The undated and stampless cover is addressed to His Excellency Sir George Gipps K.C.M.G, Governor of N.S. Wales and there is also a black manuscript ‘Free’ and an indecipherable name at lower left (Figure 1). The reverse is postmarked SHIP LETTER/ [CROWN]/ MA* 20/ 1845/ SYDNEY in black (Type SL 5, J.S. White 1988, used 26.9.1841 to 18.3.1847), as well as a blue PARRAMATTA/ [CROWN]/ MA* 21/ 1845/ NEW. S.
The cover has two marks, a larger blue GOVERNOR [Crown] TASMANIA/ 10 JL O2, with a superimposed smaller black HOBART/ H/ JL 10/1902/ TASMANIA addressed to Miss Maude Waller, Post Office, Sandy Bay, Hobart. There is a pencilled manuscript at bottom left hand corner ‘Private Letter, with A.E.H., Governor’s Frank. The Governor’s Frank is unusual as it has a changeable date incorporated in it (Figure 1). The reverse has no
The official blue cover has 3 interesting postmarks on its front, the most important of which is the large violet GOVERNOR OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, FRANK STAMP with its prominent heraldic lion and unicorn. It has a circular PAID/ OFFICIALLY/ WEST AUSTRALIA as well as the duplex SHIP MAIL ROOM/ 2/ MR 25/ 99/ PERTH W.A. with the barred GPO. The cover has a printed address of Messrs. Henry S. King
There is no doubt in my mind as to whom this cover was addressed, but there are several ‘disconnects’ in this philatelically contrived cover. The slate blue 5½d ‘Emu’ definitive had a date of issue of 12.2.42 and the partially legible postmark reads AIR MAIL BRISBANE/ 8-12 ( )( )/ QLD AUST. There is an BY AIR MAIL vignette, the usual purple ‘Crown over Royal Geographical Society of Australasia/ Queensland’
If ever a cover speaks to you, then this one surely should. The highly experienced UK seller gave a simple description: Australia, 1913 Roo on Cover to UK. This turned out to be a considerable understatement. The mourning cover was addressed to Lord Tennyson, Farringford, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England and the red 1d kangaroo on a map of Australia stamp was postmarked MT BARKER/ 4 30P 17 DE 13/STH
Well not quite, for there is some doubt about the Governor as well as the actual date, but there is no doubt about the important company of Sydney booksellers. The front of the stampless mourning cover is addressed to Angus & Robertson, 89 Castlereagh St, Sydney. There is a very fine blue GOVERNOR/ [CREST]/ FRANK STAMP/ NEW SOUTH WALES (Figure 1). The cause for the date confusion is on the
This cover with letter was poorly presented on Ebay, and was purchased for a paltry sum. The front of this long cover had little to recommend it other than it was addressed to His Worship, The Mayor of Cootamundra, (Alderman J. Lester), Cootamundra, NS Wales. The Ebay scan did not show that the strip of four 1d pink “Postage” Victorian stamps had OS perfins, and they were postmarked with the double
This fairly unique mourning cover was sent by William Humble Ward, the 2nd Earl of Dudley when he was Australia’s fourth Governor General from 1908-1911. It was postmarked with a duplex ENGLISH MAIL T.P.O./ JY 3/ 10/ +, with the double ring GOVERNOR GENERAL/ FRANK STAMP/ AUSTRALIA in blue, as well as the oval VICTORIA/ crown/ OFFICIAL PAID in black. It is addressed to a long-standing English Company, Messrs Coutts &
Two covers at the same auction site unite the above 2 men who both became Knight Commanders of St. Michael and St. George, members of the second highest rank of the British order of knighthood. The first long blue cover is On Her Majesty’s Service stampless cover with a red GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA frank stamping, and a MELBOURNE/ 1 S/ JN 11/ 77 duplex and is addressed to The Rt.
The registered cover had a lilac ‘TWO PENCE’, an orange ‘THREE PENCE’ as well as a block of four green bantam stamps of Victoria cancelled with GEELONG/ 1 A/ AP 24/ 02/ VICTORIA, and there was an orange crayon cross hatching plus a large R in a circle. The cover was addressed to Colonel Gudgeon, British Resident, Raratonga, Cook Islands Federation (Figure 1). On the reverse there was an incomplete double circle