1895 Unissued Denomination proof of the originally intended 1½d card in blue/cream with Six Address Lines, concealed fault on reverse of the address panel otherwise very fine. A rare & important proof. Ex Ron Butler: sold for £805. [Illustrated at page 77]

At the 1894 Postal Congress in Wellington, it was agreed each of the Australasian Colonies would issue a 1½d Letter Card. In the event, only NSW and New Zealand complied. Queensland & Victoria opted for 2d cards. SA, Tasmania & WA failed to take action.

Grade (A) (Image1)

Estimate AU$2,000

1895-99 Issues HG A1-2a group with different coloured stocks & shades of the stamp and regular or paired (interrupted) perfs, with a few usages in variable condition including to NZ, Austria & Belgium, also 1899 with Larger Arms (27mm High) x3 (one used) not listed by Higgins & Gage, mostly on exhibit pages. (31)

Estimate AU$250

1899 2d blue/pale grey (cream within) with Paired (Interrupted) Perfs HG A2a with all-over advertisement within for Gordon & Gotch at Brisbane promoting 'The Library of Famous Literature', to 'SPRINGSURE' (b/s) in 1901, small separation fault. [Illustrated at page 82 but the Arms are 27mm High, not 29mm. [NB: the advice at top of the advert states that the card should be returned "in the enclosed envelope"]

Grade B (Image1)

Estimate AU$100

1902-10 Issues HG A3-4a group with Commonwealth Coat of Arms at U/L, various shades of stamp & stock, several with Line thru 'AUDAX' on State Coat of Arms, change to Address Lines of Dashes instead of Dots, 'AUDAX' Retouched, several with large-part 'MONKSBURN/AIR DRIED' or Fleur-de-Lis Watermark (with tracings of both types), then 1908 Redrawn Stamp with Inner Circle Removed, New State Coat of Arms & Comma after 'Queensland ' Removed group unrecorded by Higgins & Gage, and 1908-09 Regular Perf 10 group also unrecorded by Higgins & Gage, some better usages including to German New Guinea (underpaid but not taxed), Ceylon (faults), Holland, Austria & Switzerland, etc, condition variable but most are fine to very fine.

The H&G listings are woefully deficient, resulting in these emissions being little understood & significantly under-appreciated. Alan Griffiths at pp83-90 provides a specialised analysis of these issues. (28)

Estimate AU$500

1911-12 Issues Four Corners 1d scarlet HG 5 group with varying shades & stocks, with Perf 10 through the Margins on Cream with complete 'STRATHDEE/FINE' Watermark (stated to be the only recorded example with watermark), Perf 10 with Regular Corners on Grey with & without the Strathdee Watermark unused & CTO x3 (no used examples recorded), Perf 12x10 used 18OC/11 (two other used & no unused examples recorded; this with almost complete Fleur de Lis Watermark), Perf 12 on Vertically Laid Stock used at 'ISISFORD' on 1.NO.11 (the only recorded example), etc, condition variable but generally fine to very fine.

Again, the H&G listings are woefully deficient. Alan Griffiths at pp91-95 provides a specialised analysis of these issues. (13)

Estimate AU$500