In 1897, the cost of posting a local letter to a destination within 15 miles was 1d - hence the basic denomination in the set. That stamp cost 1/- to the purchaser with the balance of 11d going to the Consumptives Home fund.

The nature of the issue, with the high relative cost of the stamp, led to most covers being used in contrived ways. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to determine if a cover is philatelic or a genuine postal article.

As noted previously, the postal validity of the Consumptives Home stamps ended on 31 August 1897.

The covers shown are grouped as follows:

1d (1/-) only:

1d (1/-) in mixed frankings:

Both 1d (1/-) and 2½ (2.6) in combination:

First Day Cover - single franking.

Three probable First Day Covers are known for the 1d (1/-) stamp - one cover with a pair. Until this website, these covers have been unrecognised or misclassified.
For example, one description of the Shaw cover below gave it the date stamp of July 22 (not June 22).

FDI franking at Park Street on Shaw cover
22 June 1897.
Franking is at Park Street 1 with a 924 duplex.
1d paid the cost of local delivery to Mr. W. Shaw.
Provenance: Cherrystone September 2006 Lot 1852
Prestige Philately August 2012 Lot 265.

The above cover - albeit it philatelic - appears to be a genuine First Day Cover.

There are at least two covers with a single franking which are almost identical.

The distinguishing characteristics of the first (asee above) include:

The distinguishing characteristics of the second include:

The parallel 2½d (2/6) cover raises some questions especially about the first date of issue.

First Day Cover - multiple franking.

22 June 1897.
The only recorded First Day Cover franked with a Charity pair.
Franking is at Newtown with a strike on each stamp tying them to the cover.
2d overpaid the cost of 1d for local delivery to Sydney.
Provenance: Mike Berry (techgifts)
Johnstone.

Single frankings before 31 August 1897.

Covers with a single 1d franking were popular and involved less risk to the collector.
There are probably about 30 single franking covers with 23 definitely confirmed so far as having been used in the period of postal validity before 31 August 1897. At least six of the known covers went to the same address in Glebe Point - although to three different recipients.

In addition there are probably 10 covers (or more) with single frankings used after the 31 August (not really legally).

Franking at Enmore for delivery to Barry at Enmore
30 June 1897.
Local letter to Enmore (Barry Co.)
Has very faint Barred Numeral 1204 plus circular date stamp of Enmore.

Franking at Oxford St for delivery to Bosch at Philip Street

6 July 1897.
Local letter to Bosch in Philip Street, City
Has 1d (1/-) stamp in lower left corner.

Franking at Oxford St for delivery to Danes at Glebe Point
9 July 1897
Local letter rate within Sydney.
Oxford Street to Glebe Point.
Cancelled and well tied to cover with a 699 duplex of Oxford Street.

Covers similar the last shown and to the same address have been listed on Ebay, Prestige Philately (for example in August 2012 Lot 258) and other outlets.
The same type of covers are also known for:

The same hand writing on the Glebe Point covers and addresses especially shows clearly these covers were philatelic in nature. There are many similar covers to the same Glebe Point address - and all have not been seen yet.

Single franking covers sent within NSW but outside of Sydney.

9 July 1897
Local letter rate.
Adelong for local delivery.
Cancelled with Adelong 235 Rays duplex.
2 September 1897 - just out of postal validity.
Local letter rate.
Broken Hill for local delivery.
Cancelled with Broken Hill Barred Numeral 133.
Provenance: Chartwell Collection (Spink May 2018, Lot 64)

Recorded covers with a single 1d (1/-) franking used before 31 August 1897.


Recorded covers with a single 1d (1/-) franking used after 31 August 1897.

Multiple frankings of the 1d(1/-) Charity.

There are very few covers having a franking with just two 1d (1/-) Charity stamps - and none with more that two stamps:

Edgecliff to Bathurst.
NSW duplex 890 of 2 July 1897.
Used less than 2 weeks after issue.
Franking pays the inland rate.
One of two recorded covers with two singles of the 1d (1/-) NSW Charity. Provenance:Cowling Collection,
Corinphila Sale 360, November 2025, Lot 5019.

16 December 1904 - used seven years after issue.
North Sydney NSW duplex to Melbourne.
Franking pays the 2d. inter-colonial rate.
One of three recorded 1d (1/-) covers franked with a pair.
Provenance: Status February 2003 Lot 1302.

Rod Perry, in his research of the philatelic records of early stamp dealers, noted that C. B. Donne was Melbourne's first Stamp Dealer.

Multiple franking.

Few multiple frankings with more than one 1d (1/-) Charity stamps are recorded:

Combination franking of the 1d (1/-) and 2½d (2/6).

Mixed franking with the 1d (1/-) stamp.

Fifteen covers are recorded with a mixed franking involving the 1d (1/-) stamp and other stamps (excluding the 2½d).
Of these, five covers were sent within NSW, four covers were sent to Queensland, one cover to Victoria and five covers were sent overseas.

See below for a list of the mixed franking covers recorded.

Mixed franking on covers sent within NSW.

