2d Views Lettercards - One Penny Surcharges

[shatten]

These cards are carefully listed in H&G and in Mr Ingles' chapter in Tinsley. However, the listings are not easy for impatient collectors to follow. So I decided to create my own numbered listing of every possible 2d view lettercard, with a clear description of each.

I believe there are 36 face-different cards, ignoring colour variations of the 1908 series, up to but not including the ONE PENNY surcharges issued in 1911. However, as far as the surcharges are concerned, my reading of both H&G and Ingles is that there are actually (2*(6+6+6)) =36 possible face-different variations:

Two different surcharges - at 20 deg and 40 deg angles
On each of
6 x 1903 issues, Melbourne printing (H&G A4),
6 x 1905 issues, Hobart printing (H&G A4A), and
6 x 1908 issues (H&G A5)

Mr Ingles states that "...all stocks would ... have been converted" in 1911, but stocks of some of these lettercards would have been minimal by that time. So most of the possibles would be extremely rare, and that's consistent with their infrequent appearance in sales.

I'd like to finalize my listing, and it may be of interest to other collectors via the Courier. Any comments on these surcharges or my deductions would be appreciated. Also, I'd be grateful for images showing the two different angles of surcharge, for inclusion in my listing..

[Hobbit123]

Ask and it shall be granted unto you....

Herewith scans of 20 degree and 40 degree ONE PENNY overprints on lettercards:

LC 20 degrees.jpg (309.51 KiB) Viewed 9397 times

20 degrees

LC 40 degrees.jpg (290.79 KiB) Viewed 9397 times

40 degrees

The pictures are: 20 Degrees - A Peep at Barn Bluff from Lake Windermere (blue-black)
40 Degrees - Lake Agnew and Cradle Mountain - from South East (reddish brown)

Thanks to Ross for having them in his auction to add to my small selection.

[shatten]

Hobbit, I am grateful.

These excellent surcharges are on the 1908 series. Does anyone know of examples on the 1903/1905 series?

[Malcolm Groom]

Having located a census conducted by Gene Tinsley it confirms my findings when I was collecting these letter cards.

The first point to consider is that ALL the cards overprinted at 40 degrees have the scene in red brown. Tinsley only recorded them in this colour and since that census I have only ever seen additional cards with the scene in red brown. It suggests that the 40 degree overprint was produced for use on the remaining stocks held which were all in red brown.

I held a copy of the 1903 letter card with scene of River Derwent overprinted ONE PENNY at 20 degrees and according to Tinsley this is the only recorded copy. I have not heard or seen any overprints on cards other than those from the 1908 Lakes and Mountains series.

The Tinsley census is no doubt superseded by new finds but for the record he listed the overprinted cards (20 degrees) as follows:

Lake George in black 2
Lake George in red 1
A Peep in blue 2
Mount Ida in blue 1
Lake Agnew in green 1
Mount Ida in brown 1
Lake George in brown 2

As the Tinsley collection is long dispersed a new census would be very useful. the Tinsley collection represented the collections of Viney and Ingles so was a good representation at the time.

He also listed the following 40 degree cards all in red brown:

Lake Agnew 1
Mount Gould 2
Mount Ida 1
Mount Olympus 4

[Malcolm Groom]

I have been inspired to look for my scans of letter cards and have managed to find the 1903 River Derwent card with the 20 degree ONE PENNY overprint. The full page is reproduced below. The address leaves me with a suspicion that is philatelic but still an important record of how the letter cards were recalled for overprinting when the 1d rate came into operation in May 1911

1903 lettercard 20 degrees.jpg (778.03 KiB) Viewed 9370 times

[shatten]

Thanks Malcolm, your posts have provided a very clear position on the surcharges.

You would expect that a number of the 1903 cards were overprinted - perhaps all the others have disappeared. Interesting that your 1903 card has a 1913 postmark.