Queensland revenue stamps on cover

From 1 January 1880 to 1 July 1892 all Queensland revenue stamps were valid for postal use. This page is a census of revenue stamps postally used on cover and seen by me. Between 1 January 1880 and 1 July 1892, despite these stamps being valid for postal use, most extant covers give definite signs of philatelic use. It can be difficult sometimes to discern if the covers were genuinely postal or philatelic in origin. Any examples after 1 July 1892 were unambiguously philatelic in origin and should have been rejected or surcharged

1880

1st Sideface 1d revenue stamp (1878 issue) x 2 (standard intercolonial letter rate) from Townsville to Sydney, NSW, dated 5 April 1880. Seen in a private collection

1st Sideface 1d revenue stamp (1878 issue) x 6 (standard letter rate to England) from Normanton to Leeds, England, dated 18 June 1880. This stamp was not issued after 1 January 1880 so probably philatelic. Seen in Millennium auction no 46 lot no 284

1st Sideface 1d revenue stamp (1878 issue) x 6  (standard letter rate to England) from Normanton to Edgbaston, England, dated 27 August 1880. This stamp was not issued after 1 January 1880 so probably philatelic. Seen in Grosvenor auction no 55 lot no 45

1886

6d revenue stamp (1872 issue) x 1 (letter rate to England), Brisbane to London, England dated 30 September 1886. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 139 lot no 346

1892

1 x 1d revenue stamp (1871 issue) South Brisbane to South Brisbane (1d town rate) dated 28 March 1892. Philatelic as Hocking is the addressee in several other examples. Seen in Abacus auction no 237

1 x 6d revenue stamp (1892 issue) Brisbane GPO registered to Maryborough, Queensland (2d country rate + 3d registration fee = 5d) dated 21 April 1892. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1st Sideface 1d revenue stamp (1878 issue) x 1 (standard town rate) from Brisbane GPO to a Brisbane GPO box address dated 22 April 1892. As this stamp was not issued after 1 January 1880 it is almost certainly a philatelic cover. Seen in a private collection

1st Sideface 1d revenue stamp (1878 issue) x 5 (standard 2d intercolonial letter rate + 3d registration) from Woolloongabba, Brisbane to Fred Hagen in Sydney, NSW, dated 23 April 1892. Fred Hagen at the time was president of the Sydney Philatelic Club. Given this and the late date (this stamp was not issued after 1 January 1880), this is a philatelic cover. Ex Butler

1st Sideface 1d revenue stamp (1878 issue) x 5 (standard 2d intercolonial letter rate + 3d registration) from Ipswich to Sydney, NSW, dated 25 April 1892. As this stamp was not issued after 1 January 1880 it is almost certainly a philatelic cover. From the collection of Dr Andrew Mortlock and ex Griffiths and Geoffrey Adams

1 x1d revenue stamp (1871 issue) Brisbane GPO to Brisbane (1d town rate) dated 10 May 1892. Seen on Ebay

1 x 1d revenue stamp (1871 issue) and 3 x 0.5 d postage stamps from South Brisbane to Hamilton, Canada (2.5 d overseas letter rate) dated 13 May 1892. Seen in Phoenix auction no 19 lot no 726

1 x 2s revenue stamp (1866 issue) Brisbane GPO to Sydney, NSW (2d intercolonial letter rate) dated 28 May 1892. Philatelic as it has a 2 shilling stamp when the postage was 2d. Seen in Phoenix auction no 67

1 x 1s revenue stamp (1871 issue) Toowong, Brisbane to Brisbane (1d town rate) dated 29 June 1892. Philatelic as it has a 1 shilling stamp when the postage was 2d. Also a very late date. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 173 lot no 475

PHILATELIC USAGE after 1 July 1892

1892

1 x 2s revenue stamp (1871 issue) Downfall Creek, Brisbane to South Brisbane (1d town rate) dated 2 July 1892. Philatelic and it should have attracted a penalty. Seen in the collection of Carl Burnett

1 x 1d revenue stamp (1871 issue) Downfall Creek, Brisbane to South Brisbane (1d town rate) dated 2 July 1892. Philatelic and it should have attracted a penalty. Seen in a private collection

1 x 1s revenue stamp (1871 issue) Downfall Creek, Brisbane to South Brisbane (1d town rate) dated 2 July 1892. Philatelic and it should have attracted a penalty. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1 x 1d revenue stamp (1871 issue) Brisbane to Downfall Creek, Brisbane (1d town rate) dated 3 July 1892. Philatelic and it should have attracted a penalty. Seen in a private collection

