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31st October 1956
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Melbourne Coat of Arms.
Layout: Medium Type A,
Portrait.
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Printings had already been completed for this series when a postal
increase to the basic letter rate was announced. Rather than apply an overprint, the 3½d
was re-engraved and reprinted. A small number of the original printings, perhaps 12
stamps, were released from the Australia post archives in 1988. |
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119,209,880 |
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The Olympic Torch Layout: Long Format Type C, Portrait. |
4,602,000 |
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Collins St, Melbourne Printed by Harrison and Sons, England
by photogravure.
Sheets of 80, 8 x 10.
imprint? |
7,500,000 |
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Yarra River, Melbourne
Printed by Courvoisier, Suisse by helio . This is a superior stamp. Ignorance and
Empire caused the authorities of the time to select the inferior Chambon photogravure
presses,
Sheets of 80, 10 x 8
Imprint strip across middle 6 stamps on top and bottom of sheets. |
7,500,000 |
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The 1956 XVIth Melbourne Olympics.
Staged in Melbourne from November 22nd to 8th December.
This motley set of four has little to recommend it as a series. Each stamp of course is
beautiful, but as a whole, they are unrelated.
Multicolours
Appropriately featuring Australia's first use of true multicolour stamps. The 1/- and
2/- values were printed overseas as part of a competitive tender for the new photogravure
printing presses. The 2/- Courvoiser of Switzerland lost out and the Chambon presses were
installed, compliments of Harrison and Sons, UK.
It should be noted the unique firsts associated with these issues. This was the first
time the Commonwealth had contracted for printing outside of it's own premises. The stamps
are unique. They show blatant advertising for the two companies on every stamp, and,
unlike all other Australian issues, contain the sheet value in the margins of the post
office sheets.
inter-marginal block of 12 (3x4) comprising two complete
booklet panes with the complete Plate Number '2' in the margin at
right BW #332E(1)z. The unissued value. Ex Australia Post Philatelic
Archival Sale by Tender Number One (Lot 295) and Tim Rybak.
By any measure, this block must be considered to be the most important
stamp items of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, perhaps for the entire
British Commonwealth. It is surely also one of the most important Olympics
items from any country. Aside from the Olympic Games, the thematic content
is notable, municipal government and heraldry being the most prominent
subjects, but the design also contains elements relevant to the cattle and
wool industries, whaling, and shipping.
The ACSC states: "All preparatory work for the base-rate value of
the Olympic Games issue was done on the basis of a 3½d value. The increase
of the basic letter rate to 4d on 1st October 1956 was done on short notice,
and necessitated a change of value. By that time, however, the 3½d die had
been engraved, and steel master plates and electrotype plates prepared, both
for sheet stamps and a special plate for printing stamps for a proposed 3/6d
booklet. No sheet stamps were printed, but a printing was made from the
432-on booklet stamp plates comprising 27,000,000 stamps. Following the
rates change the proposal for the stamp booklet was scrapped. The Post
Office retained some uncut sheets of the 3½d booklet stamps [and destroyed
the balance]...The Archival Sales of 1986-1987 [sic: the sales
were in 1987 and 1988] are the sole source of the 3½d stamps. In total
40 stamps were sold, comprising four singles, four booklet panes of six, and
a Plate Number 2 block of 12."
In the catalogue for the 1987 Archival Sale it was stated "No
copies of this stamp exist presently in the philatelic market. Only the
equivalent of 16 panes of 6 (96 stamps) will be released through these
sales." However, Australia Post reneged on its undertakings to
conduct further sales beyond the second sale in 1988 and only the 40
examples detailed above were released. In respect of this item, the
catalogue continued "This is the only plate number piece, and the only
multiple larger than a pane of 6, which will be offered". That at least was
true.
Of the 40 examples released by Australia Post, no less than 36 were
in blocks of 6 (4) + this block of 12. |
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commemorative booklet covers Unissued |
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