1d Vermillion - Imperforate at right-hand margin

Discussion

This issue is known imperforate on the right-hand margin with the Crown over A watermark on Cowan gummed paper which was used from November 1907 onwards. There are three types of imperforate issues known; 

• wholly imperforate (discussed HERE)
• imperforate on the right margin of the sheet due to sheet not being rotated to perforate the margin. (discussed on this page)
• Left imperforate margins associated with the perforation 12 x 9½ stamps from mid-1901 (discussed HERE)

Not much is known about the imperforate on the right margin of the sheet issue but presumably, as was the case with most other mint imperforate Queensland 2nd and 3rd Sideface issues, a sheet or two was for some reason not perforated properly.

When perforated with the comb 12½, 13 perforating machine, the sheet was usually rotated & perforated a second time due to the insufficient number of columns of perforations on the Buncle's perforating machine. In this case it wasn't rotated which left the right margin imperforate. It appears that t two sheets were inadvertently issued with this error. Assuming this is correct, then a maximum of 24 stamps with an imperforate right hand margin can exist. 

It never went on sale at a post office but instead must have come from within the Queensland Post and Telegraph Department and made available for purchase to certain unknown favoured collectors.

It is not listed by Stanley Gibbons but is listed by Brusden White in their 2023 Australian States Federal Period, 1901-1912 catalog, where it is listed as Q11ba. Imperforate at right and priced at $450 mint. It includes the following note: "Available evidence suggests two sheets were issued showing the right-hand column imperforate at right. "

Below is a census of examples seen by me. I have so far seen 17 of the 24 possible examples. I also show, at the bottom, an example that is perforated to the end of the right margin horizontally but not vertically, so it must be from a different sheet

Census

A block of 12 on gummed Cowan paper from the top right-hand corner of the sheet. Seen in the collection of John Pearson

A block of 4 on gummed Cowan paper from the bottom right-hand corner of the sheet. Seen in Spink auction no 12043 lot no 1407. Ex Alan Griffiths and now in the collection of Dr Andrew Mortlock

A block of 4 on gummed Cowan paper. Seen in Corinphila auctions in 2023. Ex Bernard Manning and E.R Slade

A block of 4 on gummed Cowan paper. Seen in Corinphila auctions in 2023. Ex James Mursell

A block of 4 on gummed Cowan paper. Seen in Spink auction no 20030 lot no 215(x). Ex Gary Diffen

A horizontal pair on gummed Cowan paper. Seen in Phoenix auction no 29

A horizontal pair on gummed Cowan paper. Seen in Corinphila auctions 2025

A single on gummed Cowan paper. Seen in Corinphila auctions in 2022

Perforated to end of the right margin

A block of 6 perforated to the end of the right margin so it must be from a different sheet to the others, on gummed Cowan paper from the top-right hand corner of the sheet. Seen in Corinphila auctions in 2016. Ex Bernard Manning

1d Vermillion - Imperforate

Discussion

This issue is known imperforate with the Crown over A watermark on gummed paper which was used from November 1907 onwards. There are three types of imperforate issues known; 

• wholly imperforate (discussed on this page)
• imperforate on the right margin of the sheet due to sheet not being rotated to perforate the margin. (discussed HERE)
• Left imperforate margins associated with the perforation 12 x 9½ stamps from mid-1901 (discussed HERE)

Not much is known about the fully imperforate issue but presumably, as was the case with most other mint imperforate Queensland 2nd and 3rd Sideface issues, a sheet or two was for some reason not perforated. It never went on sale at a post office but instead must have come from within the Queensland Post and Telegraph Department and made available for purchase to certain unknown favoured collectors.

It is listed as SG 288a (Imperforate pair) by Stanley Gibbons and is priced at £400 in the 2022 catalog. Brusden White in their 2023 Australian States Federal Period, 1901-1912 catalog list it as Q11b. Imperforate (pair) and priced at $750. They include the following note: 

"There does not appear to be any contemporary evidence that the imperforate error was sold over a post office counter, but a full sheet of 120 seems to have reached the philatelic market. At least one pair is known used on cover, almost certainly philatelically contrived."

Kenneth Scudder in Queensland Postage Stamps 1897-1912 p. 256 suggests that the stamps come from an April 1912 printing. My block of 4 appears to a pale scarlet vermillion shade on Cowan paper. Below is a census of examples seen by me. A total of 50 stamps are shown below. I have yet to see the philatelic cover mentioned in Brusden White.

