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In addition, the 6d stamps on six covers dated between November 1860 and February 1871 all appear to have
comb perforations (one or two may have damaged corners); Figure 2 illustrates a pair of first printing stamps
from a cover dated 21 July 1864, while Figure 3 shows two second printing stamps (paler colour) from a
cover dated 09 Feb 1871. All illustrations are enlarged. From this study of the available material, I conclude
that Sierra Leone SG 1 and 2, from the 1859 and 1865 despatches, were perforated 14 comb, rather than line.

The third and fourth despatches of the stamp, in 1871 and 1873, were perforated by De La Rue with the same
line 12½ perforator as used for the 1872 and 1873 Sierra Leone keyplate stamps (Refs.7,10). No blocks of
this stamp have been recorded, but examination of single stamps, together with a pair on an April 1872 cover,
support the conclusion that SG 3 is perf. 121/2 line.

For the fifth, sixth and seventh 6d despatches of 1874, 1875 and 1876 (SG 4), the perforations reverted to
gauge 14. According to Poole (Ref 10, p.16), De La Rue purchased a new, single-line, perforating machine
some time in 1874-5, which was used for the perf. 14 keyplate despatches between December 1875 and
November 1878. However, the evidence from single 6d stamps, including a wing margin example on cover
dated 05 February 1877 (Ref.17), is that its perforations remained comb. The contemporary British 6d
stamps retained the 12 panes of 20 sheet format until the 1881 issue, and also remained comb perforated at
Somerset House (Figure 4). Easton (Ref.8, p.225) states that "De La Rue took over some of the Somerset
House [perf 14 comb] machines in 1876 and the balance in 1880". Figure 5 shows a Sierra Leone stamp
from the 1874 despatch. It is fairly clearly comb perforated.