NEW SOUTH WALES 1856-1902

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1856 Registration stamp, inscription 'REGISTERED'

Imperforated (1856)
  (6 p) blue and red

Perforated (1860)
  (6 p) blue and red

There are 50 types of these stamps (corresponding to the 50 stamps on one sheet).

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
Imperforate, no watermark
6 p RRR RR Also exist in colour 'blue and orange'
Perforated, no watermark (perforation 12 to 13?)
6 p RRR R Also exist in colour 'blue and orange'
Perforated, with watermark '6' (perforation 12 1/2?)
6 p RR R Exists with inverted watermark

Reprints exist, the first one made in 1870 (with overprint 'SPECIMEN') and a second one made in 1878 (without any overprint). They are both imperforate. A third reprint is perforated 10 and has overprint 'REPRINT'.


Forgery with the lettering different. Also the side patterns are done quite clumsily. The color of this particular forgery is blue and yellow, however it also exists in more genuine-alike colors.

The forger Jeffreys made forgeries of these stamps. I've been told that the next stamp is such a Jeffreys forgery. I have no further information. If anybody knows the distinguishing characteristics, please contact me!


Jeffreys forgery

Another forgery is described in Album Weeds. It has the hair at the backside of the Queen in a '3' shape and the 'T' of 'SOUTH' sloping to the right.

 

1860 Queen Victoria in a circle (coin)

  5 Sh violet

For the specialist: Genuine stamps have a large watermark: '5/-'. This stamp exists with several perforations.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
5 Sh RR R  

Reprints exist, they are surcharged 'REPRINT'.

Forgeries also exist, example:

For example, the 'S' of 'Shilling' is different from the genuine stamp. There are two roses in front of the Queen's face. This is the first (and only) forgery described in Album Weeds (possibly made by Spiro?).

I've also seen this forgery cancelled with a black blotch, a pattern of lines, a cancel resembling a real NSW cancel (often used by Spiro on forgeries of other countries as well) or a cancel with 4 concentric rings:


(Forgery, reduced size)

 

1862 Queen Victoria, various designs

1/2 p green 2 p blue 4 p brown 1 Sh black

  1/2 p grey
  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  2 p blue
  4 p brown
  6 p lilac
  10 p lilac
  1 Sh black

Surcharged

  'Halfpenny' on 1 p grey
  'SEVEN-PENCE HALFPENNY' on 6 p brown
  'NINE PENCE' on 10 p brown
  'TWELVE-PENCE HALFPENNY' on 1 Sh red

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
Watermark 'Number'
1 p R ** Watermark single lined '1'
2 p *** ** Watermark single lined or double lined '2'
An error with watermark '5' exist: RR
4 p RR *** Watermark single lined '4'
10 p *** *** Watermark single lined '10'
No watermark
1 p RRR RR  
2 p RRR RR  

Watermark 'NSW Crown' (1871 onwards)


Watermark 'NSW Crown'
1/2 p grey * c  
1/2 p green * c  
1 p *** * Also exist on paper with watermark 'NSW' (no crown)
2 p ** c Also exist on paper with watermark 'NSW' (no crown)
4 p RR ***  
6 p *** *  
10 p *** ***  
1 Sh *** *  
'Halfpenny' on 1 p grey * *  
'SEVEN-PENCE HALFPENNY' on 6 p brown *** ***  
'NINE PENCE' on 10 p *** ***  
'TWELVE-PENCE HALFPENNY' on 1 Sh red *** ***  
Watermark 'A Crown' (with 'A' in single lines, 1906)
1/2 p green * c  
10 p *** ***  
Watermark 'A Crown' (with right hand side of 'A' in a double line, 1907)
1/2 p green *** **  
10 p R R  

Reprints:


Reprint of the 4 p value with overprint 'REPRINT'

Cancels:

2 p blue
Cancel 'N.S.W.' in three concentric ellipses

 

1885 Fiscal stamps (large) overprinted 'POSTAGE'

  5 Sh green and lilac
  10 Sh red and violet (overprinted in black or blue)
  1 Pound red and lilac

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
5 Sh RR RR  
10 Sh RRR RR With black overprint
10 Sh RR R With blue overprint
1 Pound RRR RR  

Reprints exist of the 5 Sh and 1 Pound, with overprint 'REPRINT':


(Reprint of the 1 Pound with blue 'POSTAGE' overprint)

Forgeries:

The next stamp is a Fournier forgery. This forgery can be found in 'Fourniers Album of Philatelic Forgeries'. I don't think Fournier actually sold this forgery, but merely used it to illustrate his pricelists etc:


(Fournier forgery, reduced size)


Most likely a genuine fiscal stamp with a forged 'POSTAGE' overprint. In all the genuine overprints I've seen, the horizontal line is always printed lower.

