As noted for the 1d (1/-), most known uses of these two Hospital Charity stamps are on philatelic covers.

Examples of the covers together with a listing of known covers are included:

    1. single franking;
    2. multiple franking;
    3. combination and mixed franking;
    4. forged franking;.

Single franking.

25 October 1897.
St. Kilda to South Yarra and tied with a St. Kilda duplex with barred numeral 78.
1d local letter rate overfranked by 1½d on a philatelic cover.

31 August 1898.
Cover to Armadale and tied two strikes of an UPTRAIN/MG 15/Victoria framed Travelling Post Office cds.
Maybe a 1d local letter rate overfranked by 1½d on a philatelic cover.

Listing of the known covers with a single franking of the 2½d (2/6) stamp.


  • 25 October 1897 cover sent from St Kilda to South Yarra. Status Auctions July 2008 Lot 1569.
  • 28 October 1897 cover cancelled at Bendigo for local delivery. Status Auctions July 2008 Lot 1568.
  • 28 March 1898 cover sent with a Hawthorn duplex (cover has a slight tear). Rodney Perry 14 September 1993 Lot 1034.
  • 4 July 1898 cover sent from Numurkah to Armadale. Ebay February 2026.
  • 31 August 1898 cover sent from Armadale with UPTRAIN/MG15/VICTORIA' framed Travelling Post Office date stamp. Abacus Auction 261 September 2025, Lot 979.


    • Multiple franking of the 2½d (2/6) on cover.


    4 November 1897
    Mornington 113 to Broken Hill, NSW
    Two singles overpaying the inter-colonial rate.
    Provenance: Corinphila May 2018 Lot 3483.


    5 April 1898.
    South Yarra to Stuttgart, Germany
    Pair of the 2½d (2/6) stamp tied by Numeral '200' duplexes of South Yarra.
    8d foreign registered letter rate, 2nd step.

    Use of a 3d Registered envelope to Germany
    uprated with a 1897 Charity 2½d pair tied by 'R' within a circle.
    The cover has backstamps of Melbourne and Stuttgart.
    Provenance: Millennium Auctions August 2004 Lot 208.
    Millennium Auctions Rarities October 2004 Lot 65.



    9 June 1905.
    Franked by a pair of the 2½d (2/6) brown paying the 5d registered intra-colonial rate to Stawell.
    Same address and handwriting as on a cover shown elsewhere with a 2½d (2/-) pair and a ½d green.
    Intra-colonial letter rate: 2d;
    Very late usage.
    Provenance: Matthew Bennett February 2003 Lot 578;
    Millennium April 2003, Lot 657.
    Prestige Philately Sale 156 June 2010 Lot 688.


    These are the only three covers recorded with a multiple of the 2½d (2/6) Brown stamp from the 1897 Victorian Charities issue. 3 November 1897 Law Court Sydney Pair in mixed franking Prestige Philately, January 2004. Lot 626.
    Prestige Philately, May 2012, sale 173, Lot 733. 5 April 1898 South Yarra Stuttgart, Germany Pair Millennium Auctions August 2004 Lot 208.
    Millennium Auctions Rarities October 2004 Lot 65.

    Combination and mixed franking of the 2½d (2/6) on cover.


    25 October 1897 - 3 days after issue.
    A combination franking on cover from Melbourne Registered to Ronneburg, Germany. Two singles of the 1d (1/-) blue and a single of the 2½d (2/6) stamp mixed with a 1d orange Naish design on a plain cover.
    Provenence: Millennium Auctions August 2004 Lot 208.
    Millennium Auctions Rarities October 2004 Lot 65.

    See elsewhere for a listing of the 1d (1/-) multiples used on cover.


    Forgery.


    Many covers were "artificially treated" to give the impression they were genuine. Sometimes original stamps would be soaked off and a Charity stamp affixed and "cancelled".


    No clear date.
    Also the cancellation on the ½d green is clear of the Charity stamp which may be covering a space previously occupied by another stamp.
    In the example shown here and in the detailed scan below, it is clear that the two cancellations are of different format and size.