Census

1d. Imperforate left lower corner marginal block of 4 on gummed paper. Seen on the Michael Eastlick Website

1d. right marginal Imperforate block of 4 on gummed paper. Seen in Corinphila Veilingen auction no 260

1d. Imperforate block of 4 on gummed paper. Seen in Abacus auction no 256 lot no 318 and previously in David Feldman auctions. Ex Bernard Manning. Now in my collection

1d. Imperforate block of 4 on gummed paper. Seen in Spink auction no 12043 lot no 1405. Ex Alan Griffiths

1d. Imperforate block of 4 on gummed paper. Seen in Spink auction no 12043 lot no 1406. Ex Alan Griffiths. Now in the collection of Dr Andrew Mortlock

1d. Imperforate block of 4 on gummed paper. Seen in Spink auction no 20030 lot no 216(x). Ex Gary Diffen

1d. left margin Imperforate strip of 4 on gummed paper. Seen in Abacus auction no 229 lot no 424

1d. bottom margin horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen in Abacus auction no 237

1d. left margin horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen in Status auctions

1d. left margin horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen on Ebay

1d. left margin horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen in Abacus auction no 237

1d. right margin horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen in Leski auction 2019 lot no 443. Ex Bernard Manning

1d. horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen in Millennium auction no 21


1d. horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen in Spink auction no 16030 lot no 1180

1d. horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 152. Now in the collection of Dr Andrew Mortlock

1d. horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen in Abacus auction no 239

1d. horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen in Classicphil auctions

1d. horizontal Imperforate pair on gummed paper. Seen on Ebay

Queensland 2½d. Specimen Overprint

This page is a census of known examples of the 1900 2½d brown-purple issue overprinted with the word 'SPECIMEN.' These handstamps are believed to have been for record or presentation purposes only and were not sold to collectors. They were not handstamped in this manner for distribution to the Universal Postal Union; mint stamps being used instead for this purpose.

A Scudder Specimen Type 9 overprint (Kenneth Scudder, Queensland Postage Stamps 1879 to 1912, p. 364) was used for this issue. It was typeset with sans-serif capitals, 15.5 mm long and 1.75 mm high plus a stop at the end. It was applied in red ink on mint gummed issues, wmk 2nd type "Crown Q", perforation 12.5, 13 in around 1901. One example in black ink is also known. At least one sheet was overprinted. 

Examples are also known stamped SPECIMEN after receipt by various UPI countries and colonies, and Bechuanaland (on rosine (issued October 1898) and slate-lilac (issued January 1899) issues), Natal (on rosine and slate-lilac issues) and Tunisia (on rosine, slate-lilac and brown-purple issues overprinted in both violet and black ink) are shown below.

The Portuguese postal authorities in Lisbon stamped their examples ULTRAMAR in blue on the rosine issue issued in October 1898 and them provided them to postal authorities in their colonies and examples from the Goa postal archive are shown at the bottom of the page.

And finally I have also seen a specimen example on a turquoise-green colour trial for the proposed 2 shilling issue and shown at the very bottom of the page

The Specimen overprint

CENSUS

Brown-purple issue overprinted with red ink

A block of 50 from the bottom of the sheet (positions 71-120). Seen in Abacus auction no 237

A block of four from my collection

A block of four from the collection of Dave Elsmore

A single from my collection

A single seen on Ebay

A single seen on Ebay

A single seen on Ebay

A single seen at Status auctions

A single seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

A single seen at Abacus auction no 237

Brown-purple issue overprinted with black ink

A single from my collection

BECHUANALAND SPECIMEN

Specimen receiving handstamp (seriffed 22.5 x 2.75 mm) in Black on a rosine issue by Bechuanaland. Seen in Status auctions

Specimen receiving handstamp (seriffed 22.5 x 2.75 mm) in Black on a slate-liac issue by Bechuanaland. Seen in Status auctions

Natal Specimen

Specimen receiving handstamp (sans serif 17.25 x 3.25 mm) in violet on a rosine issue by Natal. Seen in Corinphila auctions

Specimen receiving handstamp (sans serif 17.25 x 3.25 mm) in violet on a slate-liac issue by Natal. Seen in Corinphila auctions

Tunisia - violet ink

Specimen receiving handstamps in violet (on a rosine issue) by Tunisia. Seen in Abacus auction no 237

Specimen receiving handstamps in violet (on a brown-purple issue) Tunisia. Seen in Abacus auction no 237

Tunisia - black ink

Specimen receiving handstamps in black (on a rosine issue) Tunisia. Seen in Abacus auction no 237

Specimen receiving handstamps in black (on a slate-lilac issue) Tunisia. Seen in Abacus auction no 237

Ultramar

Ultramar receiving handstamp (sans serif 15 x 3 mm) in blue on a rosine issue ex Goa postal archives. Seen in Abacus auction no 237. Ex Bill McCredie and Bernard Manning

Ultramar receiving handstamp (sans serif 15 x 3 mm) in blue on a rosine issue ex Goa postal archives. Seen in Abacus auction no 237. Ex Bill McCredie, Alan Griffiths and Bernard Manning

Pale turquoise-green colour trial

On a pale turquoise-green issue which was a colour trial for the proposed 2 shilling  issue. The specimen handstamp has been applied upside-down. Seen in Phoenix auctions