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Zieher and Zieher-style cards produced by VSM Melbourne and OS&PC Sydney were printed with added photographic views in the empty space on the front. Can anyone identify the photographer or source of the images? Examples shown VSM series (arched) VSM Embossed U Bris St small.jpg and VSM/OS&PC (boxed)...

Sorry, I've been away much too long. Let me lend a hand here. "A" perfins are 7 types in my scheme of things, arranged by date of introduction. HAPP numbers types of "A" perfins a different way. Type 1a 14 holes 11x8mm single hole crossbar (EKU 4 July 1899 on 2d S/F) on small format stamps only Type...

I believe this is from Sir Francis Smith == Attorney General's Office.

Stamp News Australasia , "Cinderella Corner," April 1996 (p. 72) illustrates a Wilkinson label (with stop after TOWN) that was auctioned by Leski 18 December 1995. Rod Perry sold a copy (Lot 450) in his auction of 22 JUL 1999 that is crude like the second example (no stop after TOWN). Wilkinson Che...

Here is a scan of a portion of a 16 SE 1893 cover to Adolph Bauer, Erfurt, Germany, a well-known dealer in postal stationery. The 2d is PTPO because it was obviously the second embossed on the envelope, as well as the embossing goes all the way to the back of the envelope. This is a 2d PTPO with a h...

Here is a cover sent from the PM Woodsdale to Hobart MOO without postage.

RE: pen marks off cover. There is nothing reliable to identify particular offices, except those that used initials or date or numerals. There are resemblances to tied markings, but I would not put my reputation on the line for any of them.

SOLA = Single bill of exchange (no duplicate exists)
SECOND [and THIRD] = bill of exchange that is a duplicate or triplicate of the original [labeled "FIRST"], and 1/2 [or 1/3] of the duty stamps value is affixed to each copy.

David M

Earliest date for perf T on 5d Tablet I have is 5 JUN 1909. Latest date for perf T on 5d Pict I have is 16 FEB 1909.
David

The legitimate postal use of any of the high value St George & Dragon stamps (2/6, 5/-, 10/-) is rare, outside of philatelic franking of a few registered letters with the 2/6, because there was little need for that much postage. In addition, there are a number of the high values with suspect postal ...

""Sanatoria Home For Consumptive Women" Series The rarest of the Tasmanian stamp cards. Published in 1905 and sold in aid of the Sanatoria Home for Consumptive Women. Does anyone known what the purple cross with lettering stands for? (on back of card)." purple cross.jpg The purple handstamp (QVAS ar...

US$70. Probably worth 3x that -- I just did not think anyone else would recognize the significance of the red ink, so that is a lesson for me!

These cancels are so rare that they should be considered abnormal. They are only known during the First Allocation period for Hobart and Launceston because those offices were the only offices with red ink pads. One can imagine a scenario with the PO Clerk processing outgoing ship letter (Hobart) or ...

Until recently, the literature had identified only 3 instances of First Allocation Barred Numerals in red: BN48 on Chalon 1d, BN60 on Chalon 4d and BN62 on Chalon 6d. These are illustrated here: BN 48 RED on 1d.jpg BN 60 in RED.jpg BN 62 in RED.jpg On EBay in November 2012, a new example was illustr...

The stamp shows at least 5 impressions horizontally. Nothing special about a perfin with blind perfs. Missing perfs is another matter, but these broke the paper fibers, so they are blind and not missing.

If the 4d blue stamp printed on paper without overprint is watermarked "4" then it is genuine. If not watermarked, it is a reprint. If watermarked "CC" it is a plate proof/De La Rue file copy, which are imperf, but someone could come along and perf them anyway. I do not own the 4d blue SF on unwater...

I have blocks of the 4d reprinted on thin white card without overprint, one in issued color and the other in a distinctly dark shade of blue. They are offered often enough that I doubt if they are rare. David

The aforementioned 4d dated 6 OCT 1863.

FOREIGN DIVISION -- don't have a clue whose Foreign Division it might be.

Peter Jaffe also wrote a book describing this and the other "Cancelled by Perkins Bacon" stamps. Price Realised will be sufficient to buy a small car.

Reference Alcock & Holland, Postmarks of Great Britain and Ireland (1942) pages 458-459 describe and illustrate the "L in Circle" we have been discussing. They state that this marking is known in red 1840-1854. Apparently there are numerous letters within circles, and the reasons for the markings ar...

Not a registration mark -- cover would not receive a registration mark unless it was registered in Tas, which in 1856 was prepaid by attaching adhesives. Likely a British marking, but I don't have the right reference books to confirm.

No formal census taken that I am aware of, but I do have recorded a number of auction lots describing perhaps 6 different Courier 4d singles. I have 2, neither of which acquired at auction. Estimates have been made of 10-15 examples may exist on Courier 4d. A couple of Chalon 4d and one or two Couri...

21 October 1912 was a Monday and 22 October 1912 a Tuesday. Makes more sense that the First Day of Issue is likely 21 October since we have a proving cancel and it is the first of the week.

Here is a 1st Allocation BN75 on 4d Chalon tied to a cover Hobart to Launceston 22 August 1859 + a strip of 3x1d Chalons purchased as "forged BN 75s" at a TPS club auction some years ago + a 1st Allocation BN75 on 1d Chalon tied to a Hobart drop letter 1 September 1859. Both Malcolm and Ross opined ...