VC-DO-2

Victoria - Colonial period: 1854-1900.
Electric Telegraph ordinary rate delivery form: VC-DO-2.

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Special aspects

General characteristics:

Heading and notes:	No form number. Crest over BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH in serif font.
Message area:	Blank.
Reverse side:	Blank.
Colours (text & form):	Black on blue.
Size of form overall:	263 × 210 mm.

Distinctive characteristics of this form:

minimal writing on form;
font for the heading is the same as for the previous form (VC-DO-1);
the central Shield in vertically oval;
the ends of the tails of the supporters bend down;
the face of the Lion is smaller;
Crest is 31 mm wide;
the form has printed 186_ for date.

Provenance: Gundersen.
Prestige Philately September 2006 Lot 489.

VC-DO-2.

Sydney via Melbourne and then posted to Hobart because the cable would have been inoperative at that time (it failed completely in 1861) - 31 July 1860.

Characteristics:

the design of the Crest has changed (see below);
the message area is not lined.

Note the annotation in the top left corner summarising the charges as follows:

14 words costing 7/4 (6/- for 10 words and 4d for each of the additional four words);
6d prepaid for the cost of postage from Victoria to Tasmania.

Crest for the delivery form above (VC-DO-2) showing
the Lion standing upright and the shield oval.

Details of use and rarity.

Form sub-number	Schedule number	Earliest recorded date	Rarity rating
DO-2	None	31 July 1860 at Melbourne.	RR