Royal Reels: Gambling

Science

WALTER WILSON FROGGATT, AUSTRALIA’S PREEMINENT ENTOMOLOGIST

The cover is an advertisement for a book Australian Insects by W.W. Frogatt , F.L.S., Government Entomologist, N.S.W. and it has the red 1d ‘Shield’ stamp of New South Wales, canceled by the Sydney suburb of Croydon with an uncertain date. It was addressed to Herr H. Ribbe of Dresden, Germany. There were several German entomologists with that surname, all experts in Australian and Papuan butterflies, and one of them was Herrn

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WALTER FREDERICK GALE, BANKER & ASTRONOMER, LETTER FROM PERU

The cover had a pair of the yellow 1c and a pair of the 2c green stamps of Peru showing Manco Pacic, founder of the Inca Dynasty which were issued 1896-1900, but the colours were different than stated by Scott catalogue 142-143. They were cancelled by an illegible oval Peruvian postmark. It was addressed to Walter F. Gale Esqre,Newcastle N.S.W., Australia (Figure 1). The reverse had 4 postmarks, 3 of

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W.F. PETTERD (1849-1910) & the TASMANIAN EXHIBITION, LAUNCESTON 1891-2

This ON PUBLIC SERVICE ONLY stampless cover was addressed to W.F.Petterd, Brisbane St., City and it had a duplex cancel of LAUNCESTON/ A/ NO 21/ 91, TASMANIA which partially obscured a blue CORPORATION OF LAUNCESTON/ FRANK STAMP. There was a printed TASMANIAN EXHIBITION, 1891-92 in the lower left corner (Figure 1). The reverse had a blue printed Tasmanian Exhibition 1891-2, Launceston with the Lion, Unicorn and crest in its centre

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SAMUEL WALKER MCGOWAN, SUPERINTENDENT of VICTORIAN TELEGRAPHS

The cover is addressed to Saml. W. McGowan Esq, Supt. of Telegraphs, Central Office, Melbourne. The imperforate dull rose 4d ‘Emblems’ stamp of Victoria is canceled with the barred numeral‘8′ of Portland (Type A1) (Figure 1). The cover’s reverse has an oval unframed PORTLAND/ [crown]/ MA 17/1858/ VICTORIA (Figure 2). Samuel Walker McGowan, scientist and administrator, was born on 4 January 1829 in Londonderry, Ireland, eldest son of Samuel McGowan

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PROFESSOR SIR EDGEWORTH DAVID’s LECTURE on CENTRAL AUSTRALIA

This Commonwealth of Australia postcard documents one of Australia’s multifaceted heroes, who is described in a 4 page entry in The Australian Dictionary of Biography (A.D.B.) as an Academic, Army officer, Explorer, Geologist, Palaeoentologist and Public servant. The red-brown 1½d KGV Head stamp is cancelled with a roller cancel in which SOUTH AUSTRALIA is legible and neither Adelaide nor the date are visible. The card is addressed to T.E. Powell,

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JOSHUA THOMAS ANDERSON, CIVIL, MINING & MECHANICAL ENGINEER

This cover front only was sent from the University of Sydney to J.T. Anderson Esq, B.A., B.E., A.M. (—- ), Messrs Monash & Anderson, Civil and Mechanical Engineers, Australian Buildings, 49 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne and the pair of the lilac ‘ONE PENNY’ ‘Sydney Views’ stamps of New South Wales were obliterated with an illegible postmark, but there was a fine HOMEBUSH/ SP 27/ 1894/ N.S.W postmark alongside (Figure 1). Joshua

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JOHANN GOTTLIEB OTTO TEPPER, BOTANIST, SCHOOLTEACHER, & ENTOMOLGIST (1841-1923)

This dull rose-red 1d Victorian embossed envelope has an additional 1d stamp added and both are postmarked with the barred numeral ‘461′ of Hochkirch and there is also an unframed HOCHKIRCH/ JU 8/ 03/ VICTORIA postmark, with the year slug inverted and reversed. It is addressed to Mr. Teppper, Entomologist, Public Museum, Adelaide, S. Australia. The sender is identified by the purple hand-stamp as Louis Kurtze, Hochkirch, Victoria. The ‘4′

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JEOFRY STUART COURTNEY-PRATT of HOBART (1920-1995) [USA]

Three covers appeared on eBay in August 2003, two almost identical and addressed to Jeofry in 1931 to his home, and one addressed in 1930 to A.W. Courtney-Pratt (later proven to be his father) at his place of work in Hobart. Extensive research into these covers was prompted not only by the somewhat unusual surname but also by the purple exhibition vignette. The only difference in the 2 covers sent

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JEAN WHITE-HANEY, AUSTRALIAN BOTANIST & the PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS

Four censored covers from Victoria were sent in 1943 to the United States, all with the red censor label and with the Passed By Censor purple handstamp. The first was sent from PORTSEA/ VIC cancel on the brown-purple 1d QE II and a pair of the small green ‘Lyre Bird’ stamps to Dr. Jean White-Haney at Lovelock Nevada, and readdressed to Arizona (Figure 1). The second was sent from ST.

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WM. SHARLAND, NEW NORFOLK, SURVEYOR & DOBSON, MITCHELL & ALLPORT

The cover has a green 1d ‘Sideface’ stamp of Tasmania and it is postmarked with a duplex HOBART/ S/ OC 24/ (—) with the obliterator TASMANIA over the stamp. It is addressed to Wm. Sharland Esq, New Norfolk (Figure 1). The reverse has an arrival cancel of NEW NORFOLK/ OC 25/ 85/ TASMANIA and there is a double oval printed DOBSON MITCHELL & ALLPORT/ SOLICITORS/ HOBART on the flap (Figure

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