Macquarie Plains - a census of the unframed PO handstamps

[Geoff Dane]

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I have 2 copies of one of the two unframed Macquarie Plains handstamp types in my collection. John Hardinge rates both types as RRRRR and I was wondering how many copies there are. Please add a scan of any copies you have (or just tell us you have one or more). I do not have an example of the other type to show.

I have unsuccessfully bid at auction on examples of the unframed numeral 4 and the segmented circle postal markings from the same office at various times and would also be interested to know how common or otherwise those are.

[admin]

I have at least one example of the unframed handstamp and will see if I can post scans here.
I also have a number of copies of the numeral "4" and have seen a number of others to the point I do not regard it as rare, perhaps around R - 2R.
The segmented circle on the other hand seems to be far more scarce and I rate it as at least 3R if not 4R. I have one example.
Please note these attempts at ratings are only impressions, not based on any systematic census but I do feel the numeral is the most common of the Macquarie Plains unofficial markings from the first allocation period based on examples seen over the last few years.

Pete

[Geoff Dane]

I notice that there are 2 examples of the 2 line cancel in Koichi Sato's exhibit being auctioned by David Feldman in June.

[admin]

As I mentioned above, I have two examples of the numeral "4" both on 2d star watermark and one example of the segmented circle on lined numeral 4 wm.
Here are scans. I will see if I can post my Macquarie Plains handstamp when I get a moment.

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[Jerry Weirich]

Geoff -- For your census, I do not have the two-lined Macquarie Plains or numeral "4" handstamps in my collection. I do have the following segmented circle handstamps.

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[Geoff Dane]

Looking at the auctions (numbers 180 and 181) of Tasmania material by Prestige Philately in May 2013:
Lot 289 - 2 line Macquarie Plains on Courier on cover sold for $1250 plus buyer premium
Lot 290 - Segmented circle on 4d Chalon sold for $290 plus buyer premium
Lot 291 - Numeral 4 on four pence + 2 pence Chalons on cover $9,500 plus premium
Lot 1493 - Segmented circle on strip of 3 x 2 pence Chalons sold for $600 plus premium

[admin]

More Auction realisations, this time, Mossgreen, 18 Feb 2014, the Sir Henry Somerset collection.
Lot 283 included four separate items, $671 plus buyers commission.
- "4" on 2d star Wm chalon pair and single
- circle on 1d chalon strip of 4
- straight line handstamp on cut-to-shape 4d courier

Images below have been copied from the auction website:

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[Malcolm Groom]

I have located some further images of Macquarie Plains hand stamps form old prints I had.
The MACQUARIE PLAINS hand stamp has been in several collections over the past twenty years.

MACQUARIE PLAINS hand stamp tied to front

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'4' hand stamp used at Macquarie Plains on 2d Chalons (2) ex Tinsley

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[admin]

Another numeral 4 plus MS numeral ?.
Recently sold at auction by Corbitts for £80.

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[Ross Ewington]

Some more 'segmented circle' cancellations...

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[Ross Ewington]

Another MACQUARIE PLAINS handstamp

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[Ross Ewington]

...from the Koichi Sato collection

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[Malcolm Groom]

Here are three items from the Cress collection.

Manuscript endorsement, segmented circle and the straight line hand stamp.

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[Malcolm Groom]

Further examples of the handstruck '4' from the Cress collection

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[dickybird]

I recently bought this stamp on ebay and believe it is the ring cancel for Macquarie Plains. Is this a correct assumption? Also, is an imperf. 6d. a difficult stamp to find with this cancel?

[admin]

I believe it is the Macquarie Plains handstamp.
I cant see that it would be unusual on this stamp.
Its interesting now that we have a number of these on the Board is seems to have been a policy to frame the head of the Monarch with the circular stamp ( and also likewise with the numeral "4"). I wonder if the circular design was developed with this in mind. Perhaps the postmaster had qualms about defacing the image of Queen Victoria?
The figure "4" numeral stamp is usually placed around the face too. Seems too much of a coincidence.

[Ross Ewington]

Segmented Circle cancel on a 2d green Chalon (inverted '2' watermark)

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