Qld Specimen and CTO

1d (1/-) stamps overprinted SPECIMEN.

Specimen stamps were released in very limited numbers for collectors. For the 1d stamp, a number of overprints were used.

SPECIMEN small type — Overprinted SPECIMEN.
Type 6 Specimen overprint
12½ × 1½ mm.
The Charity stamps were
the only postage stamps
to use this overprint.

Provenance: William McCredie.
Millennium Auctions, June 2011 Lot 133.
.

SPECIMEN double and inverted — Overprinted SPECIMEN
but doubled and inverted.
Only recorded example.
Type 3 Specimen overprint.

Provenance:
Prestige Philately
August 2013 Lot 433.

Overprinted SPECIMEN slightly doubled.
Type 3 in sans serif capitals 15 × 2 mm - used 1880-1890.
Also has a small double lined arc of a dumb ring.

Provenance: William McCredie.
Millennium Auctions, June 2011 Lot 132.

2d (1/-) stamps overprinted with SPECIMEN.

For the 2d stamp, the usual SPECIMEN was applied although with either a vertical or a horizontal orientation. All examples are rare with generally only one example known of each.

SPECIMEN vertical right of Queen — Overprinted SPECIMEN vertically.
SPECIMEN Type 3 printed vertically. Sans serif capitals.
15 × 2 mm. Used 1880-1890.
Also has a small double lined arc of a dumb ring. Provenance: William McCredie.
Millennium Auctions, June 2011 Lot 132.

Stamps overprinted CANCELLED.

Stamps with a dumb ring cancel.

Dumb ring slightly left — Example 1 of 2 known.

Provenance: William McCredie.
Millennium Auctions, June 2011 Lot 135.
Abacus Auctions September 2019, Lot 259.

Cancelled with a full 10 mm dumb ring
which is very unusual.
Ring in a slightly different position.
Example 2 of 2 known.
Ebay April 2019.

Cancelled with small double lined arc of a dumb ring.

Millennium Auctions, June 2011.

Stamps Cancelled to Order with a T.C. strike.

The Cancelled to Order Queensland Charity stamps were all prepared at the Telegraph Counter at the Brisbane GPO.

They are commonly known with the date 10 September 1902 although other dates are also recorded (for example 22 July 1902).
The T.C. datestamp - which is classified by Campbell (1990, p.152) as Type 1 - was used from 1894 to September 1904.
Examples showing its use on telegrams are now scarce.

The two main items known for each denomination are a block of six and a pair.
Both sets were released from the Australia Post Archives in the February 1987 Archival Sale (they were Lots 36 and 37 respectively).
In addition, a number of single examples are recorded.

There is no record of how many CTO stamps were prepared or sold.

TC cancel block of 6 — 1d (6d) violet marginal block of 6.

Cancelled to Order at TC (Telegraph Counter) Brisbane on 10 September 1902.

Provenance: Australia Post Archival Sale,
February 1987, Lot 36;
Rodney Perry September 1993 Lot 813;
Millennium Auctions Rarities October 2004 Lot 28;
Millennium Auctions June 2011 Lot 455.

2d violet CTO marginal pair — 1d (60) violet marginal pair.

Cancelled to Order at TC (Telegraph Counter) Brisbane on 10 September 1902.

Provenance: Australia Post Archival Sale, February 1987, Lot 37;
Status July 2007, Lot 1685;
Johnstone - Prestige Philately February 2012, Lot 551.

Some CTO singles are known having T.C. at the base (see, for example, two examples in Prestige Philately November 2004 Lot 753 and March 2005 Lot 312).
Most of these examples are poorly cancelled.
One of the few excellent examples is the following marginal single:

C.T.O. 2d with Brisbane T.C. (Telegraph Counter) cds of 22 July 1902.
The T.C. was the source of all (official) C.T.O. cancelations.