Queensland 6d. Green specimen overprint

This page is a census of known examples of the 1898 6d. green 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 the 6d. green 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 black ink on mint gummed issues, wmk 2nd type "Crown Q", perforation 12.5, 13 in around 1901. At least two sheets were overprinted.

Examples are also known stamped SPECIMEN after receipt by various UPI countries and colonies, and those for Bechuanaland, Natal and Tunisia are shown below.

The Portuguese postal authorities in Lisbon stamped their examples ULTRAMAR in blue and them provided them to postal authorities in their colonies. An example from the Goa postal archive is shown at the bottom of the page.

The Specimen overprint

CENSUS

A large block of 45 examples. Seen in Abacus auction no 237

A right marginal block of 4 from my collection

A block of 4 courtesy of Dave Elsmore

A pair seen in Prestige Philately auction no 139 lot no 339

From my collection

From my collection

Seen on Ebay

Seen at Abacus auction no 229

Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Seen at Status auctions

Seen at Corinphila auctions


Seen at Abacus auction no 237

BECHUANALAND SPECIMEN

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

NATAL SPECIMEN

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

Tunisia SPECIMEN

Specimen receiving handstamps (sans serif 12.75 x 2.5 mm) in violet and black from Tunisia. Seen in Abacus auction no 237

GOA ULTRAMAR

Ultramar receiving handstamp in blue from Goa. Seen in Abacus online auction no 7. Ex Bill McCredie and Bernard Manning