Queensland bisects

This post shows all the known Queensland 2nd sideface bisects. A bisect is a stamp cut in half which has been used to pay the postage at half the face value of the original stamp and occurs during shortages of stamps.

Most of the Queensland bisects are obviously philatelic or contrived. They are mainly seen from three post offices

• The Brisbane GPO. It is improbable that this post office ran out of stamps
• Gympie (numerals 159). These were contrived by J Newell Bull, a stamp dealer who lived at nearby Gunalda
• Parliament House (numeral 369). These are contrived as this post office was known for unauthorised mailings, including those containing imperforate stamps

Other post offices known to have bisects sent from them are Beaudesert, Childers (contrived as sent to J Newell Bull) and West End (Townsville)

An interesting article on these issues is Queensland Bisects, and a Plate Variety by P. L. Pemberton which appeared in the Philatelic Journal, January-March 1943, pp. 9-10. The article is here

2nd Sideface

1892

Brisbane 13 July 1892, 2.5d overseas letter rate

Gympie dated 29 October 1892 with a 0.5d bisect to Maryborough. Philatelic usage as the prepaid 1d was the correct rate. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

1893

Gympie dated 15 May 1893. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Childers (numeral 456) dated May 1893. Concocted for Stamp Dealer J. Newell Bull of Gunalda just north of Gympie. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Beaudesert dated 16 September 1893 making up the 2.5d overseas letter rate

Brisbane dated 19 November 1893. Illustration is from the Pemberton article

Brisbane dated 29 Nov 1893. Contrived as there was no half penny rate. Seen at Millennium auction no 52 lot no 459

Brisbane duplex dated 6 December 1893. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 96 lot 400 in 2002

1894

Brisbane duplex dated 23 August 1894. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 96 lot 400 in 2002. Ex Colonel Harrie Evans

1895

Parliament House dated 16 October 1895.Seen in Stanley Gibbons Stamp Monthly, August 1983, p.67. 

Parliament House 24 October 1895.  Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 96 lot 401 in 2002. Ex Colonel Harrie Evans. Illustrated in the Pemberton article.

Unknown dates

Brisbane

Brisbane 189-

Brisbane bisect on a ½d. and a half 3d. Illustration is from the Pemberton article

Brisbane QL duplex cancellation dated December 189-

Gympie

Gympie (numeral 159)

Parliament House

2d bisect posted at Parliament House. Seen on Stampboards

2d bisect posted at Parliament House (numeral 369). Seen on Ebay

West End (Townsville)

2.5d with the 3rd 1d bisected to make up the overseas rate. Posted at West End, Townsville. Seen on Ebay

3rd Sideface

While not a 2nd Sideface I have included it here for completeness. Brisbane dated 21 March 1898. Seen in Spink Auction no 14015