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A belated response to Ross's query on the 1/- vermilion perf 11½. We find the earlier perforations (10, 12, 12½) listed in Gibbons under catalogue numbers 68, 77 and 90 respectively. This work was all done on old stock from the London printing of 1858. Yes, it took some time to use up the 1/- stamp ...

A brief update on the Walch lettersheets follows. It's time to revisit Basset Hull's book. In Chapter XI of the Basset Hull book on Tasmania, we read on page 92 that a "new perforating machine, gauging 12, was obtained by the Government Printer in 1884, …". (Third paragraph) The word "new" in this q...

We revisit the question of the perforating machine gauging about 12 as used from 1884. (It's really 11.8 as measured on the Instanta perforation gauge.) Various authors claim that the Government bought the perforation machine gauging about 12 from Walch & sons in 1884. Even Stanley Gibbons says so i...

Craig & Ingles (1978) only say R2 (a rarity rating with est. 31-100 existing) Craig's Handbook of Tasmanian Revenue Stamps (1997) suggests values of $45 for 5/- and $60 for 10/- but these prices are out of date. You would have to consider values in the vicinity of a few hundred dollars at auction. A...

Josto The 5/- and 10/- Dragons illustrated seem to be imperf versions of the genuine stamps and are listed as such in Craig & Ingles catalogue. The Craig & Ingles catalogue (1978) records them under Nos. 24c and 25c. Of course, they are watermarked double lined 1 as expected. The 3d Dragon illustrat...

Pete

This extra information is helpful. Thanks for an improved map. It is now
reasonably clear where Macquarie River was located. For a comparison,
are you able to say what the PM at the main Launceston PO was paid?

Bill

It would be nice to know where Macquarie River and its PO are (or used to be) and its approximate location relative to the Midland Highway and towns close to Macquarie River, e.g. Ross, Campbell Town. A map or two may help. One period of special interest is 1860-1871. In part of this period, roulett...

Many thanks to 'admin' and Malcolm for their replies. It appears that Macquarie River was north of Ross but south of Campbell Town. A motoring atlas I have shows Campbell Town and Ross on the Midland Highway that connects Hobart to Launceston. However, Macquarie River might not have been on the exac...

A number of references to Macquarie River exist in the literature on Tasmania. For a start, cancellations for Macquarie River are listed in Hardinge's recent book on datestamps for Tasmanian post offices. Also, Macquarie River features among the places that are believed to be associated with the rar...

At the very end of Basset Hull's book on Tasmania (1890), there is a public notice to the effect that sales of stamps at the GPO would be discontinued as from 1 October 1857. Thereafter, intending purchasers of stamps could only obtain small quantities from licensed vendors, such as Walch & Sons. Th...

Update on Walch & Sons lettersheets There is a single report in The Mercury for August 1885 about lettersheets (no mention of Walch there). The expressed attitude to lettersheets was quite negative. Apparently, this report did not deter Walch & Sons since they soon printed a supply of these for sale...

This is a slightly technical question but it arises from Basset Hull's book. Chapter XI of the Basset Hull book says on page 92 that a "new perforating machine, gauging 12, was obtained by the Government Printer in 1884, …". (Third paragraph) Some writers have speculated that the Government bought a...

Basset Hull wrote only two chapters on postal stationery in his book on Tasmania. These dealt with postal cards and stamped envelopes. His writings in the early 1890s included updates on postal stationery, such as local printings of postal cards and registered envelopes. The reason for the limited u...

Strictly speaking, frank stamps are a separate topic from postal history. The two Green books on postal history did include a chapter on franks. Basset Hull included a chapter on frank stamps in his book on Tasmania, published in 1890. He included an update on frank stamps in Volume 1 of the Federal...

Does someone out there have any images of either of the two types of the Governor frank stamp used between 1884 and 1902 inclusive, preferably unconcealed examples? They can be cutouts as the main thing is to locate uncancelled examples. Scans should preferably be done at 400 dpi or higher. Thanks B...

Earliest record found is in 1923 edition of Gibbons' catalogue, Part 1.
It is not in the 1920 edition. (No edition in between 1920 and 1923)

Gibbons listed it as early as their 1926 edition.
Also listed in Robson Lowe, Vol. IV (Australasia).

Morley (1910) catalogue doesn't list it and it's
not in the Weisz catalogue (appended to the
Australian Philatelic Record in early 1920s.

The warning given for the 10/- and £1 Tablets should be updated to include the 5/-.
Easton's De La Rue History states on page 695 that the indent of 1 September 1896
for new 5/- and £1 stamps specified the use of doubly fugitive ink for these values.

Yes, Easton's De La Rue History states on page 695 that in the indent of 1 September 1896 forwarded by the Agent-General (based in London) both the new 5/- and the £1 were to be printed in doubly fugitive inks. Certainly the green colour for the £1 is fugitive. It appears that the choice of a fugiti...

The plate size for the Tablet series stamps (½d to £1) has been a source of confusion in the literature for many years. Even Basset Hull's Appendix to his handbook strays from complete accuracy in this matter. He says at first that plates were 120-on for the Tablet series (at least for the earliest ...

This note is intended to let readers know that the £1 Tablet with Revenue overprint (both overprinted normally and handstamped) is prone to run in water if soaked. A similar auction applies to the overprinted £1 with surcharges of 5d and 1/-. See also a similar note under heading Tasmanian Stamps - ...

This note is a cautionary note re the De La Rue printings of 10/- (1892) and £1 (1897) in the Tablet series. The inks are prone to run if used examples of these stamps are soaked in water, especially the £1. It is important to be aware of this as the £1 is a relatively expensive item to add to one's...

On checking a couple of these stamps, it is apparent that they are perf 11.8. (This is the plain type-set series for newspapers in seven denominations that was issued in 1901, not the parcels stamps issued from 1886 as Dave E. has shown several years ago.) This is exactly the perforation to expect f...

The 3d St George and Dragon perf 14 may be derived from a reprint on unwatermarked paper of 1879. This is the case for a 10/- Dragon with perf 14. This perf only occurs on De La Rue printings. No watermark at all to be seen! Someone has obviously fiddled with several reprints. Possibly more may turn...

There was an example of 1d pelure paper showing part of a papermaker's watermark in
the recent Corinphila auction.

I think David McNamee recorded a couple of others as I found a couple of reports on these.
(London Philatelist in 1895 and one or two in Philately from Australia in its early years.)