Both of the 1897 Victorian Hospital Fund Charity stamps were overprinted Specimen in italic serif font - 12 mm wide (type 22).
The 1d (1/-) stamp was overprinted in red while the 2½d (2/6) was overprinted in black.
This overprint was only used on the Victorian Charity stamps intended for distribution to members of the newly created U.P.U.
The nature of the target group ensured that examples are now scarce - especially in multiples. The largest multiples are:
- one block of four of each denomination;
- two strips of three of each denomination.
The only recorded blocks of 4 overprinted SPECIMEN.
Mint never hinged.
Provenance: Rod Perry June 1990 Lot 528;
Prestige Philately November 2008 Lot 581;
Abacus Auctions September 2019, Lot 237.
Two strips of 3 of the 1d (1/-) blue overprinted SPECIMEN in red.
Mint never hinged.
In the top strip, the SP of SPECIMEN cuts through the shield.
In the lower strip, SPECIMEN is fully contained within the shield.
Provenance: Rod Perry June 1990 Lot 528;
Prestige Philately November 2008 Lot 581;
Abacus Auctions September 2019, Lot 237.
Two strips of 3 of the 2½d (2/6) brown overprinted SPECIMEN in black.
Mint never hinged.
In the top strip, the SP of SPECIMEN is above the EN of PENCE.
In the lower strip, the SP of SPECIMEN is above the NC of PENCE.
Provenence: The top strips in each pair are from
Rod Perry September 1993 Lot 1031
and Charles Leski July 2002, Lot 345.
The lower strips in each pair are from:
Millennium, June 2011 Lot 449 with pair of singles to comprise lot 448.
Lower images courtesy of Ken Pearson, Victoria.
The only recorded variety of the overprint is recorded on the 2½d. It is a double overprint of which one is an albino overprint. Only one Specimen is visible from the front but on the reverse side the double printing can be seen clearly.
(Rodney Perry April 1998 Lot 1035 and Prestige Philately January 2004 Lot 614).