Half Grana	Pale pink
1 Grana	Carmine
2 Grana	Pale pink
5 Grana	Brownish pink
10 Grana	Brownish pink
20 Grana	Brownish pink
50 Grana	Brownish pink

The selected subject was the Two Sicilies coat of arms. In the center of each stamp the is the coat of arms, divided in three parts; to the left a rampant horse facing right (Naples emblem), to the right the Trinacria with three legs (Sicily emblem) and at the bottom three lilies (Borboni emblem). The background is full of vertical thin lines, around there are frames different for the various values; round for the Half Grana, squared for the 1 Grana, octagonal for the 2 Grana, rectangular for the 5 Grana, esagonal for the 10 Grana, of rhombus shape for the 20 Grana and oval for the 50 Grana. To be noticed how for all the values the upper side and the right side of these internal frames are much thicker than the other two (in the half Grana and in the 50 Grana is thicker the left half respectively of the circle and of the oval). All around there is a double frame of the same shape as the one enclosing the coat of arms, with the label (from left) "BOLLO DELLA" - "POSTA" - "NAPOLETANA" and, under it, the value indication with "G:" for the Half, the 2, the10 and the 50 Grana and "GRA" for the remaining values. The Mezzo, 2, 10 and 50 Grana are enclosed in a squared frame forming 4 triangles on the corners, with vertical fine lines; the1 and the 5 Grana have only 4 ornamental decorations on the corners, while the 20 Grana does have 4 ornaments of floreal motif on a background of vertical lines. The most external stamp frame is thicker at the bottom and at right than at top and at the left. exactly the opposite of that, as already said, is happening on the internal frame around the coat of arms!
So, stamps of shape and details different for each value. Common only the choice of the color, always pinkish, a choice not so well done, probably made to avoid the possibility of compose unwelcome colors with the postage. The shade very pale leaves often barely to catch a glimpse of the stamp drawing. Only in rare cases is possible to see perfectly the engraving details (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: 5 Grana of the 1st table with engraving exceptionally sharp

The tool engraving is made by Giuseppe Masini, after the Juvara (author of the Sicily stamps) refusal for the amount of 330 Ducati.
The printing method was the calcographic one, under the responsibility of the Masini himself, substituted later on by Gaetano De Masa (who dies and was followed by his son) because Masini was resulted too expensive. The stamps were printed in sheets of 200 pieces, in two groups side by side of 100 pieces each, separated by inter-space of a bit less than 1 centimeter. The printing composition of some value was surrounded by a typographic thin blade distant few millimeters from the margin: that thin blade is present in the Mezzo Grana (2nd plate), 1 Grana (2nd plate), 2 Grana (3rd plate), 5 Grana (2nd plate), 10 Grana (2nd plate) and in the 20 Grana (2nd plate) - Fig. 2 -

Fig. 2: couple of the upper sheet right corner with very evident
external printing frame thin blade mark (upper and to the right)

The hand made paper was provided by the "Bonaventura Tajani" paper mill from Salerno. It was watermarked with 40 borbonic lilies (4 rows of 10) and had around the label "BOLLI POSTALI" enclosed in a double rectangular frame. In the lower left corner there was the label "BT", initials of the manufacturer of the paper (Fig. 3). The stamps that show the complete monogram (that can be found in slightly different versions) are quite rare.

Fig. 3: the stamp watermark
(from "I francobolli del Regno di Napoli" of E. Diena, 1932)

The paper was not uniform but varied quite a lot in thickness, from very thin and semi-transparent (not common) to very thick, almost thin cardboard; different was also the manufacturing: flat, porous, trellis like etc.. Because the distance between the lilies is somehow large, it is possible to find parts without watermark; the watermark presents itself in different ways because the sheets were not placed under the press always in the same direction.
To print the stamps 14 plates have been used; some of them in copper, some in steel, according to the following scheme:

Half Grana	2 plates
1 Grana	2 plates
2 Grana	3 plates
5 Grana	2 plates
10 Grana	2 plates
20 Grana	2 plates
50 Grana	1 plate

Each plate is identifiable from the others by some detail that are analyzed singularly in the cards of the various stamps. The color shades were not constant, even for the use of inks of different composition to the point that it is possible to find samples with quite different shades from each other.
Between the more known varieties there are the multiple engraving, double printings, front-back printings, and couples misaligned.
Also some engraving variety is known, as incomplete corners, missing characters, thin blades marks etc..
To be outlines how several values of this issue have been widely forged to cheat the postal Administration: of some of them are more common the forgeries than the originals. (for instance the 20 Grana). In the "Going Deep" section some of these are described.
These stamps were valid up to October 1861 (but samples used after this date do exist). The quantities printed are known and they are:

Half Grana	2.009.800
1 Grana	2.825.000
2 Grana	9.193.000
5 Grana	811.200
10 Grana	300.400
20 Grana	175.000
50 Grana	46.000

One last curiosity that is worth to mention is the presence in each value of a secret sign introduced by Masini; each stamp, in fact, presents engraved one character. By putting these letters together we obtain the label "G.MASINI", initial of the name and the full last name of the engraver: it is the unique case in the world wide philatelic panorama of all times.
I give you here below the detail of each value, by putting in evidence the position where the letter is inserted, clarifying also that often the sign is not visible or is partially visible (Fig. 4).

	G.
	M
	A
	S
	I
	N
	I

Fig. 4: the secret signs form the engraver name.....