WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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1854 Swan, imperforate

Genuine? 1 p black

Genuine Genuine

Certified genuine

Genuine 

  1 p black
  2 p brown on red
  4 p blue
  6 p black
  1 Sh brown

The 1 p black is also known as the 'Black Swan'. All these stamps have watermark 'Swan'. These stamps also exist with rouletted perforation:


(4 p rouletted)

An extremely rare error exists: the 4 p with inverted center (actually, the frame was inverted); only 9 cancelled stamps have been discovered sofar.


Inverted variety with last one a strip of three with the bottom one torn away, but proving that the frame was actually inverted and not the center.

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 p RRR RR  
2 p RRR RRR  
4 p RR RR  
6 p RRR RRR  
1 Sh RRR RRR  

A nice exhibit on forgeries can be found on the Internet made by Jeff Trinidad, http://www.jystamps2000.com/WA-Forgeries/. Click here for a brief review of the forgeries he describes.

More information on forgeries can also be found in this catalogue, by clicking here.

 

1860 Swan in an rectangle (as the 1 p black of the previous issue)

Imperforated

2 p orange 4 p blue on blue 6 p green, blue cancellation 6 p green Genuine

  2 p orange
  4 p blue on blue
  6 p green

Perforated

1 p red 2 p yellow 2 p grey and 4 p red 4 p brown 6 p violet 

  1 p red
  1 p yellow
  2 p blue
  2 p yellow
  2 p grey
  4 p red
  4 p brown
  6 p violet
  1 Sh green

Surcharged

'1/2' on 1 p yellow 

  '1/2' (red) on 1 p yellow
  'ONE PENNY' (green) on 2 p yellow (1875)

Various watermarks and perforations were used on this issue.

Click here for forgeries of these stamps and overprints.


(Colour error: 2 p violet instead of yellow; only 10 used examples are known to exist!)

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, watermark 'Swan' (1860)
2 p orange RR RR Exists rouletted: RRR
4 p blue on blue RR RRR Exists rouletted: RRR
6 p green RRR RRR Exists rouletted: RRR
Perforated, watermark 'Swan' (1861)
1 p red RR RR  
2 p blue RR R  
4 p red RRR RRR  
6 p violet RR RR  
1 Sh RRR RR  
Perforated 13, no watermark (1864)
1 p red RR ***  
6 p violet RR RR  
Perforated 12 1/2, watermark 'CC Crown' (1865)
1 p yellow R **  
2 p yellow R * 2 p violet error: RRR
4 p red RR ***  
6 p violet RR ***  
1 Sh RR ***  
'ONE PENNY' on 2 p yellow RR RR This overprint on any other watermark or perforation is always forged!
Perforated 14, watermark 'CC Crown' (1872)
1 p yellow RR *  
2 p yellow R *  
4 p red RRR RR  
6 p violet RR ***  
Watermark 'CA Crown' (1882)
1 p yellow *** * Exists with perforation 12 (***), 14 (*) or 12 x 14 (RRR)
1 p red *** ** Perforated 14, issued 1889
2 p yellow *** * Exists with perforation 12 or 14
2 p grey *** *** Perforated 14, issued 1889
4 p red R R Exists with perforation 12 or 14
4 p brown RR R Perforated 14, issued 1889
6 p violet R *** Exists with perforation 12 (R) or 14 (***)
'1/2' on 1 p yellow *** *** Exists with perforation 12 or 14

Fiscal stamp, overprinted 'I R' and bar:

Fiscal stamp

 

1871 Swan, various frames

1/2 p green 1 p red 2 p yellow "Postage added in design" 2 p grey 2 1/2 p blue, 'WESTERN AUSTRALIA' at the top 'WESTERN AUSTRALIA' at the bottom 4 p brown 4 p brown, 'POSTAGE' added in design 6 p violet 6 p 'Western Australia' at the bottom 1 Sh green 1 Sh green, 'Western Australia' at the bottom