1 x 1s revenue stamp (1871 issue) Toowoomba to Sydney, NSW (2d intercolonial rate) dated 16 August 1892. Philatelic and it should have attracted a penalty. Seen in Ron Leith auction 2016

1893

1 x 1s revenue stamp (1871 issue) Kilkivan to Brussels, Belgium dated 21 March 1893. Philatelic but no penalty as valid postage stamps were also affixed. Seen in the collection of Carl Burnett

2 x 1d revenue stamps (1866 and 1872 issues) Bundaberg to Sydney (2d intercolonial letter rate) dated 25 November 1893. It should have attracted a penalty

1 x 6d revenue stamps (1892 issue) Pialba to Gympie (2d Queensland letter rate) dated 7 December 1893. It should have attracted a penalty. Seen in the l'Estrange Collection, Queensland Museum

1901

1d revenue stamp (1900 issue) x 3 (letter rate to England was 2.5d), Blackall to London, England dated 6 March 1901. This issue was valid for postal use from the inception of this issue in December 1900 to the end of that year, but this cover was an illegal usage from after that period as evidenced by the 5d surcharge for the correct postal rate of 2.5d plus an equivalent fine. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1d revenue stamp (1900 issue) x 2 with 2d normal postage (letter rate to NSW was 2d), Toowoomba to Sydney, NSW dated 19 September 1901. As the correct postage was included this item was allowed to pass through the mails without penalty. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1902

1d revenue stamp (1901 issue) x 3 (triple town rate), Brisbane dated 24 August 1902. It should have attracted a penalty. Seen on Ebay

1913

1d revenue stamp (1901 issue) x 1 (town rate), Brisbane GPO dated 26 May 1913. Illegal usage so surcharged 2d; 1d for the correct postal rate plus a 1d penalty. Seen on Ebay

Queensland 1 shilling mauve / lilac/ violet covers

A census of Queensland one shilling 2nd Sideface covers with details of the postal rates used. Most of these stamps, being of a high value, were used for fiscal purposes. When used for postal purposes, it was mainly for parcels, so covers are scarce

1883

Bundaberg to Herrnut, Germany dated 30 November 1883. The postage paid was 3s 10d including 6d registration. The letter rate was 8d per half ounce, so this was a quintuple (5x) rate letter. Seen at Heinrich Koeler auction no 382 lot no 1678

1884

Townsville to Bradford, England dated 1 March 1884. The postage paid was 1s 10d including 4d registration. The letter rate was 4d per half ounce, so this was a quintuple (5x) rate letter. Seen at Leski auctions 

1885

Townsville to Brisbane dated 16 February 1885. The postage paid was 1s 6d. The Queensland letter rate was 2d per half ounce and 4d for registered so this is a 7 x (septuple) rate cover. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Cooktown to Troppau, Austria dated April 1885. The postage paid was 1s. The letter rate via England was 6d per half ounce so this is a double rate cover. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 161 lot no 362

1886

Brisbane to Middlesex, England dated 27 October 1886. The postage paid was 1s 4d including a registration fee of 4d. The letter rate was 4d per half ounce so this is a triple rate cover. Seen in Spink auction no 12015 lot no 2346

Maryborough to Scotland dated 18 November 1886. The postage paid was 1s. The letter rate was 4d per half ounce so this is a triple rate cover

1887

Rockhampton to North Shields, England dated 16 April 1887. The postage paid was 1s 10d including registration of 4d. The letter rate was 4d per half ounce so this is a quadruple rate cover

South Brisbane to Manchester, England dated 8 September 1887. The postage paid was 1s. The letter rate was 4d per half ounce so this is a triple rate cover

1888

Mackay to Staffordshire, England dated 16 June 1888. The postage paid was 1s 4d including a registration fee of 4d. The letter rate was 4d per half ounce so this is a triple rate cover. Seen in Spink auction no 12043 lot no 1293. Ex Alan Griffiths

Brisbane to Glasgow, Scotland dated 13 July 1888. The postage paid was 3s 6d plus a missing stamp. The letter rate was 4d per half ounce so this could be an 11 x rate cover with the missing stamp being 2d!

