VC-DO-17

Victoria - Colonial period: 1854-1900.
Post Office Telegraphs ordinary rate delivery form VC-DO-17.

General characteristics:

Heading and notes:	Form number is E.T. - No. 3 (not No. 1). POST OFFICE TELEGRAPHS. Telegraph Branch, General Post Office.
Message area:	28 numbered boxes in 7 lines.
Reverse side:	Blank.
Colours (text & form):	Black on cream.
Size of form overall:	232 × 215 mm.

Distinctive characteristics of this form:

special delivery form for use in the Telegraph Branch;
heading is in 7 mm sans-serif font;
POST OFFICE heading starts about the centre of the left hand box;
no schedule number.
the main distinctions between the two varieties are:
17A: has the number of forms printed under the form number in the top left corner;
17B: only form number in the top left corner.

VC-DO-17A.

Launceston to Queen Street, Melbourne
(27 November 1883).

Characteristics:

Delivery envelope accompanying above form.

Telegraph Branch cds of
27 November 1883.

Has printed date of ---188-.

The ms number "4024" confirms the link between the two items.

VC-DO-17B.
Sydney to Melbourne and tied with a Telegraph Branch duplex
(20 January 1885).

Characteristics:

Has similarities with form number VC-DO-10 especially in the font for the heading.

The reason for the change of form number to E.T. No. 3 can only be surmised.

Details of use and rarity.

Form sub-number	Schedule number	Earliest recorded date	Rarity rating
DO-17a	(800,000)	27 November 1883 at Telegraph Branch, Melbourne.	RRRR
DO-17b	None	20 January 1885 at Telegraph Branch, Melbourne.	RRRR