In 1897, the cost of posting a local letter to a destination within 15 miles was 1d - hence the basic denomination in the set. That stamp cost 1/- to the purchaser with the balance of 11d going to the Consumptives Home fund.
The nature of the issue, with the high relative cost of the stamp, led to most covers being used in contrived ways. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to determine if a cover is philatelic or a genuine postal article.
As noted previously, the postal validity of the Consumptives Home stamps ended on 31 August 1897.
The covers shown are grouped as follows:
1d (1/-) only:
- First Day Covers;
- single frankings of the 1d (1/-) on cover and a summary of all known single frankings on cover of the 1d (1/-);
- multiple franking of the 1d (1/-);
1d (1/-) in mixed frankings:
- mixed frankings of the 1d (1/-) with other issues - within NSW; intercolonial and international.
- Summary table of the known mixed frankings of the 1d (1/-) Charity stamp.
Both NSW Charity stamps together on cover:
- combination frankings of both the NSW 1897 Charity stamps;
- mixed frankings of both the NSW 1897 Charity stamps with another issue.
Three probable First Day Covers are known for the 1d (1/-) stamp although they have, until this website, been unrecognised or misclassified.
For example, one description of the Shaw cover below gave it the date stamp of July 22.
Park Street 1 and 924 duplex for local delivery to Mr. W Shaw. | |
The above cover - albeit it philatelic - appears to be a genuine First Day Cover. There is at least two other covers which is almost identical. The distinguishing characteristics of the first include:
The distinguishing characteristics of the second include:
The parallel 2½d (2/6) cover raises some questions especially about the first date of issue. |
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The only recorded First Day Cover franked with a Charity pair.
Newtown to Sydney. Has no backstamp. |
Covers with a single 1d franking were popular and involved less risk to the collector.
There are probably about 30 such covers (listed separately) with 20 definitely confirmed so far. At least four of the known covers went to the same address in Glebe Point - although to three different recipients.
Other covers requiring comment are:
- the almost identical covers of 30 August 1897 and 31 August 1897 to H. B. Bilborough cancelled at Haymarket with the Barred Numeral 865 inverted.
Date | From | To | Seller/Reference & Date (lot) |
22 June 1897 | Park Street 1 - | Park Street | Cherrystone May 2007 Lot 1852; Prestige August 2012 Lot 265. |
22 June 1897 | Park Street 1 - |
Park Street | |
24 June 1897 | Burwood |
Burwood |
Spink Auction 16030, Lot 1017. Stanley Gibbons Oct 2017. |
25 June 1897 | Sydney 24 |
Sydney NSW duplex. |
Corinphila May 2018 Lot 1940. |
30 June 1897 | Enmore | Enmore (to Barry Co). |
Ebay March 2017. |
6 July 1897 | Oxford Street |
City | Ebay August 2013. |
6 July 1897 | Ashfield |
Ashfield to Master J. F. Stephen. | Ebay Dec 2017 (techgifts). |
7 July 1897 | Oxford Street |
To Glebe (to Mr. G. H. Parry) | Abacus November 2019, Lot 1521. |
9 July 1897 | Oxford Street |
Glebe Point (to Mr Danes). | |
23 July 1897 | George Street West duplex | Glebe Point | Ebay October 2014. |
24 July 1897 | Sydney 36 | Glebe Point (to Mr Danes) |
Spink Sale February 2013 Lot 685 (the Hutson Collection) ; David Feldman Geneva Sept. 2013 Lot 41228 |
