Colour trials and were printed for both stamps. All colour trials were made with the final design and were therefore taken from the printing plate. The trials therefore also served as plate proofs.
The 1d (6d) was printed in four basic colours with several variations for each basic colour. No reason is known as to why so many variations were produced for the 1d (6d) value.
Prestige Philately estimated that 1d to 2d proofs exist in a ratio of about 100:1.


1d (6d) colour trials.

At least eleven colour trials were printed across the four basic colour classes - red, green, blue and violet - in differing colours and shades.

All were printed on ungummed watermarked paper and left imperforate.


The watermark was the same as for the issued stamp - Q over Crown sideways (rotated clockwise i.e. top of the Crown towards the right side).


Most of the colour trials had flaws especially on or just outside the external frame.

There are few complete sets known. One is in the Royal Collection while another is in the Australia Post Archival Collection.

The Presentation Sheet included elsewhere is a third example of a complete set.

There are probably less than than five other complete sets in private hands - all of single images.
Spink (June 2023) Lot 3107 had 10 colours for the 1d colur trial and one example of the 2d colour trial.


Singles are scarce and those which do come on the market tend to be in a narrow range of colour shades.

Multiples are rare. Those known are shown below:

All known multiples are recorded below.

All blocks of four shown below have provenance of Alan Griffiths (Spink October 2012 Lot 1392) and Johnstone. There is probably another set of blocks of four also.


In shades of red.

Block of 4 in carmine.
Dull rose-pink pair - rare multiple.
Prestige Philately December 2009 Lot 403.

single colour trial claret
Single in Claret.
The above Colour Trial
is attached to the
Presentation Sheet
included elsewhere.
The claret Trial is
annotated on the sheet
as being the"Colour
and design approved for 1d."

In shades of green.

Apple-green (pale yellowish green) block of 4.

Emerald vlock of 4.

In shades of blue.

Ultramarine block of 4.

Blue block of 4.
Dark blue pair.

In shades of violet.

Pale violet block of 4.

Violet block of 4.

Dark violet blue pair.
The pair is printed in a most unusual shade.
It also shows a number of frame varieties which needed
correction before the final printing commenced.

Prestige June 2010 Lot 458.
Status Auctions December 2018 Lot 1664.
Millennium November 2019 Lot 165.