Royal Reels: Gambling

Mining

ELEANOR LANCASTER SHIPWRECK, NEWCASTLE MEDAL, & DR. W. SWAINNOVEMBER 7, 1856

When I first considered this paper I could not find any information on the addressee of this letter, so I decided to discuss this ship which had a short but interesting sailing history, with journeys to and from Australia, and finally its demise on the coast of New South Wales. Its association with Australia is shown on this cover which is addressed to W.D.P. Swain Esq, Barque Eleanor Lancaster, Port

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POSTCARD to DR. BENHAM from MOUNT LYELL MINING & RAILWAY Co. Ltd.

This 1d pink Victoria postcard has a roller postmark MELBOURNE/ OC 29–2-30P/ VICT/ 1908 and it was sent to Dr. Benham, Camden House, Exeter, S.A. (Figure 1). The reverse shows that it is from The Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Co. Ltd, 30 Queen Street, Melbourne, 29th Octr 1908.  The printed message has been altered by writing and it reads:Dear Sir, I beg to acknowledge receipt of your P/C of

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LETTER to KATE MULLIN, HOME for INCURABLES, ST. JOHN, N.B.

The letter was sent “Per 1st Steamer” with the indigo blue 2½d ‘POSTAGE’ stamp postmarked Melbourne 10 / PM/ 3 30/ 30.6.03, and was addressed to Miss Mullin, “Home for Incurables”, Wentworth Street, St. John, New Brunswick, Canada (Figure 1). The reverse had 3 postmarks, of which two were totally legible. A transit mark of WINDSOR/ 16/ AU 1/ 03/ ONT and a roller reception mark of ST JOHN, N.B.

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COOBER PEDY OPAL MINE, UNDERGROUND POST OFFICE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The cover has an orange ½d KGV Head stamp as well as the purple 1½d KGVI definitve stamp postmarked COOBER PEDY/ 26 NO 36/ S.A and it was addressed to a Mr. L. Franklin, Brokes Street, Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand.  At the bottom L.H.S. the post master has printed has printed a ms. From/ Coober Pedy/ The Only Underground/ Dug Out/ Post Office/ In The World/ A.P. North, Postmaster (Figure

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LEVI NEWSOME & SONS, SAPPHIRE via ANAKIE, to BIENNE, SWITZERLAND

This insured parcel label was addressed to The Manager, The Banque Cantonale de Berne, Bienne, Switzerland and was sent from Levi Newsome & Sons, Sapphire, Via Anakie, Central Queensland, No 10 S.  There were nine stamps made up of five ‘Roos on Map of Australia’ and four KGV Heads, a total postage of 7 shillings and half pence.  The stamps were cancelled with PARCEL POST/ 27 AUG 30/ ROCKHAMPTON, and

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KALGOORLIE W.A. to POQUETANUCK, CONNECTICUT

This cover with the blue 2½d Swan stamp (A.S.C. # 28) travelled 6½ weeks across Western Australia to the east coast of America, its journey being well documented by its multiple postmarks and manuscript routings. The front is postmarked by an unframed KALGOORLIE/ 6/ AU 26/ 01/ W.A duplex (top rarity rating of ‘1’). It is addressed to Miss Juliet Gier, Poquetanuck, Connecticut, N(ew) London Co(unty), U.S.A. In manuscript its

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JOHN BOYD WATSON (1828-1889), VICTORIAN GOLDMINING MAGNATE

This goldfield cover has four Victorian 1d ‘Half-Length’ stamps, two orange-brown and two pink, postmarked with 3 Barred Numerals ‘9′ of Beechworth, and the cover is addressed to John Watson, Smyths Creek, Ballarat. A black manuscript is written vertically upwards at the left side, and reads in part ‘Detained for/ 1d postage (Figure 1). There are 3 postmarks on the reverse, one for the originating BEECHWORTH/ [crown]/ SP 13/ 1853,

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JACOB BRACHE, GERMAN CIVIL & MINING ENGINEER, COAL & GOLD MINER

The 1876-81mauve‘One Penny Bell’ postcard of Victoria according to Geoff Kellow’s ‘The Stamps of Victoria’ (1990), pages 360-361 was issued on 6 October 1876 and in mid-1878 a new plate was issued with a thicker outer frame-line than in the present one, which was an example of the earlier post card. It was addressed to J. Brache, Merri St., Northcote (Victoria). The stamp was cancelled with a duplex MELBOURNE/ 7Z/

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H. KOCH CRUSHING WORKS, LONG GULLY, LETTER from LANGLANDS CO.

The cover is addressed to Mr. Henry Koch, Pioneer Crushing Works, Long Gully, Sandhurst and the vertically placed manuscript identifies the sender as Langlands Foundry Co., and the date of the letter as 28th March 1871. The lilac TWO PENCE Victoria stamp is cancelled with a MELBOURNE/ 8A/ MR 29/ 71 duplex (Figure 1). The reverse has an incomplete transit postmark of an unframed LONG GULLY/ MR 29/ ( )/

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GOLD MINE AT TRUNK LEAD (POST OFFICE, LATER BO PEEP), VICTORIA

The pink ‘ONE PENNY POSTAGE’ stamp of Victoria is postmarked TRUNK LEAD/ SE 17/ 02/ VICTORIA, and the Ebay vendor describes the postmark as follows: Good/fine strike of Trunk Lead 17 Sep 1902. Post Office west of Ballarat (from) 21 Oct 1873 until renamed Bo Peep RO [Receiving Office]1 Nov 1907. This RO closed less than 2 months later. Premier (stamp auctions)record this datestamp from 2 dates in May 1906

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