 

1888 100 years New South Wales, various designs, inscription 'ONE HUNDRED YEARS'

1 p lilac 2 p blue 6 p green 1 Sh brown 2 Sh 6 p green 

  1 p lilac (view of Sidney)
  2 p blue (emu)
  4 p brown (Cook)
  6 p red (Victoria)
  6 p green (Victoria)
  6 p orange (Victoria)
  8 p lilac (lyrebird)
  1 Sh brown (kangaroo)
  2 Sh 6 p green (lyrebird)
  5 Sh violet (map of Australia)
  20 Sh blue (Arthur Philips and Lord Carrington)

I have seen postal stationery in the design of the 1 p lilac stamp. Actually the 2 Sh 6 p doesn't belong in this series, it was only issued in 1903, but for ease of reference I've put it here.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
With watermark 'NSW Crown


Watermark 'NSW Crown'
1 p * c  
2 p * c  
4 p *** *  
6 p red *** *  
6 p green R ***  
6 p orange *** *  
8 p *** ***  
1 Sh *** *  
2 Sh 6 p R ***  
With watermark '5/- NSW' in a rectangle
5 Sh RR R  
With watermark '5/-'
5 Sh RR RR  
With watermark '20/- NSW' in a circle
20 Sh RR RR  
With watermark '20/-'
20 Sh RRR RR  

Watermark 'A Crown' (with 'A' in single lines, 1906)
4 p ** *  
6 p orange ** *  
8 p *** ***  
1 Sh *** *  
2 Sh 6 p R ***  
20 Sh RR RR  

Watermark 'A Crown' (with right hand side of 'A' in a double line, 1907)
4 p *** ***  
6 p orange R ***  
8 p *** ***  
1 Sh *** ***  
2 Sh 6 p RR R  

Forgeries:

I've only seen a postal forgery of the 2 p emu stamp made by Jonoski Takuma (or Ionoski?):


(Takuma postal forgery)


Genuine stamp left and Takuma forgery on the right hand side.

This forgery was even catalogued as genuine from 1916 to 1963 (according to 'Philatelic Forgers, their lives and works' by Varro E. Tyler). Takuma was an egg-carver in Sydney. He also made fake watermark errors on the laureate stamps of New South Wales.


Another forgery of the 2 Sh 6 p value.


Somekind of forgery? With German text written at the back.


Lette Card in a similar design: 1 1/2 p red


Zoom-in of the above Letter Card

Imperforate stamps with 'O S' in the upper corners, which are often offered as proofs, are actually cuts from official envelopes.

 

1891 Woman and ship

  2 1/2 p blue

This stamp has watermark 'NSW Crown'.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
2 1/2 p * *  

 

1897 Cross

1 p red

  1 p red

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
Watermark 'NSW Crown'
1 p * c  

Watermark 'A Crown' (with 'A' in single lines, 1906)
1 p * c  

Watermark 'A Crown' (with right hand side of 'A' in a double line, 1907)
1 p ** **  

 

1897 Hospital fund, inscription 'CONSUMPTIVES HOME'

 

  1 Sh green and brown
  2 Sh 6 p blue, brown and red

These stamps are perforated 11.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
1 Sh *** *** Sold for 1 Sh but valid for postal use as 1 p
2 Sh 6 p RR RR Sold for 2 Sh 6 p but valid for postal use as 2 1/2 p

 

1897 Queen Victoria, new types

2 1/2 p blue

  2 p blue
  2 1/2 p violet
  2 1/2 p blue

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
Watermark 'NSW Crown'
2 p * c  
2 1/2 p violet *** *  
2 1/2 p blue * *  
Watermark 'A Crown' (with 'A' in single lines, 1906)
2 p * c  
2 1/2 p blue ** *  

Watermark 'A Crown' (with right hand side of 'A' in a double line, 1907)
2 p ** **  
2 1/2 p R R  

 

1903 Woman, inscription 'COMMONWEALTH'

  9 p brown and blue

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks

Watermark 'V Crown'
9 p *** ***  

Watermark 'A Crown' (with 'A' in single lines, 1906)
9 p *** *  

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer