tps.org.au

Occasionally, I have acquired lettercards and postal stationery envelopes that have circular date stamps, but are unused. They may simply be 'per favour' items for collectors, but I wonder if they could be specimens for postal archives? Good examples in my collection are a lettercard with the scene in red (dated 23 May 1910) and the '2d' postal stationery envelopes (complete set dated 4 January 1898). The lettercard and one of the envelopes are shown below.Can anyone throw light on these?

Roger

I am not as lucky as you, as I only have three of the illustrated envelopes CTO. (though I do have a full set used)

They are all the same date as yours. It is interesting to know that others exist.

I would think that they were prepared to show what was available on the formation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1/1/1901.

Patrick

I believe the letter cards with CTO cancels are probably for distribution to Parliamentarians or other dignitaries. The UPU certainly do not have any in their collection so I doubt they were sent to other UPU members.

The Pictorial envelopes were sold out very quickly in 1898 and so I doubt that the Post Office had any CTO examples prepared in 1901.

A search of newspapers in 1898 revealed the following report of the Tasmanian Tourist Association meeting and a letter from JW Beattie. It supports the anecdotal evidence I have heard that staff at the GPO cornered the market for the 306 sets of Pictorial envelopes when they were issued.

PICTORIAL ENVELOPES

The following letter was read from Mr. J. W. Beattie :-

' Hobart, June 11, 1898. Hon. Henry Dobson, President Tourists'Association.

Dear Sir,- It may, or may not, be known to you that the Postal Department of this colony have issued a series of stamped envelopes, illustrated with some of the most effective of our Tasmanian scenery, with the object presumably, of advertising the picturesque character of the colony. It was by a mere accident that I heard of this step-through a northern newspaper but I was delighted think that the Government had at last taken a forward step In what I considered to be a commonsense, practical way, and a very cheap way too, of giving the wide world some conception of the beauties of our Island. I was surprised to hear, however, from private sources, that this issue had been
Entirely disposed of within a few hours after publication, and, what seemed to me stranger
still. that the Department did not Intend to continue their issue. As this matter is of so much importance to all who love at heart the Interests of the country, I have taken the liberty of bringing It under your notice, with the hope that steps may he taken to ascertain the actual
intention of the Government with regard to the matter in question. I would also respectfully point out the incalculable good that may be done to the colony if an extension of this
method of illustration could be arranged with our stamp, post. and letter card Iissues.-

Yours, etc.,

J. W. Beattie.

The President said that undoubtedly hundreds of colonists would like to have sets and copies of these beautiful envelopes.

Mr. Morton said there was something very strange about the issue of the envelopes. He was told that the issue was sold in a couple of hours, and no more had been issued. Whether it was done in the interests of so-called stamp collectors or not he did not know.

Mr. Crouch could not understand for the life of him why there was not a second issue. He would certainly have taken a pound's worth of them himself.

Mr. Morton : Now if a set is required you have got to pay a guinea for it to some stamp collector.

Mr. Crouch would move that the Government be asked to issue 100,000 of the envelopes.