As noted for the 1d (1/-), most known uses of these two Hospital Charity stamps are on philatelic covers.

Examples of the covers together with a listing of known covers are included:

    1. single franking;
    2. multiple franking;
    3. forged franking;.
    4. combination and mixed franking.

Single franking.

St. Kilda to South Yarra.
25 October 1897.

St. Kilda duplex with barred numeral 78.

1d local letter rate overfranked by 1½d on a philatelic cover.

Listing of the known covers with a single franking of the 2½d (2/6) stamp.

Date From To Seller/Reference & Date (lot)
25 October 1897 St Kilda South Yarra Status July 2008 Lot 1569.
28 October 1897 Bendigo Bendigo Status July 2008 Lot 1568.
28 March 1898 Hawthorn duplex
(cover has a slight tear).		   Rodney Perry 14 September 1993 Lot 1034.

 

Multiple franking.

Corinphila, May 2018, Lot 3483.

Mornington to Broken Hill,
4 November 1897.

Two singles of the 2½d (2/6) stamp on a plain cover.

 


Millennium Auctions August 2004 Lot 208.
Millennium Auctions Rarities October 2004 Lot 65.

 South Yarra to Stuttgart, Germany
5 April 1898.
Numeral '200' duplexes of South Yarra.

Pair of the 2½d (2/6) stamp.

8d foreign registered letter rate, 2nd step.

Use of a 3d Registered envelope to Germany uprated with a 1897 Charity 2½d pair tied by 'R' within a circle. The cover has backstamps of Melbourne and Stuttgart.

 


Matthew Bennett February 2003 Lot 578;
Millennium April 2003, Lot 657.
Prestige Philately June 2010 Lot 688.

 5d registered intra-colonial rate: to Stawell, very late 9 June 1905 usage.

Pair of the 2½d stamp.

Same address and handwriting as on a cover shown elsewhere with a 2½d (2/-) pair and a ½d green.

Intra-colonial letter rate: 2d;
registration fee: 3d.

 

 

Listing of the known covers with 2½d (2/6) multiples:

Date From To Type of multiple franking Seller/Reference & Date (lot)
3 November 1897 Law Court Sydney Pair in mixed franking Prestige Philately, January 2004, Lot 626.
Prestige Philately, May 2012, sale 173, Lot 733.
4 November 1897 Mornington 113 duplex Broken Hill, NSW. 2 singles Corinphila May 2018 Lot 3483.
5 April 1898 South Yarra Stuttgart, Germany Pair Millennium Auctions August 2004 Lot 208.
Millennium Auctions Rarities October 2004 Lot 65.
9 June 1905
   Stawell Pair Matthew Bennett February 2003 Lot 578;
Millennium April 2003, Lot 657.
Prestige Philately June 2010 Lot 688.

See elsewhere for a listing of the 1d (1/-) multiples used on cover.

Forgery.

Many covers were "artificially treated" to give the impression they were genuine. Sometimes original stamps would be soaked off and a Charity stamp affixed and "cancelled".

In the example shown here and in the detailed scan below, it is clear that the two cancellations are of different format and size.
Also the cancellation on the ½d green is clear of the Charity stamp which may be covering a space previously occupied by another stamp.