Queensland First Sideface Plate Proofs - 1d

Here are some examples of the 1st sideface 2d. plate proof. For general information on the 1st sideface plate proofs see here

In August 1878 the plate of the one penny postage stamp was finished. The original imperforate proof sheet was printed in a reddish-brown shade on thin card. They were submitted to the Postmaster General on 9 August 1878 who expressed a preference for a vermilion colour. 

On 21 February 1879 1d unwatermarked imperforate proofs on thin card in the same reddish-brown shade were resubmitted to the Colonial Treasurer, along with other values and a comment that the chemicals in the vermillion ink were reacting with the copper of the plate. These were approved, with a comment that the "red" should be more decided.

Imperforate die I and die II examples with Crown over Q type II paper and defaced with blue in around November 1879 are known as well as examples that have not been defaced.

In around February 1881 perforate die I and die II examples with Crown over Q type II paper were prepared in bright red as colour trials and defaced with ink lines

Die Proof in Black

1d. die proof in black on India paper. Seen in the H White Collection in the State Library of NSW

Imperforate on thin card

1d. Imperforate Plate Proof on Thin Card, dull reddish brown complete sheet of 120 with [no. 48] showing "qoeensland" variety, printed label affixed at foot and inscribed "Proposed new 1d. Postage Stamp Printed from Electrotypes made by William Knight, Government Engraver, Lithographic Office, Treasury"; a few light fox marks in places and with a few faults in margins. This original 1d proof sheet submitted for approval contained 88 copies of Die 1 and 32 copies of Die 2. Ex Butler and Griffith. This sheet was almost certainly shown by Leslie Hausberg in his Queensland exhibit at the London International Philatelic Exhibition of 1906

Click on these copies of the sheet to see them in much greater detail

Plate II 1d scarlet Die I imperforate plate colour proof pair in Bright Vermillion from top of the sheet on thin unwatermarked paper, endorsed in margin "Color app[roved]" by William Knight. The date, as known from other copies, was November 1880. Ex Chapman and Manning

1d. scarlet block of four, [18-19/28-29] on thin unwatermarked paper with each horizontal pair showing Dies I and II se-tenant, marked in pencil on reverse "[Colo]r approved/Nov 24 1880". Ex Chapman and Manning

  

1d. reddish brown Die I marginal block of twelve, [67-70/77-80/87-90]; on thin card, the left vertical row creased. Ex Chapman and Griffith

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof horizontal strip of 4 from left of the sheet on thin card. Ex Chapman

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof horizontal strip of 6 seen in the HL White Collection in the State Library of NSW

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof block of 4. Ex Griffith

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof pair on thin card. Seen in a private collection

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof pair on thin card. Seen in Corinphila auctions 2018

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof pair on thin card. Seen in Corinphila auctions 2018

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof pair on thin card. Seen in Phoenix auction no 64 lot no 1018

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof pair on thin card. Seen in Phoenix auction no 62 lot no 957

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof pair on thin card. Seen in Corinphila auctions 2018

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof pair on thin card. Seen in Corinphila auctions 2018

1d scarlet vertical pair imperforate plate proof on thin card. From my collection

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof on thin card. From my collection

1d scarlet imperforate plate proof on thin card. From my collection

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof on thin card. Ex Butler

1d reddish brown imperforate plate proof on thin card. Seen in Abacus auction no 229 lot no 406

Imperforate with Crown over Q type II paper 

1d imperforate triplet on ungummed watermarked paper in red-brown. Ex Slade and Manning and now seen in a private collection

1d imperforate pair on thin paper in red-brown. Ex Manning

1d imperforate pair on thin paper. Seen in the HL White Collection in the State Library of NSW

1d imperforate pair on ungummed watermarked paper in scarlet from the top of the sheet. Ex Manning

1d on thin unwatermarked paper, burnt scarlet colour. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore, Queensland stamp collecting Facebook group

1d seen in the HL White Collection in the State Library of NSW

1d seen in the HL White Collection in the State Library of NSW

1d scarlet imperforate plate proof block of 4 in scarlet on ungummed unwatermarked wove paper. Seen in Prestige Philarely auction no 142

1d scarlet imperforate plate proof pair in scarlet on ungummed unwatermarked wove paper. Seen in Status Auctions

1d scarlet imperforate plate proof pair in scarlet on ungummed unwatermarked wove paper. Seen in Status Auctions

1d scarlet imperforate plate proof pair in scarlet on ungummed unwatermarked wove paper. Seen in Phoenix auction no 62 lot no 959

1d scarlet imperforate plate proof in scarlet on ungummed unwatermarked wove paper. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook group

1d imperforate red-brown on ungummed watermarked paper, die 1. In my collection

1d. red-brown proof. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore, Queensland stamp collecting Facebook group

1d. red-brown proof on gummed watermarked paper. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore, Queensland stamp collecting Facebook group

