Set Description:
This is my set of the U.K. Pence price-printed issues which exist in the first series of Avengers , namely issues numbers #1 to #8, #19 to #32, #35 to #45 , #63 to #120, #153 to #182, #184 to #199, #201 to #203 and #206 to #214 which have a printed Pence price on the cover ("UKPVs").
The other issues, those between numbers #9 to #18, issues numbers #33 and #34 , those between numbers #46 to #62, #121 to #152 and #183 to #200, and issues numbers #204 and #205, were only available in the U.K. as Cents copies or as Cents copies stamped by hand with the U.K. price. Furthermore, no Cents copies of any UKPVs were shipped to the U.K. at the time of publication of those UKPVs
I believe it is estimated that between the equivalent of no more than 2% to 5% of the number of Cents issues were published as UKPVs . This means it is likely that not only are there relatively low numbers of UKPVs still in existence but also that very few of them will be in high grade. This is borne out by the Census where, in many (most? ) cases, there are actually very few copies of each comic listed.
Against that backdrop and the likely cost involved I decided to put together within a relatively short period of time a predominantly mid-grade set of UKPVs containing some high grade copies as well plus one or two low-grade issues, where necessary . This accounts for my copy of issue number #8 (first Kang) being a low-grade 3.5, and my copy of issue number #43 (first Red Guardian) being a low-grade 4.0, and I am seeking a low-grade (but nice-looking) copy of issue number #1 to add to the set.
This approach has been quite liberating and is the opposite of the one I took to build my Cents copies set, where I tried (within reason) to acquire the best copies I could find. But it has been fun with UKPVs to 'go round again' and seek out comics that are familiar with a twist to them, and add them to the Registry as I go along. With my Cents copies set I have recently registered it all in one go. This Pence one will remain a work in progress until it is finished .
The comics that make up the set have been acquired from a number of sources, including purchases at comic book shops and conventions, on-line and Ebay, and by auction. Except in the case of issues numbers #3,#4,#5,#8 and #100 (which I bought as slabbed comics) they have all been acquired raw and then been slabbed by CGC.
There are a number of differences between UKPVs and Cents copy comics, namely :
(a) the price is stated on the cover of a UKPV in Pence instead of Cents :
(b) the UKPVs issues numbers #1 to #8 do not contain the month of publication in the box containing the issue number on the cover (the box on the Cents copies contains the issue number and the month of publication ) because shipping delays (and sometimes strike action) might result in the UKPVs not reaching the U.K. until well after the publication date, and on those UKPVs the following note is printed at the foot of the inside front cover :
"Sole distributors in the United Kingdom - Thorpe & Porter Ltd"
and :
(c) in the UKPVs issues numbers #153 to #182 and #184 to #214 the banner "Marvel Comics Group" on the cover of the Cents copies has been replaced by one saying :"Marvel All-Colour Comics".
When publication of the UKPVs began, the U.K. had an"Imperial" currency system , which was abolished with effect from 14 February 1971. From 15 February 1971 a "Decimal" system took over and still exists now.
The Imperial currency system included "Pennies" or "Pence" shown by a "d" after the number of Pence when written down . Under the system, "12d" amounted to "One Shilling" or "1/-", and "240d" or "20/-" amounted to "One Pound" or "£1" .
Pennies or Pence still exist under the Decimal system but they are now shown by a "p" (in lower case) after the number of Pence, and they have been re-valued so that 100p equals £1.
The Imperial system applied to Avengers issues numbers #1 to #92 , and the Decimal system applied to issues numbers #93 to #214, ignoring in both cases the issues in those batches that do not exist as UKPVs.
The prices for each issue of the UKPVs are as follows :
Imperial prices
Issues numbers #1 to #8: 9d
Issues numbers #19 to #32: 10d
Issues numbers #35 to #45: 10d
Issues numbers #63 to £92: 1/-(12d)
Decimal prices
Issue number #93: 8p printed price with 6p sticker price (sticker stuck over the printed price)
Issues numbers #84 to #120: 6p
Issues numbers #153 to #156: 10p
Issues numbers #157 to #175: 12p (ordinary 12p print)
Issues numbers #176 to #181: 12p (starburst 12p print)
Issue number #182 and issues numbers #184 to #195: 12p (ordinary 12p print)
Issues numbers #196 to #199 and #201 to #203: 15p
Issues numbers #206 to #214: 20p
Issues numbers #153 to #182 have a "Newsstand Edition " type box in the bottom left corner of the front cover, and issues numbers #184 to #214 have a "Direct Editions" type box in that position.
Dual Cents/Pence pricing was introduced by Marvel in January 1982 with the result that no UKPVs were published after then.
UKPVs are recognised as the true first price variant copies of Cents comics and it is accepted that they were both printed at the same time on the same presses.
Robin
18 March 2024
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