25 July 1897 | Sydney | GPO 1384, Sydney (to A. Oxley) | Corinphila May 2018, Lot 1940.
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26 July 1897 | Adelong | Adelong (to Eissler Esq). | Ebay May 2014. |
28 July 1897 | George Street North (1385 duplex). |
George Street North (to W. C. Platts). Flap has oval The London Bank of Australia. | Ebay April 2018 (techgifts). |
30 July 1897 | Enmore | Newtown | Nutmeg September 2006 Lot 4866. |
11 August 1897 | Broken Hill (1331 duplex). |
Broken Hill | Matthew Bennett February 2003 Lot 561; Millennium April 2003 Lot 543 |
23 August 1897 | Rockdale (1127 duplex). |
Hurstville (cover to T. Leeder). | Prestige August 2013 Lot 359. Abacus November 2019, Lot 1518. |
25 August 1897 | Edgecliff | Addressed to Mr. C. A. Gilles at Edgecliff PO. Single with selvedge to right and below on plain envelope. |
Ebay March 2018. |
30 August 1897 | Ashfield duplex | Ashfield | Millennium February 2005 Lot 49 |
30 August 1897 | Haymarket (inverted 865 duplex at 10:15). | Haymarket (cover to Bilborough - date stamp touches base of left 1/- frame). | Ebay (techgifts) March 2017, September 2918. |
31 August 1897 | Haymarket (inverted 865 duplex at 12:50 pm). |
Haymarket (cover to Bilborough - date stamp touches lower frame). | Spink Auction 16030, Lot 1017. Stanley Gibbons Oct 2017. |
31 August 1897 | Haymarket (inverted 865 duplex at 12:50 pm). |
Haymarket (cover to Bilborough - date stamp touches base of 1/- frame and extends beyond the LH perforations). | Corinphila November 2017 Lot 6127; Corinphila Sale 235, June 2019, Lot 3527. |
Beyond postal validity of 31 August 1897. |
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2 September 1897 | Broken Hill (1331 duplex) |
Broken Hill (cover to Mr. Geo. Smith). | Spink May 2018, Lot 64. |
3 September 1897 | Oxford Street (699 duplex) | Glebe Point | |
14 September 1897 | Newtown NSW | Newtown (cover to Mr. B. Blumenthal, Walker Street). | Ebay August 2020. |
1897 (unclear duplex) | Sydney | Toowoomba, Qld | Cherrystone, July 2006, Lot 1327. |
No date | Glebe 761 duplex | Glebe | Millennium February 2005 Lot 50 |
Few multiple frankings of the 1d (1/-) are recorded:
- the First Day Cover shown above;
- two covers with pairs of only the 1d (1/-) stamp - one local cover (no details available) and one to Melbourne (see below).
- one cover was sent to Brisbane with two single 1d (1/-) stamps.
- the most significant cover with a multiple is a combination franking with both of the Charity stamps in corner pairs on the Tanais Coiver.
North Sydney to Melbourne. (NSW duplex of 16 December 1904).
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Mixed franking with the 1d (1/-) stamp.
Fourteen covers are recorded with a mixed franking involving the 1d (1/-) stamp and other stamps (excluding the 2½d).
Of these, four were sent to Queensland, one to Victoria and five were sent overseas.
See below for a list of the mixed franking covers recorded.
(a) Covers sent within NSW. | |
1d local letter rate.
Exchange to Sydney GPO |
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Posted after validity of stamps for postage ended on 31 August 1897.
Mixed franking covers including the 1d (1/-) NSW Charity.
Covers with a single 1d (1/-) stamp included in a mixed franking which have been sighted are:
Date | From | To | Franking in addition to 1d (1/-) |
Seller/Reference |
3 July 1897 | Exchange | GPO Sydney (Burgoyne) | 1d Arms | Grosvenor September 2017 Lot 294 |
5 July 1897 | Sydney 41 NSW duplex. | Edinburgh, Scotland (mourning cover to Mrs Reynolds). |
½d grey and 1d red Arms. | Abacus November 2019 Lot 1522. |
8 July1897 | Sydney Registered | Sydney (Mr Pope) | 3d green diadem | Millennium September 2013 Lot 139. |
9 July 1897 | Oxford Street duplex 699 | Circular Quay (S.S. Stuttgart) |
1d and 2d Jubilee | Prestige April 2009 Lot 354. |
11 July 1897 | Marrickville with 430 duplex. | On Piece | ||
14 July 1897 | Mathoura | Melbourne | 1d Centennial Sydney View | Ebay February 2015 |
21 July 1897 | King Street | Rockhampton, Qld | 1d Arms | Status December 2002 Lot 1016. |
23 July 1897 | Oxford Street dup | Rockhampton, Qld | 2 × ½d grey | Prestige August 2012 Lot 258. |
23 August 1897 | Sydney Reg'd | Auckland, NZ | ½d, 1d, 2d & 2½d, | Prestige May 2007 Lot 134. |
30 August 1897 | Lismore | Clevedon, UK | ½d grey & 1d Centennial. | Mike Berry, September 2017. |
Posted after validity of stamps for postage ended (31 August 1897). |
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19 December 1898 | France | 1d single with 7½d on 6d DLR + 2d Jubilee QV | Australian States Study Group Newsletter, May 1980, p.2 |
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6 April 1899 | Oxford Street duplex 669 | Brisbane (to Mr. Fyas) | ½d grey pair | Millennium February 2005 Lot 74. Ebay March 2015. |
28 July 1906 | Sydney Registered | Boston, USA. |
½d, 1d (2 Arms) and 2d Jubilee. | Prestige August 2012 Lot 267. |
11 December 1913 | The Exchange | The Exchange | ½d Centennial OS | |
No date | Enfield "189" rays | Toowoomba, Qld | 1d Arms | Matthew Bennett Feb 2003 Lot 562. |
Covers which are likely to be concocted.
7 July 1897 | Sydney - local delivery. Cancellation is well clear of stamp and the trace at the RH of the stamp does not quite align. |
Date unclear | Stamp is on top of design - possibly hiding where another stamp was or it was a blank cover. The cancellation does not tie the stamp to the cover - even at the left. |