Royal Reels: Gambling

Business

ROSENTHAL, ARONSON & Co., WHOLESALE & MANUFACTURING JEWELLERS & GENERAL MERCHANTS

This Victorian Post Card with the brown One Penny ‘Stamp Duty’ stamp has a duplex MELBOURNE/ T/ MR 14/ 92 postmark and the six barred VICTORIA obliterator. It is addressed to the company of Mess Fraser Bro & Devonshire in Yarram, Victoria (Figure 1). The reverse shows a remarkable amount of information about the sending company of Rosenthal, Aronson & Co., which is listed at four addresses: 362 Little Collins

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ROBERTS & SONS, BENDIGO to CHALLENGE WINDMILL & FEED MILL, ILLINOIS

The blue 2½d ‘STAMP DUTY’ QV stamp of Victoria is postmarked with a BENDIGO/ 3 F/ AP 24/ 00 duplex, and the cover is addressed to Challenge Wind Mill & Feed Mill Co., Batavia. Ill (Figure 1). The reverse has a blue printed double oval ‘A. ROBERTS & SONS/ BENDIGO/ VICTORIA/ ENGINEERS’. There is a transit SAN FRANCISCO CAL/ JE ( )/ ( ), as well as an overlying indistinct

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ROBERT REID, DRAPER, BUSINESS MAGNATE, FEDERATIONIST POLITICIAN

The cover is addressed to Mrs. Robert Reid, “Belmont”, Balwyn and has a MELBOURNE/ PM/ 1 30/ 9 10 02 postmark overlying a blue handstamp for the MINISTER OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION/ VICTORIA frank stamp (Figure 1). The reverse has a printed blue oval for the Government of Victoria crown over shield, and a reception postmark for CANTERBURY/ OC 9/ 02/ VIC, for the post office at nearby Balwyn did not

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ROBERT HODDLE DRIBERG WHITE, DENILIQUIN: COVER from MELBOURNE

It is not always easy to identify an addressee with great certainty, but there is no doubt with this cover which has a pair of the blue ‘Half Length’ 1858 stamps of Victoria postmarked with the B.N. ‘1′.  It is addressed to Mr R H D White, Bank of New South Wales, Deniliquin (N.S.W.) and there is a manuscript ‘Ans 8 Dec’ ( Figure 1). The reverse has a clear

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ROBERT GRAY, MILITARY OFFICER & PASTORALIST (1839-1931)

This cover has been a challenge to unravel the manner in which it was addressed in order to confirm that the correct Robert Gray had been researched. Two of the postmarks were key to the certainty that I had identified the right man. One of these postmarks was legible, whereas the other one is still being conjectured. The cover is addressed to Robert Gray Esq., Post Office Caperville, Cleveland Bay,

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SIR ISAAC PITMAN & SONS, BATH, PHONOGRAPHER & PUBLISHER

This cover is addressed to Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, 1. Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, Bath, England. It has a copy of the indigo blue 2½d QV stamp of New South Wales canceled with a duplex WEST MAITLAND/ JU 15/ 4-P.M/ 01/ N.S.W with the obliterator numeral ‘64′ obscured by the dark hue of the stamp. This type of cancel is recorded by Hopson & Tobin as Type D3 (ii)

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SIR HENRY JONES, JAM MANUFACTURER & ENTREPRENEUR (1862 – 1926)

This Commonwealth of Australia Post Card with the brown 1½d KGV head was addressed to Wilmot & Johnstone, (merchants of) Launceston and is postmarked HOBART/ 11-P-2 OC 23. There is a vertical manuscript indicating the sender as H. Jones & Co/ 2/10/23 (Figure 1). The reverse confirms the 2/10/23 date and it was received on OCT 3 1923. The message reads: We have this day forwarded per Rail, 2 c/s

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SIR ARTHUR ALFRED CLEMENT COCKS (ARTHUR COCKS & Co.) to CHEMIST

This unpretentious commercial postcard introduces a man of some substance, in more ways than one. His life takes him from Wild Duck Creek, near Heathcote, Victoria to London and finally to Mosman, N.S.W. The Private Post Card , Issued by the Postmaster-General of New South Wales was sent from Arthur Cocks & Co., Wholesale Opticians, 3 Wynyard Street, Sydney to Mr. Collins, Chemist, Gunning (N.S.W.). The red 1d ‘Shield of

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SIGMOND HOFFNUNG, INTERNATIONAL WHOLESALE MERCHANT, SYDNEY

Two postal items associated with Messrs S. Hoffnung, Sydney were found in the same week. The first was a cover addressed to an individual care of Mess S Hoffnung & Co, Sydney NSW, Australia, sent from New York via San Francisco and the pink pair of the 6 cent Lincoln stamp (Scott #186, issued 1879) was postmarked with a NEW YORK/ JUL 22/ PM/ 1881 postmark (Figures 1 &2). The reverse

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SHEEP INDUSTRY, DUCK CREEK, CANNONBAR in 1880s: UNIQUE WRAPPER

This printed to private order ½d “Bell” newspaper wrapper of Victoria was introduced in February 1880, and had the ½d stamp printed in rose red on white paper in sheets of four, without border lines dividing the wrappers. The watermark was the usual Crown and “ONE PENNY/ VICTORIA” of the period. It is clearly postmarked with a duplex MELBOURNE/ 14T/ MR 26/ 85 with the barred obliterator VICTORIA on the

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