Mixed franking from Oxford Street to Circular Quay Sydney
3 July 1897.
Sent from the Exchange to Sydney GPO to Cuthbert Burgoyne Post Restante.
A single 1d (1/-) Charity stamp plus a 1d Arms.
The strke of the duplex does not extend beyond the Charity stamp and
the Arms stamp is not quite touched by cancellation.
the 1d Arms overpays the local letter rate.
Provenance: Grosvenor (UK) 20 September 2017, Lot 294. David Wild.
8 July 1897
Cover was addressed to Mr. Pope.
Franking of 1d (1/-) Charity stamp with a 3d green on a registered cover to Pitt Street, City.
Cost of 4d for 1d local letter rate and 3d for Registration fee.
Victoria House cover - Single on cover uprated with 3d diadem with cds of July 8 1897.
Provenance: Millennium Sale 56 September 2013 Lot 139.
Mixed franking from Oxford Street to Circular Quay Sydney
2 July 1897.
Sent from the Exchange to Sydney GPO to Mr Keydel.
A single 1d (1/-) Charity stamp plus a 1d Arms.
The strke of the duplex does not extend beyond the Charity stamp and
the Arms stamp is not quite touched by cancellation.
the 1d Arms overpays the local letter rate.
Provenance: Grosvenor (UK) 20 September 2017, Lot 294. David Wild.
Mixed franking with 1d from Oxford Street to Circular Quay Sydney
2 July 1897.
Sent from Oxford Street to the S.S. Stuttgart which was berthed in Circular Quay.
A single 2½d (2/6) Charity stamp plus a 2½d Prussian blue (Die II) Queen Victoria
from the Jubilee issue tied with a Oxford Street 699 duplex a cover which has
a Registration number 18 the the top left corner and a related written annotation
in the lower left corner.
The combination of the two stamps paid the 5d registered local letter rate.
Provenance: Prestige Philately Sale 144 April 2009, Lot 354.

See the corresponding cover in 2½d Covers page.

11 July 1897
Franking of 1d (1/-) Charity with ½d grey Queen and 1d Centennial Sydney Views on piece.
Cancelled with a Marrickville 430 duplex on 11 July 1897.

Covers with a mixed franking with the 1d (1/-) stamp sent to other Colonies in Australia.

14 July 1897.
Mathoura to Melbourne with duplex 478.
Mixed franking on a cut-down cover front with 1d View of Sydney Centennial
paying the inter-colonial rate.
Provenance: Ebay Febrary 2015.
21 July 1897.
2d inter-colonial rate King Street (Sydney) to Rockhampton, Queensland.
Mixed franking with 1d Arms.
Provenance: Status Auctions Sale 207 December 2002 Lot 1016.
The handwriting on this cover is similar to that on other covers - for example the Dawe cover and others sent to the Glebe address. Almost identical covers sent to:

Covers with mixed frankings with the 1d (1/-) Charity sent internationally.

5 July 1897
Franking of 1d (1/-) Charity with ½d grey Queen and 1d Centennial Coat of Arms.
Cancelled with Sydney 41 NSW duplex;
Mourning cover sent to Mrs Reynolds in Edinburgh, Scotland;
Edinburgh backstamp of 9 August 1897;
Provenance: Abacus Austions December 2019, Lot 1522.

See also the companion cover with the 2½d (2/6) stamp.
23 August 1897
7d foreign registered letter rate:
British Empire rate: 4d and foreign registration fee: 3d.
1d (1/-)Charity stamp in combination with four other denominations.
Possibly philatelic but the correct rate was paid and to an international destination
with arrival backstamps.
30 August 1897.
Lismore to Somersetshire, England with arrival date stamp
at Clevedon of 13 October 1897.
Franking of ½d grey and 1d violet View of Sydney
plus the 1d (1/-) Charity stamp paid the 2½d foreign letter rate.
Posted the day before the postal validity ended.
Has a date stamp on the front and a backstamp of
Clevedon of 13 October 1897
and an additional backstamp of Rugeley of 14 October
after being redirected to Staffordshire.
Provenance: Mike Berry; Johnstone.

Summary of all 1d (1/-) Charity covers with a mixed franking.

  • 5 July 1897 Reynolds Scotland
  • 21 July 1897 Swain
  • 23 August 1897 NZ
  • 30 August 1897 Staffordshire
  • 6 April 1899 sent from Oxford Street with 699 duplex (posted 11:30 am).to Brisbane (to Mr. Fyas). ½d grey pair - Millennium February 2005 Lot 74 and Ebay March 2015.
  • 28 July 1906 sent from Sydney Registered to Boston USA with ½d, 1d (2 Arms) and 2d blue Jubilee - Prestige Sale 175 August 2012 Lot 267. Dubois Collection (1) Corinphila Sale 307, June 2023, Lot 20086.

    •  

    Posted after validity of stamps for postage ended on 31 August 1897.

    2 September 1897 - just out of postal validity.
    Local letter rate.
    Broken Hill for local delivery.
    Cancelled with Broken Hill Barred Numeral 133.
    Provenance: Chartwell Collection (Spink May 2018, Lot 64)

    6 April 1899 - 2 years after issue - so not valid for postal use.
    In combination with a ½d grey pair to pay the 2d inter-colonial letter rate.
    Oxford Street (669 duplex) to Brisbane
    Provenance: Millennium Auctions February 2005 Lot 74.
    Ebay March 2015.

    1908 - 9 years after the end of the period of postal validity.
    1897 Consumptives Home 1d (1/-) with ½d green, 1d Arms x2 and QV 2d
    sent to the USA, Seattle transit & Boston arrival b/s.
    Mixed franking pays the correct rate of 2½d + 3d registration -
    although the 1d (1/-) Charity stamp was by then out of the period of postal validity.
    Provenance: Prestige Sale 175 August 2012 Lot 267.
    Dubois Collection (1) Corinphila Sale 307, June 2023, Lot 20086.

    Mixed franking covers including the 1d (1/-) NSW Charity before 31 August 1897.

    Covers with a single 1d (1/-) stamp included in a mixed franking which have been sighted are: