The 2½d denomination paid the foreign letter rate.
Good covers with the 2½d (2/6) stamp are scarce although there are a reasonable number of covers offered each year by the Auction Houses and on sites like Ebay and Delcampe. Many covers are in poor condition with rust spots, stains tears or folds. Good covers are those with at least a semblance of being used postally in the correct way.
As noted previously, the postal validity of the Consumptives Home stamps ended on 31 August 1897.
The covers are grouped as follows:
2½d (2/6) only:
- First Day Cover;
- single franking covers together with a listing of known covers with a single 2½d (2/6) franking;
- multiple franking covers;
2½d (2/6) in mixed frankings:
- mixed franking covers - the 2½d stamp with stamps from another issue.
Both NSW Charity stamps together on cover:
- combination frankings of both the NSW 1897 Charity stamps;
- mixed frankings of both the NSW 1897 Charity stamps with another issue.
First Day Cover (the real day of issue?).
The 2½d (2/6) Charity stamps was released on Monday 28 June 1897 - about a week after the 1d (1/-) stamp had been issued. The following cover therefore poses an interesting dilemma:.
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Park Street for local delivery. 22 June 1897. Overpaying the local letter rate of 1d by 1½d. Cancellation of 22 June is therefore the same days as the 1d (1/-) stamp was issued. Two explanations are:
Cherrystone May 2007 Lot 1852; |
There are 33 covers recorded (listed separately) with a single franking of the 2½d (2/6):
- six covers appear to be genuine uses of the stamp to pay the 2½d UPU foreign letter rate - to Sweden, to England, to Germany, to Ireland, to Scotland and one around the world;
- one may have overpaid the 1897 inter-colonial letter rate;
- other covers are clearly philatelic and "constructed" by collectors or stamp dealers. These covers were used locally within Sydney except for two which were used at Broken Hill (also for local delivery).
- three of the recorded covers are outside the period of being valid for postage.
(a) Covers with the foreign letter rate:
Examples of covers overpaying the local letter rate:
![]() Provenance: David Wild. |
The Exchange to Sydney. 3 July 1897 with Barred Numeral 113 duplex. Overfranking by 1½d for a local letter. Grosvenor, April 2017, Lot 119 |
List of covers with single frankings of the 2½d (2/6) stamp.
This list records the known covers of the 2½d (2/6) NSW Charity stamp used as a single franking on cover.
Date | From | To | Seller/Reference & Date (lot) |
22 June 1897 | Park Street | Park Street |
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29 June 1897 | Sydney 3 NSW duplex. | Elizabeth Street, City (to Fred Hagen). |
Ebay (techgifts) October 2014, September 2018. |
01 July 1897 | Sydney 41 (at 11 am). |
Phillip St, City. (to Mr Jacob Winter c/- Sydney German Club). |
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02 July 1897 | Mosman | Mosman | Matthew Bennett February 2003 Lot 567. |
03 July 1897 | Mosman 348 duplex at 4:30 pm. |
Mosman (Mrs Arthur, Military Road) |
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03 July 1897 | Newtown (2 date stamps - one across TLC of stamp and a duplex in LRC of stamp) | Newtown (cover to B. Blumenthal Esq, Walker St). |
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03 July 1897 | Sydney 3 | Helsingborg, Sweden | Nutmeg September 2006 Lot 4867. |
03 July 1897 | The Exchange | Sydney | Grosvenor June 2017, Lot 119. |
03 July 1897 | Sydney 10 NSW duplex to the right and across the stamp (part) | Box 140 GPO (to Mr. C von F(?)reehnen). |
Millenium April 2018 Lot 25. |
03 July 1897 | Newcastle | Scott St, Newcastle (H. C. Brown). Stamp has two selvedges showing it is from position 30. Cover has horizontal crease under the stamp. |
Ebay Dec 2018 (techgifts) |
05 July 1897 | Sydney at 4:30 pm | London W, England (to Arthur Dent Esq.) |
Spink, May 2018, Lot 64 (part). |
05 July 1897 | Sydney duplex | Edinburgh, Scotland (Mourning cover to Mrs Reynolds). |
Abacus November 2019, Lot 1522. |
05 July 1897 | Mosman 348 duplex at 4:30 pm. |
Mosman (Mrs Arthur Military Road) |
Date stamp extends beyond top of cover; legs of M just showing) part of duplex above stamp, stamp straight. Millennium February 2005 Lot 50. |
05 July 1897 | Mosman 348 duplex at 4:30 pm. |
Mosman (Mrs Arthur Military Road) |
Date stamp within cover, duplex extends to top perfs, stamp rotated slightly counterclockwise.
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6 July 1897 | Ashfield (193 duplex) | Ashfield to Master J. F. Stephen. |
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08 July 1897 | The Exchange | Darling Point | Ebay (arphil) February 2011. |
09 July 1897 | Sydney 36 NSW duplex at 11:00 am. |
GPO Sydney (addressed to G. H. Gordon). |
SYDNEY etc is double printed; S (of NSW) is to the left side of the perforations.
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09 July 1897 | Sydney 36 NSW duplex at 11:00 am. |
GPO Sydney (addressed to G. H. Gordon). |
Spink July 2017 Lot 477; SYDNEY is clear of the stamp; S (of NSW) is cut by the left side perforations. |
11 July 1897 | Burwood 201 duplex at 10:50 (date stamp faint & incomplete. Stamp rotated 90 degrees). | Burwood (addressed to H. B. Bilborough at Craigmounting, Burwood). |
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12 July 1897 | Jindera | Hamburg, Germany | Prestige August 2012 Lot 269. |
18 July 1897 | Kiama (Rays 25) | Kingstown, Ireland |
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28 July 1897 | Newtown (stamp is in the top left corner just overhanging the top edge). |
Stanmore (Mep M&L Lodge) |
Mossgreen April 2015 Lot 252. (Appears to be a "contrived cover". The date stamp in the top right of the stamp is Newtown JY 28/5 40 pm/97 and it appears to tie the stamp to the cover. There is also a Petersham 303 duplex across the stamp with the right side of the duplex tied to the cover. The date stamp has the date JY 15/3 PM/97. On the reverse there is a two line Petersham date stamp of AU 5/97). |
11 August 1897 | Broken Hill 1331 duplex | Broken Hill | Matthew Bennett Feb 2003 Lot 561; Millennium April 2003 Lot 543. |
23 August 1897 | Hurstville duplex 1127 | Hurstville | |
23 August 1897 | Edgecliff duplex | Edgecliff Post Office (to Mr. C. A. Gilles) |
Spink Sale February 2013 Lot 685 (the Hutson Collection) . |
24 August 1897 | Greenwich with 1207 Barred Numeral duplex. (Stamp has top selvedge |
Greenwich | Status May 2006 Lot 1299 Ebay December 2018 (techgifts). |
25 August 1897 | Edgecliff | Edgecliff | David Feldman Geneva Sept. 2013 Lot 41228 |
27 August 1897 | Petersham | Petersham (to Miss. E. P. Bedford). |
Prestige August 2012 Lot 278. Prestige May 2014 Lot 1336. |
30 August 1897 | Ashfield BN duplex 193. | Ashfield (to Master Stephen). |
Millennium February 2005 Lot 49. |
31 August 1897 | Broken Hill (Barred Numeral 1331) |
Broken Hill - to Mr. D. L. Perston. | Ebay March 2017. |
Beyond postal validity. |
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23 (or 28) December 1897 | Longueville | Longueville | Ebay March 2015 |
1897 (unclear duplex) | Sydney | Toowoomba, Qld | Cherrystone, July 2006, Lot 1327. |
24 March 1899 | Oxford Street | Vienne | Ebay September 2013. |
Four covers are known with just the two 2½d (2/6) Charity stamps. Two of these are pairs and the other two have two singles.
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To Goulburn.
5d registered intra-colonial rate. Rare use of a pair on cover (three covers with a pair of the 2½d (2/6) stamp are recorded). Prestige Philately August 2012, Lot 270. Status Auctions December 2012, Lot 1748. |
In addition to a cover with a pair in a mixed franking, another cover with a multiples of the 2½d (2/6) Charity stamps is:
- a horizontal pair tied by a REGISTERED Sydney c.d.s. on a legal size registered cover to Melbourne dated 30 June, 1897 (3rd day of issue) with relevant backstamps (Matthew Bennett February 2003 Lot 568);
There are only five covers with a single 2½d (2/6) stamp and stamps from another issue. Two of these covers were sent to England while three were sent to Queensland.
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Oxford Street to Circular Quay (to the S.S. Stuttgart). 2 July 1897. Has 699 Oxford Street duplex. In combination with 2½d Prussian blue (Die II) Queen Victoria from the Jubilee issue. Has registration number 18. 5d registered letter rate. Paid with 2½d purple (Die 2) Queen Victoria Jubilee. Prestige Philately April 2009, Lot 354. See corresponding cover in 1d Covers page. |
The five mixed franking covers with a single 2½d (2/6) stamp together with stamps from another issue which have been sighted are:
Date | From | To | Franking in addition to 2½d (2/6) |
Seller/Reference | Date (lot) |
2 July1897 | Oxford St. duplex | Circular Quay (S.S. Stuttgart) |
2½d (Die 2) Jubilee | Prestige | April 2009 (354) |
2 July 1897 | Enfield "189" rays (in TRC of stamp) |
Toowoomba | 1d Arms (on reverse) | Matthew Bennett; Cherrystone. |
Feb. 2003 (562); Sept. 2006 (1327) |
24 July 1897 | Dulwich Hill (1373 barred numeral | Miss Maude Posseby Harroldtown near Brisbane, Qld. |
2½d (2/6) pair plus 2d Jubilee and pair of ½d grey | Millenium | Feb. 2005 (73). |
Beyond postal validity. |
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6 Feb 1899 | William Street | Derby, England | 3d green diadem (under Charity at right). |
Nutmeg | Sept. 2006 (4857) |
Sydney Reg'd | Rockhampton | 2½d Jubilee. | Matthew Bennett | Feb. 2003 (566) |