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Victoria

Thursday, January 3, 1850

Australian State 2

Victoria Scott #1
  Victoria #1  

Imperforate, no watermark, engraved.
Printed by Thomas Ham, Melbourne

Description     Scott SG Mi Y&T
January 3, 1850
1 penny vermilion
     1a 1    
3 pence light blue
     3a 4    
2 pence lilac shades
     5, 5a 2, 3    

The first issue is without frame lines. Frame lines were added in the third "state" of the dies.

Scott prices appear to match the less expensive S.G. #12 - 14, so beware when you buy, you may get what you pay for!

Get an overview of Australia and Colonies 1850 - 1913.

Page expanded in the rewrite.

VicReg
VicLate
World's First
Registration Stamp
World's First
Late Fee stamp (specimen)
1854 SG34 Sc-F1 1855 SG33 Sc-I1

Innovations

Victoria issued the world's first Registration stamp and Late Fee stamp (SG33 Sc-I1) on 1st December 1854 and and 1st January 1855 respectively.

Gibbons [1] states SG34 "was used to pay the registration fee and was so used until 5th January 1858 after which remaining stocks were used for normal postage" and SG33 "was provided to pay the additional fee on letters posted after the normal closure of the mails … [the] service was withdrawn on 30th June 1857 and remaining stocks … used for normal postal purposes".

Wood [2] does not mention the Registered stamp, but on the Too Late issue states,

“Too late or late fee stamps were applied to mail to indicate payment of a special fee that would ensure acceptance of an item after the normal closing of a mail.
The colony of Victoria, in Australia, issued a Too Late stamp on Jan 1 1855.
In 1923 Denmark issued a late fee stamp bearing the overprint "GEBYR" followed in 1926 by a stamp inscribed "GEBYRMAERKE". The stamps were used until 1934.
Colombia issued late fee stamps beginning in 1866 inscribed "RETARDO", and Ecuador overprinted and surcharged a postal tax stamp in 1945 to indicate payment of a late fee.” (vol.3 p.731-2)


Sources: KW1 [2], ScC, SGP1 [1] .

Images from Glen Stephens Stamps.

FI ref: 14 Page credit: JA/NB

Page created 19 Feb 2014 Page updated 19-Jun-2017