International Reply Coupons

[bill]

This post raises the question as to whether Tasmania ever issued
any International Reply Coupons. This question is inspired by the
current listing of three lots of international reply coupons in the
current Mossgreen auction of New South Wales stamps, etc. The
relevant lots are numbered 375 to 377.

If such items were issued, I suspect that the Tasmanian versions
would have resembled the New South Wales issues, apart from the
obvious inscriptions.

Has anyone on this BB ever encountered examples of international
reply coupons? If so, it would be nice to see images of these.

[Malcolm Groom]

Bill,

I have not seen an issued example but here is a proof block of four ex Christoph Gartner Auction some years ago

Malcolm

Internatonal Reply coupon copy.jpg (2.12 MiB) Viewed 6765 times

[bill]

This block is very like the block for New South Wales illustrated as Lot 375
in the Mossgreen catalogue in their sale for 20 April 2015, apart from the
absence of perforations. The New South version is attributed to 1906 in
the Mossgreen description. Perhaps the Tasmanian version as shown by
Malcolm appeared about 1906?

[bill]

Malcolm

There is also the interesting image of a used reply coupon dated 18 Feb 1935
contributed by Torsten Weller in the postmarks section (post 1913).

The design is slightly different from earlier examples on the BB.

http://tps.org.au/bb/viewtopic.php?f=5& ... upon#p5049

You have to scroll down a fair way to find the image, courtesy of Torsten.

Bill

[Malcolm Groom]

Noted on eBay recently realised AU$198

IRC Tasmania eBay.jpg (1.54 MiB) Viewed 6653 times

[bill]

On page 175 of the recent book on postal stationery by Groom and Shatter, we find
an illustration of a 3d International reply coupon. The authors give 1891 as its date
of issue.

This date looks too early. The UPU is known to have introduced this service around
1907(?) The numerous member countries complied by issuing these coupons, which
are like an omnibus series. [Think of the omnibus 1937 Coronation issues.]

I have seen listings of these coupons for USA in Scott's specialised catalogue and for
Germany in Deutsche Sammler-Zeitung so we should expect the same to be true for
Australia and, in particular, Tasmania.