Bundaberg to Hamburg, Germany dated 19 November 1888. The postage paid was 3s 9d. The letter rate via the French packet boat was 9d per half ounce, so this was a quintuple (5x) rate letter. Seen at Abacus auctions no 234 lot no 122

Bundaberg to Graz, Austria dated 19 November 1888. The postage paid was 1s 10d including a registration fee of 4d. The letter rate via the French or German packets boats was 9d per half ounce, so this was a double rate letter. Seen at auction

1889

Brisbane to Meriden, Connecticut, USA  via Brindisi dated 14 May 1889. The postage paid was 1s 10d. The letter rate to the USA via England was 8d per half ounce, so this is a triple letter rate with a shortfall of 2d; and accordingly 4d to pay (2d + 2d fine) is noted in manuscript in red. Seen in Rumsey auction no 93 lot no 4167

Brisbane to Erlof, Sweden dated 10 June 1889. The postage paid was 1s. The letter rate via the French or German packets boats was 9d per half ounce, so this was a single rate letter and registration incorrectly charged at 3d. Seen in Corinphila auction no 291

Bundaberg to Freetown, Sierra Leone dated 12 June 1889. The postage paid was 1s 1d including a registration fee of 4d. The letter rate was 9d per half ounce via England. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

1890

Cooktown to Halle, Germany dated 21 January 1890. The postage paid was 1s 6d.The letter rate via the French packet boat was 9d per half ounce, so this was a double rate letter. Seen at Cavendish auctions in December 2017

Goondiwindi to Oberhessen, Germany dated 22 July 1890. The postage paid was 1s, including 4d registration. The letter rate via the French or German packets boats was 9d per half ounce, so this was a single rate letter and registration incorrectly charged at 3d. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane to Boston, USA  via San Francisco dated 4 August 1890. The postage paid was 1s 6d. The letter rate to the USA via San Francisco was 6d per half ounce, so this is a triple letter rate. Seen in Gaertner auctions no 25 lot no 6322

1891

Brisbane to Leipzig, Germany dated 27 May 1891. The postage paid was 1s 4d, including 4d registration .The letter rate was 6d per half ounce, so this was a double rate letter. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane to London, England dated 23 September 1891. The postage paid was 2s 9.5d. including a registration fee of 4d. The letter rate was 2.5d per half ounce, so this is a 11 x  letter rate with 2d left over or else a 12 x letter rate underpaid by half pence? Seen in Abacus auction no 240 lot no 608

1893

Gympie to Budapest, Hungary dated 1 May 1893. The postage paid was 1s. including a registration fee of 3d. The letter rate was 2.5d per half ounce, so this is a 3 x  letter rate with 1.5d left over or else a 4 letter rate underpaid by one penny? Seen in Corinphila auction 2023

1895

Brisbane to New York, USA  via San Francisco dated 31 May 1895. The postage paid was 1s 4d including registration of 3d. The letter rate to the USA was 2.5d per half ounce, so this is a 5 x letter rate with halfpence left over. Seen on Ebay

1898

Brisbane to Baden, Germany dated 12 February 1898. The postage paid was 3s including a registration fee of 3d. The letter rate was 2.5d per half ounce, so this is either a 13 x rate (highly unlikely and a ha'penny too much) or, more likely, a philatelic cover. Seen at Abacus auction no 239

Philatelic use after the 1s stamp was withdrawn from sale in June 1899

The 3rd Sideface 1s stamp went on sale in June 1899, replacing the 2nd Sideface 1s stamp. Therefore any examples of the 2nd Sideface 1s on cover from mid-1899 onwards, especially if posted in Brisbane or a larger regional post office, are most probably philatelic

1900

George Street, Brisbane to Salzburg, Austria dated 2 January 1900. The postage paid was 3s 6d including a registration fee of 3d. The letter rate was 2.5d per half ounce, so this is either a 14 x rate (highly unlikely and 2d left over anyway) or, more likely, especially as the 1 shilling 3rd Sideface issue went on sale in June 1899, a philatelic cover. Seen at auction

1901

Brisbane to Sydney dated 23 March 1901. The postage paid was 1s 3d including a registration fee of 3d. The letter rate was 1d per half ounce, so this letter was either the 12 x rate or, most likely, philatelic, especially as the 1 shilling 3rd Sideface issue went on sale in June 1899. Seen in the collection of Dr Andrew Mortlock

1913

South Melbourne to Paris, France dated 21 August 1913. Seen in the collection of Dr Andrew Mortlock. Ex Butler

1916

Thursday Island to Wellington, New Zealand, dated 11 April 1916. Seen on Stampboards

1965

Sydney to Birmingham, England via American Samoa dated 11 July 1965. Seen on Ebay