As with the single frankings of the 1d (1/-) and 2d (2/-) stamps, the combination and mixed frankings involving both stamps are generally philatelic although some do appear to have a genuineness about them.

It is estimated that there are less than 12 covers with both stamps from the 1900 Victorian Charity issue. Of the six covers shown below, three have international addresses and appear to be genuine postally used. The Charity stamps did not however have validity for the payment of international postage!!! The other three covers shown below have inter-Colonial/inter-State addresses (Tasmania and New South Wales).

The covers shown are grouped as follows:

  1. combination frankings of both the 1900 Victorian Charity stamps;
  2. mixed frankings of both the 1900 Victorian Charity stamps with another issue.

Combination frankings.

Melbourne to Launceston, Tasmania.
15 June 1900.

2d inter-colonial rate: 1d overfranking for a philatelic cover.

Prestige Philately October 2010
Lot 339.

As the address is extremely brief and neither stamp is tied to the cover, it can be assumed this is a fabricated cover and did not enter the postal system.

Melbourne to Sydney.
6 June 1900.

Addressed to the Post and Telegraph Department in Sydney.

5d registered inter-colonial rate:

Registration fee 3d;
Inter-colonial letter rate: 2d.

One of three covers recorded with a 1d pair.

Status Auctions August 2015 Lot 1516. Melbourne to London.
11 June 1901.

2½d foreign postage rate.
Cover front only - so no way to determine if arrival date stamps had been applied..

Also, as noted earlier, the 2d stamp was not valid fo overseas use.

 


Mixed frankings.

The following six covers are the only covers recorded of both the Boer War stamps ia a mixed franking with a stamp from another issue.

Phoenix Auctions December 2013, Lot 893. Melbourne to Sydney.
31 May 1900.

5d registered inter-colonial letter rate:
Inter-colonial letter rate: 2d; Registration fee: 3d.

Both Charity stamps with a Naish 2d violet.

 

Spink May 2018 Lot 347.

Euroa to Junee and redirected to Sydney.
11 June 1900.

A registered letter with both Charity stamps together with a 1d rose-red Naish design avd cancelled three times with an unframed Euroa date stamp. Has backstamps for Melbourne 5:30 am on 12 June), Junee (4:30 pm 12 June) and Sydney 14 June).

A genuine postal use of the Charity issue.

 


Prestige Philately, August 2012, Sale 175, Lot 274.
Melbourne to Batavia (Jakarta), Java.
20 June 1900.

Cover sent to the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company which operated the telegraph cable connection to Darwin and to Broome.

Mixed franking with 2½d Tannenberg paying the postage rate and the 3d Naish paying the registration fee. The Charity stamps are just decoration as they had no postal validity to an overseas destination.

Melbourne via Perth to Singapore.
23 July 1900 cds of Melbourne.

Victorian franking pays the 5d foreign letter rate. Was sent to Forwarding Agents Lean Bros. in Perth and a Registered Perth oval date stamp of 31 July 1900 on reverese together with a Singapore arrival backstamp of 21 August 1900.

Provenance: Corinphila November 2022 Lot 10421.
DUBOIS Collection, Johnstone.

Matthew Bennett, February 2003 Lot 579;
Millennium Auctions, April 2003 Lot 658.
Rialto to Boston, USA.
29 August 1901 (with Telegraph Office date stamp).

5½d registered foreign letter rate: Foreign letter rate: 2½d; Registration fee: 3d.

Both Charity stamps with a contemporary ½d uprating 1d orange envelope.

Use of the Charity stamps to pay the overseas rate after Federation. It may have been thought that, as Colonial stamps were interchangeable, they might then have been valid for overseas purposes.

An almost identical cover is known - see Gartner Sale February 2021, Lot 3289.
It has the same date but is numbered "380" in red and it has registration number "12438" to the right and well clear of the R circle handstamp. It also has "789" in pencil ms under the LH 1d stamp.
One can only surmise about item "381".