1d. proof on watermarked gummed paper. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore, Queensland stamp collecting Facebook group

1d. red-brown proof. Seen in a private collection

1d. red-brown proof. Seen in a private collection

1d. pair on watermarked paper seen in the HL White Collection in the State Library of NSW

1d. red-brown proof on watermarked paper showing the QO variety. Seen in a private collection

1d. red-brown proof strip of 5 on watermarked paper. Ex Manning. Seen in a private collection

1d. scarlet proof block of 4 on watermarked paper. Ex Griffith

1d. on thin card that appears to have been cancelled to order. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore, Queensland stamp collecting Facebook group

1d. on thin card that appears to have been cancelled to order. Seen in a private collection

Queensland 1st sidefaces on cover

For letters not exceeding half an ounce within the same town the rate was 1d. Within the colony it was 2d. Every additional half ounce was an extra 1d. in the same town and an extra 2d. in the colony. Letters to all other colonies within Australia were charged 2d.

Covers addressed to the United Kingdom and franked with these stamps show a variety of routes. From Brisbane mail could be sent North up the coast to Thursday Island, through the Torres Strait which separates Australia from New Guinea, and thence to Suez OR it could be sent South down the coast to Sydney and Melbourne and hence to Suez. On arrival at Suez it could pass through the Mediterranean to Gibraltar, the Bay of Biscay and to a Channel port, the so called ‘direct sea route OR from Suez it could go to Brindisi, overland through Italy and France, ending with a short Channel crossing to London, the so called ‘short sea route’. Other mail was sent from Brisbane to Sydney for onward transmission to San Francisco via New Zealand to be followed by an American overland journey and an Atlantic crossing to reach England. Whichever way was chosen it was first necessary for inland mail to reach Brisbane or to intercept a mail shipping route and this journey within Queensland might well add three weeks to the overall transit time.

During the period there were changes in the postal rates which can be shown only on covers bearing the 1879 issue. From 1876 the rate via Brindisi had been 8d. for a single weight letter but for a few weeks at the beginning of 1880 this was decreased to 7d. Covers bearing this rate are rare. In March 1880, the Imperial Post Office, without consultation with the colony, decreed that the ‘direct sea route’ was to be abandoned and that all mail would be routed via Brindisi at a 6d. rate. This had been the rate for the ‘direct sea route’ and initially it would appear that some letters still went by this longer route. At one stage the Queensland authorities introduced a 4d. rate via Torres and the ‘direct sea route’ but this was not recognised by the Imperial Post Office and covers are scarce.

Covers of any kind are not all that common. They have not been preserved to the same extent as the Chalon covers and they precede by some fifteen years the plentiful covers of the Tattersall era.

Covers are shown by value. When more than one value is on a cover, it is listed under each value

1d. on cover

2d. on cover

4d. on cover

6d. on cover

1 shilling on cover

1d. stamp duty on cover

1d stamp duty 1st Sideface on covers

Here are 1st sideface covers with 1d stamp duty stamps. They were valid for postal use from 1880 until 1 July 1892. Despite these stamps being valid for postal use, most extant covers give definite signs of philatelic use. It can be difficult sometimes to discern if the covers were genuinely postal or philatelic in origin. For other 1st Sideface covers see here

1880

Posted in Townsville on 5 April 1880 to Sydney. 2 x 1d duty stamps. Seen in a private collection

Horizontal strip of six dated 18 June 1880 from Normanton to England, backstamped at Townsville and Leeds. Ex Maxwell Hayes and Francis Kiddle. Auctioned at Millennium Philatelic Auction no 46 lot no 284

A beautiful front with a horizontal strip of six, postmarked Normanton 27 August 1880, addressed to Mr Robert Campbell care of Mrs Boyd. Seen at Grosvenor Auction no 55 lot no 45, 19 May 2010. Philatelic usage as another example from Normanton dated 18 June 1880 also exists

1892

1st Sideface 1d revenue stamp x 1 (standard town rate) from the Brisbane GPO to a Mr F. Hadlow in Brisbane dated 22 April 1892. As this stamp was not issued after 1 January 1880 it is almost certainly a philatelic cover. Hadlow worked at the Government Printer and was a stamp dealer. Seen in a private collection

Posted at Woolloongabba, Brisbane on 23 April 1892 to Fred Hagen in Sydney. Barred numeral cancellation no 472. Fred Hagen at the time was president of the Sydney Philatelic Club. Given this and the late date, this is a philatelic cover. Ex Butler

Posted at Ipswich on 25 April 1892 to a Mr Parry in Sydney. Given the late date, this is a philatelic cover. From the collection of Dr Andrew Mortlock and ex Griffiths and Geoffrey Adams

1893

Posted at Ipswich in August 1893 to a Mr Parry in Sydney. A philatelic cover. Seen on Ebay