8d QV SIDEFACE with REVERSED OS PERFIN - SEEN BEFORE?

[Ross Ewington]

I just discovered this item earlier today, namely a used 8d dull purple brown QV sideface (TAS wmk) SG 158
with a reversed OS perfin. I cannot recall having seen this perfin reversed on any Tasmanian stamp.
[attachment=0]reversed os perfin.jpg[/attachment]

Has anyone seen a reversed OS perfin on this or any other Tasmanian stamp issue?

[David McNamee]

I have a poorly done fake reversed "OS" on 3d Pictorial canceled in Sydney. Date is 1903 (too early), and it is supposed to be one of the rare "Commonwealth" types, but the holes do not match any known "OS" pattern.

3d OS Fake.JPG (197.56 KiB) Viewed 2421 times

[David Coath]

Dear Ross and David

An interesting item indeed and to my eye it looks genuine.

Such things are reported in David Andesen's Australian Official Perfins but not on this value.

I will forward the link to David

David

[Ross Ewington]

thanks David(s)

I have just checked the perfin against another example of an 8d value (the only one I have!)
as well as a 9d value and the perfin holes line up perfectly on both stamps.
[attachment=1]8d QV os 1.jpg[/attachment]
N.B. one of the holes on the "regular" copy (above) has not been punched out.

[attachment=0]8d QV os 2.jpg[/attachment]

I don't think that a fake would be that good so I'm fairly confident now that the reversed perfin
is a genuine.

I discovered it among a large accumulation of used QV sideface issues (several 1000) that was
mounted on pages 50+ years ago so the provenance is pretty good to discount it being
as forgery as well.