Essays
Three essays of the two denominations were prepared by William Gullick (the newly appointed Government Printer for NSW). Details of these essays are obscure.
Richard Peck reports they are held in the NSW Archives.
There is one poor reproduction of an Essay drawn for some purpose on the cover of Sydney Views for May 1888 but there are no confimed details.
The following image has also been seen.
The date is certainly within the relevant tome period.
Proofs of the 1d (1/-) design were printed in the issued colours on thin, unwatermarked card.
They were perforated 11 x 11.
The number of proofs printed is unknown but it likely to be only one sheet of 30. Very few proofs are recorded as still existing (probably less that 10) and it may be that there are only the four described below.
It had been generally accepted that all the proofs were overprinted SPECIMEN but the second example shows that is not correct.
which is well clear of the section below.
Stars not well defined.
Provenance:
Prestige Sale 181 May 2012 Lot 1134.
with slight damage above POSTAGE.
Top right star is very faint.
Provenance:
Status July 2002 Lot 1243.
Millennium Rarities Sale 2 October 2002,
Lot 207.
SPECIMEN is printed just above frame below.
Provenance:
Status January 2000 Lot 708.
SPECIMEN is printed to be just overlapping the frame below.
Perforations in lower right corner are flattened and discoloured.
Provenance:
Prestige 2000 Sale 155 Lot 1308.
The 1d (1/-) proofs differ from the final designs in a few minor details - for example for the proofs:
- two or three stars are poorly formed for the Southern Cross;
- there are more brown shading dots on the bodies of the angel and the sick person.
Proofs of the 2½d (2/6) stamp.
Proofs of the 2½ (2/6) stamp are equally rare. It is considered on the evidence below that five proofs exist. Some sources claim only three proofs exist.
The respective proofs can be distinguished by the position of the "SPECIMEN" overprint relative to the gold decoration before JUBILEE.
From their position, the overprint must have been applied separately from a single handstamp and not from a forme.
"S" is the furthest to the left of all examples;
"m" is well clear to the left of the gold decoration;
the "e" of "en" clearly overlaps on both sides of the gold decoration;
the left vertical of the "n" is clear to the left and below the upper protrusion of the decoration.
Provenance: Status April 1982 Lot 182.
Status July 2002 Lot 1241.
Millennium Auctions Nov. 2012 Sale 54, Lot 809.
"m" is well clear to the left of the gold decoration;
the "e" of "en" is coincident with the left side of the gold decoration;
the left vertical of the "n" emerges from the left of the upper protrusion of the decoration.
Provenance: Corinphila, May 2018, Lot 62.
"m" is just clear to the left of the gold decoration;
"en" of the overprint overlaps the decoration;
the "n" is just clear of
the lower protrusion of the gold decoration.
Provenance:
Stanley Gibbons September 2001 Lot 1312.
Prestige Philately Aug. 2012, Lot 259.
"m" is just clear to the left
of the gold decoration;
right leg of "m" is just covered
by the left of the gold decoration;
Provenance:
Status Auctions, July 2002, Lot 1241.
Prestige Philately, May 2013, Lot 1134.
Corinphila, November 2022, Lot 10077.
"en" of the overprint
overlaps the gold decoration
from about the centre;
the "n" overlaps the lower
protrusion of the decoration.
"S" is the furthest to the right
of all examples;
right leg of "m" is just covered by
the left of the gold decoration;
This Proof has some slight damage
on the corners.
Provenance:
Status Auctions, July 2002 Lot 1242.
Corinphila, June 2023, Lot 20085.
"en" of the overprint just
touches the decoration;
the "n" is just clear of the
lower protrusion
of the gold decoration.