Queensland 1 shilling mauve / lilac / violet types

The second sideface issues were based upon a single 2d. die stamp known as the Ridgway head of Queen Victoria on a lined oval background, made by Bradbury Wilkinson in 1882. Groups of 4 electrodes (moulds / clichés), taken from the die itself, repeated 30 times, were used to make up the two pence plate. It was issued on 6 February 1883.

There were 4 types of this value:

Type 1: The top prong of the right ornament / arabesque joins the curl and if prolonged would run immediately into the oval line. The top of the “S’ in Shilling points to the top of the ‘H” and the top of the “S” parallel to the oval line above it is flatter than in the other types where they are more  rounded.

Type 2: The upper end of the left ornament is compressed and this is the only type in which the prong is securely joined to the curl. The prong at the top of the right ornament /arabesque is slightly detached. The space between “N” and “E” is wider than in the other types especially at the bottom; the upper part of the letter “S’ is heavy and the lower part short; there is much less space between the “G” and the right-hand ornament than in the others.

Type 3: The top prong of the left ornament / arabesque is quite separate from the curl. The prong at the top of the right ornament /arabesque is detached. The space between “N” and “E” is very narrow; the first “L” almost touches the oval line below it; there is greater space between the “G” and the ornament than in the others. This type has the hook, a little loop on the right-hand side of the upper branch of the foliate ornament in the right lower spandrel and so named by Bornefeld in 1907.

Here is the "hook" at high magnification.

Type 4: The top prong of the left ornament / arabesque, though still not touching the curl, is longer than types 1 or 3 and the top prong of the right ornament / arabesque if prolonged would touch the oval line much lower down than type 1, although in its shape and nearness to the curl it resembles that type. The space between the letters “N” and “E” is similar to type 1 but rather wider at the bottom; the top of the “S” of Shilling is more round than type 1.

Here are tables showing the relationships of the prongs to the curls on the ornament / arabesque:

Top prongs

Type        Left Prong                                                        Right Prong

1              Detached - short                                              Attached - long

2              Attached - long                                                Slightly detached – short

3              Detached – short                                              Detached – short

4              Detached – long                                               Slightly detached – long

Bottom prongs

Type        Left Prong                                                        Right Prong

1              Detached - short                                               Attached - long

2              Attached - short                                               Attached / Detached – both short

3              Detached – shortish                                          Attached - long

4              Detached – short                                              Attached - long