SOUTH AUSTRALIA Official Stamps - Departmental Overprints
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1336
Symbol: O
Selection on Hagners from 'C.' to 'T.' with a few 'Reds' & values to 2/- x4, mostly the more common types but generally above-average condition & including some very attractive stamps, some duplication especially of the 'P.' for Police issues, a few duds including bogus 'H.G.' 4d 6d & 2/-.
(Qty 99) (Image1)
Estimate AU$1,500
Opening AU$ 3,400.00
Sold...AU$ 3,800.00
Closed..Apr-26-2022, 20:00:00 EST
Sold For 3800
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1337
Symbol: O
Cat No: Collection
Small group of the more common issues B.G., C., C.L., C.P., C.S. x2, D.B., E., G.P. x3, P. x13, P.S., R.G., S.G, S.M. x4, S.T. x2, condition very mixed.
(Qty 33) (Image1)
Estimate AU$350
Opening AU$ 440.00
Sold...AU$ 1,050.00
Closed..Apr-26-2022, 20:00:00 EST
Sold For 1050
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 1338
Symbol: CL
Cat No: Collection
PUBLIC WORKS: Red 'P.W.' on Rouletted 1/- red-brown on tinted paper with the Overprint Significantly Misplaced to the Left, tiny separation fault at lower-left, the stamp tied to double-rate OHMS cover to Cambridgeshire by one of two strikes of the scarce 'PALMERSTON/18/JY7/75/N.T' cds, very fine 'GPO ADELAIDE/AU5/75/S.A' transit & superb 'WISBEACH/OC4/75' arrival b/s across the flap, two minor tears - caused by the somewhat bulky contents - have been repaired internally with archival tape.
An important & completely unexpected new discovery, being only the second Departmental cover recorded from the Northern Territory (the other, bearing an 'N.T.' 6d, was bought for the Northern Territory Museum at Gary Watson's auction of Phil Collas's collection on 25.2.1985 for $5000, and has apparently been 'misplaced' in Darwin), and the only recorded cover with a 'P.W.' Departmental. It was rescued from a rubbish skip in Wisbech (the spelling was changed in the late-1900s) about 40 years ago and sold to our vendor at a local society meeting.
There are two scenarios for use of this stamp in the Territory. Firstly, the very late usage suggests that at the end of the Departmental period, in 1874, the Northern Territory Administrator was sent a small allocation of stamps retrieved from the Public Works Department. This would then be only the second cover proving usage of one department's stamps by another: see Don Pearce Lot 613. However, we believe that is not what happened.
The second settlement called Palmerston (renamed Darwin in 1911) was established in 1869. The physical infrastructure would have been installed by South Australia's Department of Public Works and it is almost certain that the Engineer-in-Chief would have been allocated a small stock of 'P.W.' stamps for use on his mail. In fact, Don Pearce's collection includes a 'P.W.' 4d cancelled at Palmerston: see Lot 643. The 'N.T.' Departmentals were not issued until 1873 and we expect that remainders of the 'P.W.' stamps were left with the Government Resident after the Public Works team returned to Adelaide. They were likely held in reserve and used-up only after the stock of 'N.T.' 1/- stamps was exhausted (no dated examples have been recorded). We suggest that this theory is supported by the fact that the 1/- with 'P.W.' in Black is recorded from OC8/74, having replaced the 1/- with Red Overprint, for which the previously recorded LRD was JY8/74.
Usually, docketing on the face of an envelope by the recipient is regrettable. However, in this situation, it provides valuable context for the cover. The sender is named as "GB Scott/Government Resident". Indeed, George Byng Scott held that position between 6.10.1873 & 30.6.1876. Added in red is "With certificate of death/of Walter M" which, from the address, we expect was "Metcalfe". Our good friend, Anthony Presgrave, has confirmed that Walter Metcalfe of Union Reef died there, at the age of 36, on 3.1.1875. Union Reef was a major claim on the Pine Creek Goldfield, where the first post office operated -.3.1875 until 21.2.1881. It is almost certain that Metcalfe was a gold miner. The 6 month delay in the dates can be explained by the notice of death having to be forwarded, by ship, to Adelaide. The Death Certificate would then have been returned to Palmerston, also by ship. And, of course, this cover in which the Death Certificate was forwarded to England, was carried first to Adelaide (why not Albany?) for onforwarding. All in all, a great back-story for a great cover.
