TASMANIA 1853-1891

(Also called VAN DIEMENS LAND)

Return To Catalogue - Tasmania 1892-1900 and miscellaneous - Australia

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Watermarks used in Tasmania

1853 Queen Victoria, inscription "VAN DIEMENS LAND", queen facing to the right, imperforated, different frames, so-called 'Couriers'

  1 p blue
  4 p orange

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Reprints:

(Reprints of the 1 p and 4 p stamps with defacing lines)

I've seen a whole sheet of the 1 p reprints consisting of four rows of six stamps (24) with the same two (also three) lines through the design. They seem to have been printed from the defaced copper plate on thick wove paper.
A similar reprint (with the defaced plate with lines) exists for the 4 p (see the picture above).

Reprint sheet

Forgeries:

The next 4 p stamps look very suspicious to me, they are most likely forgeries:

Other forgeries with "CORREOS" cancel (possibly a forgery made by Spiro, I have also seen it with other 'Spiro' cancels):

This "CORREOS 7.1.60. II-III" forged cancel, usually appears on forgeries from South America, but I've also seen it on forgeries from Hannover for example.

A forgery of the 4 p stamp with "FACSIMILE." overprint (made by Senf):

A forgery with the lettering too small, note that the '2' above the stamp is also imitated to indicate the sheet position. I've seen it with a 'TASMANIA' in between bars cancel.

Another 'reprint'.

The next forgeries of the 1 p were made by Jeffryes:

(Four 1 p forgeries on piece with barred numeral '1' cancel)

Jeffreys also made an engraved forgery of the 4 p value; the ink stands out too clearly, the 'CWC' at the bottom of the neck is too clear. It is also smaller than the genuine stamps. I've seen it with a numeral '75' cancel. Sorry, no picture available yet.

Here another Jeffreys forgery together with some engraved 4 p forgeries (also from Jeffreys?).

(Some primitive 1 p forgeries)

Another forgery with smaller inscriptions (the words don't touch the elliptic lines below and on top of it).

1855 Queen Victoria, inscription "VAN DIEMENS LAND", so-called 'Chalon head' issue

  1 p red
  2 p green
  4 p blue

Those stamp exist watermarked with wmk.6, 49 & 75, and also unwatermarked.

Perforated

  1 p red
  2 p green
  4 p blue

The stamps are perforated:

  10 (1864-1869)
  12 (1864-1891)
  10x12 (1864-1891)
  12½ (1864-1891)
  11½ (1864-1891)
  pin-perf. 5½ to 9½ (1867)
  pin-perf. 13½ to 14½ (1867)
  oblique roulette 14-15 (1867)
  oblique roulette 10-10½ (1867)
  oblique roulette imperf 10-10½ (1867)
  serrate perf. 19 (1868)

My collection:
1 p orange red, perforated 10 with perforations trimmed on the botom.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Many of these stamps are used fiscally. Postally used stamps are in some cases rarer.

Reprints:

Examples:

(Reduced size, reprint on a thick card)

I've also seen reprints of the 2 p green stamp (imperforate without "REPRINT" overprint, and perforated with "REPRINT" overprint)..

Forgeries:

Examples:

I've seen this forgery with a 'CORREOS' cancel as well.

Some kind of a cut out with a black on yellow 1 p forgery; front and back are shown.

Forgery with very small "VAN DIEMENSLAND"

I have seen an imperforate proof, 1 p red (carmine) on thick paper, no watermark, imperforate with gum added pretending to be an issued stamp.

1857 Queen Victoria in an octagonal, inscription "TASMANIA"

Imperforated

  6 p lilac to blue
  1 Sh red

Perforated

  6 p lilac to blue
  1 Sh red
  
The stamps are perforated:

  10 (1864-1869)
  12 (1864-1891)
  10x12 (1864-1891)
  12½ (1864-1891)
  11½ (1864-1891)
  pin-perf. 5½ to 9½ (1867)
  pin-perf. 13½ to 14½ (1867)
  oblique roulette 14-15 (1867)
  oblique roulette 10-10½ (1867)
  oblique roulette imperf 10-10½ (1867)
  serrate perf. 19 (1868)

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

(Watermark on the 6 p: '6')

'12' watermark on the 1 Sh, reduced size

Many of these stamps are used fiscally. Postally used stamps are in some cases rarer.

(Fiscally used stamp, reduced size)

Reprints exist, they have a large "REPRINT" overprint:

(Reprint of the 6 p, reduced size)

I've also seen imperforate reprints without the "REPRINT" overprint of both values.

Two reprints of the 1 Sh on thick paper without "REPRINT" overprint

Proofs:

Two proofs with different bottom parts, reduced size.

Forgeries:

Forgeries; I've also seen this forgery with a circular cancel.

1870 Queen Victoria facing the left (so-called 'Sideface issue'), inscription "TASMANIA"

  1/2 p orange
  1 p red
  2 p green
  3 p brown
  4 p blue
  4 p yellow
  4 p olive
  8 p brown
  9 p blue
  10 p black
  5 Sh lilac

Surcharged

  'Halfpenny' on 1 p red (for newspapers)
  '2 1/2 d.' on 9 p blue

Various perforation gauges were used for these stamps. The first stamps were issued with watermark 'Number'. Later, in 1871, the watermark 'TAS' was used. Specialists distinguish two types of this watermark with different sizes: 16x7 mm or 13x6 mm. The 9 p was issued in 1902 with watermark 'V Crown'.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

(Forgery of a misprint)

A misprint of the 'Halfpenny' on 1 p red exists, instead of 'Halfpenny' it reads 'H..fpenny' with the letters 'al' vertically. The shown stamp here is a forgery of this misprint!

Typical cancel:

"TASMANIA" in bars duplex cancel

Reprints:

(Reduced sizes)

Official reprint of the 'Halfpenny' on 1d surcharge. Actually the font size is wrong and the stamp is a locally printed 1d, not the De La Rue 1d as the original was.

I have also seen a reprint of the 4 p blue stamp (also with "REPRINT" overprint):

What are these (imperforate and overprinted "CANCELLED")?:

"SPECIMEN" overprint:

(Some reprints exist with "SPECIMEN" overprint)

Postal stationery: I have seen a postcard with an impression of a stamps similar to the 1 p red stamp.

Forgery of the 5 Sh, for example the "S" of "TASMANIA" is different and the face of the Queen is also not like the genuine stamps.

Tasmania 1892-1900 and miscellaneous.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer