½d PTPO envelopes

[bill]

Gibbons Catalogue for 1895-1896 lists a ½d envelope (PTPO) among the various PTPO
wrappers in vogue then. This is a singleton embossing so it would only pay ½d postage
by itself. What postal rate could apply in the 1890s, apart from newspapers? It would
be scarcely possible to fit a newspaper inside a ½d envelope!

The same catalogue lists a ½d + ½d envelope, which could be used for a local letter.

In the Commonwealth era, a ½d rate for printed matter (junk mail?) applied for all the
States as from May 1911 but this is not directly related to the query raised above.
Breckon's article in Australian Philatelist (ca. 1989-1990) indicates that no ½d rate
applied in Tasmania for printed matter (except for newspapers) prior to 1911.

Bill

[shatten]

Hi Bill, I'm just finishing an article and listing of Tasmanian PTPO envelopes for The Courier (subject to the editorial committee!)

I have quite a few PTPO and post office-supplied and have never seen the ½d green as a solo indicum. Malcolm Groom's large collection doesn't have one either. It's not listed in H&G or Tinsley and, as you say, it has no postal merit. Tinsley lists a ½d yellow-orange, earliest date 1909.

Maybe the SG entry is an error.

[Malcolm Groom]

Allen is right. I have re-checked my PTPO collection and the only 1/2d green embossing is in combination with the 2d PO issue. I have one example used to Sydney which is overpaying the rate. My 1/2d single embossing used is in orange and mailed to NZ (Wellington backstamp). It managed to avoid being taxed, I suspect because the PO did not identify it as a 1/2d franking because the BN obliterated the stamp. Illustrations of both are shown below. Newspapers were the only items able to be sent at a 1/2d rate in that period.

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[bill]

Malcolm, do you have the date of the Wellington backstamp
on your solo ½d stamped envelope mailed to Wellington?
The date on the front looks like SP 12 over an inverted 92.

Incidentally, the ½d + 2d has the ½d in green, not orange.
Has this colour for ½d been previously recorded?

Bill

[Malcolm Groom]

Bill,

The Wellington back stamp on the 1/2d solo franking is 23 Sept 1892

I am unsure what your reference is about in the second para. I do refer to the 1/2d franking on the 2d envelope with additional 1/2d as being in green.

I have three examples (mint, CTO and used) but have not seen any others recorded.

Malcolm

[bill]

Malcolm

My reference in the second paragraph refers to the ½d
which I had thought to appear only in orange as implied
in the Tinsley book. I was surprised to notice the ½d
in green, rather than orange.

I hope this clarifies things for you

Bill

[shatten]

I also have a copy of the ½d + 2d on post office envelope, and have seen another copy on eBay.

Checking my collection I also found a 2d post office envelope with ½d orange indicum below the 2d indicum. Lots of fun in these PTPOs.