Kingdom Cultural depictions of Queen Victoria Postage and revenue stamps