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  2 p grey
  2 p yellow (Two Pence)
  2 p yellow (Postage Two Pence)
  2 1/2 p blue (Western Australia on top) (1890)
  2 1/2 p blue (Western Australia at the bottom) (1901)
  3 p brown
  4 p brown (Four Pence)
  4 p brown (Postage Four Pence)
  5 p yellow (olive)
  6 p violet (Western Australia on top) (1890)
  6 p violet (Western Australia at the bottom) (1901)
  8 p green
  9 p orange
  10 p red
  1 Sh green (Western Australia at top) (1890)
  1 Sh green (Western Australia at the bottom) (1906)

Surcharged

'ONE PENNY' on 3 p brown '1 d.' on 3 p brown

  'Half-penny' (green) on 3 p brown 
      (Overprints in all other colours are proofs)
  'ONE PENNY' on 2 p yellow
  'ONE PENNY' (green) on 3 p brown
  1 d. (green) on 3 p brown (1875)

The 'ONE PENNY' on 2 p yellow was valid for the whole of Australia.

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 'CC Crown' (1872), Perforated 14
3 p *** ***  
'1d.' on 3 p *** *** Two types: '1' different
'Half-penny' on 3 p *** ***  
'ONE PENNY' on 3 p *** ***  
Watermark 'CA Crown' (1885), Perforated 14
1/2 p * c  
1 p * c  
2 p grey * c  
2 1/2 p *** * Western Australia on top
3 p *** *  
4 p *** * 'Four Pence'
5 p *** *  
6 p *** * Western Australia on top
1 Sh *** ** Western Australia on top
'ONE PENNY' on 3 p R ***  
Watermark 'W Crown A' (1899), Perforated 14


'W Crown A' watermark
1 p * c  
2 p yellow * c 'Two Pence'
2 1/2 p ** * Western Australia at the bottom
6 p *** * Western Australia at the bottom
1 Sh *** *** Western Australia at the bottom
Watermark 'V Crown' (1902), various perforations
1 p * c  
2 p yellow * c 'Postage Two Pence'
4 p *** * 'Postage Four Pence'
5 p RR R  
8 p *** ***  
9 p *** ***  
10 p R ***  
Watermark 'Crown A' (double right hand side of 'A'), various perforations
1/2 p * *  
1 p * vc  
2 p yellow * c 'Postage Two Pence'
3 p ** *  
4 p *** * 'Postage Four Pence'
5 p *** **  
8 p *** ***  
9 p *** **  
10 p R ***  
'ONE PENNY' on 2 p * *  
Watermark 'Crown A' (single right hand side of 'A'),
Perforated 11 1/2 x 12 (1912)
6 p *** ** Western Australia at the bottom
1 Sh *** *** Western Australia at the bottom

These stamps in lilac and with overprint 'I.R.' and value are fiscal stamps:


('I R' and value overprint, I've also seen 'I R THREE PENCE')

These fiscal stamps in the values 1 p on 3 p, 2 p on 3 p, 3 p on 3 p, 6 p on 3 p, 1 Sh on 3 p and 3 Sh on 3 p seem to have been used occasionally for postal usage (all these stamps have the colour lilac).

Special cancellation: stamp of Western Australia cancelled in Singapore

Is the following stamp a fiscal stamp?

Fiscal stamp?

Postcards exist in a similar design:


(1/ p brown, reduced size)

 

1902 Queen Victoria, inscription 'WEST AUSTRALIA', various designs

2 Sh red on yellow 5 Sh green 10 Sh violet

 

  2 Sh red on yellow 
  2 Sh 6 blue on red (half a crown)
  5 Sh green
  10 Sh violet
  1 Pound orange

These stamps have watermark 'V Crown' and are perforated 12 (the 2 Sh also exists with perforation 11). The 5 Sh also exists with watermark 'Crown A'.

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 Sh R ***  
2 Sh 6 p R ***  
5 Sh R R Both watermarks
10 Sh RR RR  
1 Pound RR RR  

I've seen the values 5 Sh, 10 Sh and 1 Pound with a corner 'cancelled to order' cancel consisting of 4 concentric rings.

The forger Sperati has made a forgery of the 1 Pound value on genuine paper (some of them with genuine 'O.S.' or 'W.A.' perforation) with genuine cancels. Genuine stamps have certain dots, which are not present on Sperati's forgeries. For example (according to the BPA handbook): a spot between the bottom of the 'W' and 'E' of 'WEST'.


Sperati 'proof' of the 1 Pound stamp

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer