Top Ten Missing Colour Errors of the 1970s

Missing colour errors are invariably visually stunning and their serendipitous discovery the stuff of philatelic folklore. They are as scarce as they are spectacular. Enjoy ten of the best from 1970s Great Britain.

3p British Anniversaries missing black
25 August 1971
Causing the loss of the value, inscription and general detail of the four service personnel, the error emanates from the top of a sheet purchased by a business in the Midlands. Just one copy was kept by the secretary when the error was spotted with the remainder used on correspondence. One of the used examples has resurfaced, but given the passage of time it’s likely the others are lost or destroyed.

3p British Polar Explorers missing slate-black
16 February 1972
Spectacularly affecting the hair, jacket and background map, the error is elusive with around ten examples recorded. It’s believed the right side of a sheet was affected. The error is often part of a progressive strip with the first stamp in the strip almost normal.

9p Broadcasting Anniversaries missing brownish slate
13 September 1972
Resulting in the loss of the Queen's head, the error exists in vertical progressive strips. From examples which have appeared on the market, it's believed the top four rows of a sheet were affected. Around 20 mint and one used on first day cover are recorded.

3p Christmas missing lavender
18 October 1972
Just one example is recorded missing the background colour. How the magnificently visual error occurred or where it was found remains a mystery.

3p Royal Silver Wedding missing silver
20 November 1972
Most examples of the error lacking the inscription and value come from a sheet discovered in a central London post office. However, the existence of progressive pieces and used examples suggest another sheet was affected to some extent. One is held in the Royal Philatelic Collection.

3p British Explorers pair missing turquoise-blue
18 April 1973
Sadly the discovery details of this extraordinary error, which results in the loss of most of the background, haven't been recorded. It's believed a complete sheet was affected indicating up to 50 pairs could exist.

7½p British Paintings missing cinnamon
4 July 1973
Resulting in the loss of the background colour of the top panel, just six examples are recorded. Most exist in progressive pieces indicating a small area of a sheet was affected.8½p Telephone Centenary missing deep rose
10 March 1976
The top two rows of a sheet (number 040847) were affected by the error which sees the loss of the vase and picture frame. A maximum of 18 examples exist on the market as two are held in the Royal Philatelic Collection.

13p Royal National Rose Society missing the value
30 June 1976
During repairs to the cylinder, the face value of the stamp at row 1, column 9 of the sheet was covered. The covering was left in place during printing, but the error was spotted before distribution and in theory all examples destroyed. However, a used copy on cover with a Dover cancel dated 23 July surfaced as did two mint copies also from the Kent costal area. Only one example remains on the market as the others are in the Royal Philatelic Collection.

59½p Rowland Hill Death Centenary miniature sheet missing grey-black and pale greenish-yellow
24 October 1979
Postal rate changes prior to release meant the original printing of the miniature sheets was scrapped and a replacement printing rushed though. Minimal quality checks were made resulting in a slew of missing colour and other errors on the market. The most spectacular by far seeing the loss of inscriptions, values and outlines from the miniature sheet. Just two examples are recorded.