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#2 /3/4
2nd Jan 1913 (Sydney)
Qty: 1,052,800,000
Red, Pale Red, Rose Red, Deep Red. Usage:
 | Standard Letter. Postcard and Commercial papers Rate. |
| Ditto British Empire |
| Foreign Magazine Rate |
Summary:
| Standard CA/JBC arrangement for the most part printed with 4
plates at a time. |
| Total of 9 plates produced due to large quantities required
(standard letter rate). |
| Only exists on 1st Wmk paper as it was replaced
by KGV surface prints 17.7.1914. |
| Initially supplied to PO as 240-on sheets of an upper and
lower plate. |
| Perforated Large and Small OS on all dies (1,2 and 2A) |
| Coils produced as per the ½d early in 1914. |
| Booklets |
    
A total of 9 plates were produced:
#2 |
1st 3 plates
A, B, C |
#3 |
Next 3 plates
D, E, F |
#4 |
Next 3 plates
G, H, K |
Note that the die states in the above table are logical, in
that, they represent progressive deterioration of the die as it was used.
1d Printing Electros.
In total, 9 Electros were made by JB Cooke. Apart from the last pair
of provisional electros. All others were probably printed as quad plates. Quad
plate printing is a fact, it is conjecture on some plates however, whether they may also
have been organised as vertical pairs.
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January 2nd 1913 Three plates of Die 1 and one of Die 2 (plate D).
Scarlet (pale to deep), usually blotchy. Rose red, pale red, rose carmine, cherry red |
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March 1913.
New Plate
E
(die2).
Pale to Deep Scarlet (usually blotchy).
Rose red, pale red, cherry red.
Rose carmine, carmine. |
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April 1913.
New
plate F (die2)
Apr 1913: Scarlet red (clear).
Sept 1913: Pale red.
Oct 1913: Pinkish red (coarse and blotchy).
Nov 1913: Scarlet (clear).
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November 1913 to Feb 1914 Used during the KGV engraved |
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March 1914
These new plates show the die in its fourth state (Die 2A).
Rose
(clear, surfaced paper).
There was a brief interruption in printings while the KGV 1d engraved
was issued.
By March 1913, it was clear that although the Kangaroo was still
scheduled to be replaced, the engraved method of printing could not keep up with demand.
Accordingly, surface printing plates of the KGV were ordered from London. In the meantime,
a new set of quad plates were prepared by Cooke and printing resumed on the 1d Kangaroo,
pending arrival of the new KGV plates.
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June, 1914
Scarlet, deep scarlet (surfaced paper), rose red.
This new set of plates were only printed as vertical pair In
addition to the Die 2A state, a new insert value was used. The left of the letter O
is more definitely separated from the shading lines to the left of it, and the topmost
lines of shading between E and P, and between P and E can be used to distinguish single
specimens from this provisional printing.
In plates K and H, the lines of shading under the value tablet, and the lower frame
line, appear appreciably thicker than on other plates. |
The
large OS variety does not occur on Die IIa plates. This, because, they were
abandoned in late 1913 prior to plates G, H, or K being manufactured. The reason
why small OS is present on all printings could be that large stocks of earlier
printings existed. Sideways and inverted watermarks.
Inverted watermark is not uncommon on all plates encountered. This meaning,
careless machinists placed the sheets _mostly_ in the right upright direction,
but not always. Sideways watermarks appear with regularity
on those plates used in quad plate printing only. Reason being that the print
sheet in this circumstance was almost square. Sideways watermark is not known
on the Die IIa printings G, H, K for that reason. |
