Genuine use of either of the 1900 Patriotic Fund stamps is extremely difficult to locate.
A number of covers bear one of the stamps or both but do not pay the correct rate.
There are however some covers which, although perhaps fabricated to some extent, still pay correct rates and also appear to have been through the appropriate postal procedures.
- There are only two covers recorded with a single 1900 Victorian 1d (1/-) Patriotic Fund stamp franking.
- There are no covers recorded with a multiple franking of the 1900 1d (1/-).
The covers shown below are grouped as follows:
- First Day Cover;
- franking with a single stamp;
- mixed frankings of the 1d Victorian 1900 Charity stamp;
- combination frankings of both the Victorian 1900 Charity stamps;
- mixed frankings of both the Victorian 1900 Charity stamps with another issue.
There is only one cover in which a joined pair of the 1d (1/-) has been used on a cover:
One cover of the only pair of First Day Covers recorded.
They were prepared by Mr. William Rundell who worked in the General Post Office.
The corresponding cover for the 2d (2/-) stamp is included elsewhere.
Provenance: Matthew Bennett February 2003 Lot 579;
Prestige Philately May 2007 Lot 577 and April 2011 Lot 522.
Covers with a single franking of the 1d (1/-) stamp.
There are only two covers with a single 1d (1/-) stamp affixed - and hence used to pay the local letter rate correctly.
The 1d (1/-) stamp paid the special rate for border towns
which was the same as the local letter rate.
Provenance: Corinphila June 2024 Lot 40387.
Covers with a mixed franking of the 1d (1/-) stamp.
Both of the covers shown below have their counterparts using the 2d (2/-) stamp attached.
These are the only recorded covers of the 1900 Victorian 1d (1/-) Victorian Charity stamp in a mixed franking.
1d (1/-) Victoria Cross Charity uprated with 1d brown and 3d yellow.
5d inter-colonial registered letter rate on a plain cover.
This cover has a companion with the 2d (2/-) Boer War stamp.
Prestige Philately May 2004, Lot 1072.
1d (1/-) Victoria Cross uprated with 1d brown and 3d yellow.
5d inter-colonial registered letter rate on a ilustrated advertising cover front.
This cover - and its companion with the 2d (2/-) Boer War stamp -
advertised Alcock & Co., Billiard Table Manufacturers
of 212 Russell Street, Melbourne.
Alcock is credited with bringing the game of billiards
to its high level of popularity in Australia during the 1800s.
Prestige Philately May 2004 Lot 1073 and Prestige Philately June 2010 Lot 690.