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Chalons stamps production

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:17 am
by songenaz
Hello
I try to determine how many stamps were produced in Tasmania for the Chalons issue. According to Basset Hull in Appendix A, Chalons stamps were printed until september 1870, when 60.000 Four Pence were printed.

But Tinsley states ( pp28) " the remainders were destroyed by burning 30 March 1870"
is it a mistake? Should I read March 1871?
I have found no tracks or files of these destroyed stamps.

Someone has an idea?

Thanks for your help

regards

Laurent

Re: Chalons stamps production

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2023 10:39 am
by bill
We refer to pages 58-59 of Basset Hull.

"The closing scenes of these stamps are pathetically foreshadowed in the following letter:"

(Text of letter is quoted, referring to bill stamps of value 10s, 2s6d and 3d plus postage
stamps of value 4d, 2d and 1d, which were withdrawn from sale as from 31 October of
1870. Authority was sought to destroy these stamps in the presence of witnesses.)

Date of letter was 16 November 1870.

On page 59, the Audit Office Voucher certifies the destruction of these stamps referred
to in the letter just cited as of 30 November 1870. So the stamps were destroyed on 30
November 1870 after all.

So Tinsley's book has an error on page 28. The correct date is not 30 March 1870 as we
read in Tinsley's book; it is indeed 30 November 1870. I don't know why Tinsley made
this oversight. A few other mistakes appear elsewhere in that book.

Yes, Appendix A of Basset Hull confirms a printing of 60,000 of 4d in September 1870.
With 66,373 of the 4d being burnt on 30 November 1870, we deduce that there were
stamps from the last two printings of 4d in that destruction. (361,440 of the 4d were
printed in October 1869, the second last printing of 4d.)

The main references are pp.58-59 and p.132 of Basset Hull's book.