The details addressed from this page are:

Lists of the recorded 2d (1/-) stamp included elsewhere summarise the known dates off cover as well as the known covers with single stamps.

 

Design of the 2d (1/-) stamp.

The 2d violet stamp used to pay the 2d inter-colonial postage rate.

Th violet stamp was an amalgamation of three design components incorporated into the essays. It shows:

  • a central image of the bust of Queen Victoria within a medallion (similar to that included in two of the essays). She has very long earrings;
  • a troopship like that on the second essay (it is leaving the dock not arriving) with troops on board as well as two significant launches rather than a row boat as in the fourth essay);
  • a light horseman (a member of the Queensland Mounted Infantry);
  • a wharf has also been included;
  • on the bottom are the words and figures, " Patriotic Fund (1900) Two Pence."

The Charity stamp was sold for 1/- - six times the face value - to raise money for the Patriotic Fund.

The stamp was not valid for overseas use.

 

The standard 2d. stamp.

The 2d stamp on standatd issue in Queensland in 1900 paid the cost of the basic inter-colonial letter rate. It included the Queen's head in an oval - essentially the same design as for the 1d shown elsewhere. From 1897, the stamp with the numeral '2' in all four corners was issued in rose but, when the 1d stamp was changed to red in 1899, the 2d was re-issued in blue.

People wishing to send a letter to a another Colony therefore had the choice between these two stamps - depending on whether they wished to pay 6 times the basic letter rate by using the Boer War Hospital Fund stamp.

 

1. Main details of printing.

Date of issue: 19 June 1900.
Withdrawn from sale: October 1902.
Watermark: Crown over Q (vertical) with two watermarks per stamp.
Perforation: 12.
Number printed: 6,500.
Number issued: 4,020.

Mint stamps now generally have yellow crackly gum.

The basic colour (as shown in catalogues) is violet - see the above example and the multiple.

There is also a more dominant bright purple known on mint stamps.

 

2. First Day of Issue.

Few examples of First Day of Issue cancellations are known.

The only two recorded examples of a used stamp off cover with a cancellation of 19 June 1900 are shown here.
Brisbane/Queensland cancellation.
Maryborough/Queensland 70 duplex.

Stanley Gibbons September 2013.

 

3. Used stamps off cover.

Cancelled examples of the 2d (1/-) stamp off cover are scarce. Indeed some philatelists regard this stamp, if genuinely postally used, as being the scarcest Australian non-error stamp issue for the past 160 years - certainly a big call.

There are at least 19 recorded examples so far - in addition to the FDI cancellation above. Details of all known cancellations are recorded below.

Examples of genuine cancellations are:

Rockhampton 583 duplex of 21 June 1900 on piece - 2 days after issue.

Prestige Philately August 2004 Lot 617.
Status Auctions February 2007 Lot 1567.


Rockhampton 583 duplex 2 July 1900.

Millennium Auctions May 2012 Lot 450.

Brisbane 2 July 1900.
Has a horizontal watermark line at the top showing the stamp came from the top row in the sheet.
Prestige Philately October 2007 Lot 473.		 Brisbane 29 July 1900.
Unusual octagonal PB cancellation.
Phoenix Auctions November 2009 Lot 1249.
Roma 24 September 1900.
Matthew Bennett January 2004 Lot 2417.

Stanthorpe 6 November 1900.
Prestige Philately September 2011 Lot 241.		    


Used with duplex 263 of Nelson (allocated in 1898 - previously 263 used for Inskip Point).

Sandafayre September 2010 and Ebay (Status Stamps) May 2023.

 

  
There are also a number of examples of false (or at best dubious) cancellations (see also, for example, Prestige Philately October 2007 Lot 471) with others being listed on Ebay.

 

4. Date stamps on the 2d (1/-) stamp.

The list below records the clear date stamps on the 2d (1/-) 1900 Queensland Patriotic Fund Charity stamp.
Faint, smudged and incomplete date stamps are not included because of the difficulty in ascertaining their degree of genuineness;

Date on stamp From Notes Seller/Reference & Date (lot)
19 June 1900 Brisbane First Day of Issue. Ebay August 2016.
19 June 1900 Maryborough. First Day of Issue. Stanley Gibbons September 2013
Item P12313012.
21 June 1900 Rockhampton. On piece. Prestige August 2004 Lot 617;
Status February 2007 Lot 1567.
21 June 1900 Rockhampton.   Millennium May 2012 Lot 450.
22 June1900 Charleville Cancel upside down in centre of stamp. Ebay January 2015.
22 June 1900 Mackay.   Matthew Bennett April 2003 Lot 2768.
2 July 1900 Brisbane.   Prestige Philately October 2007 Lot 473.
2 July 1900 Rockhampton.   Millennium May 2012 Lot 450.
22 July 1900 Brisbane
(T.C. cancellation possible CTO).		 Cancel is across the left half of the stamp and rotated 135 degrees clockwise. Richard Juzwin.
27 July 1900 Brisbane.   Millennium February 2005 Lot 95;
Status Feb 2007 Lot 1568.
29 July 1900 Brisbane. Unusual octagonal date stamp. Phoenix Auctions November 2009 Lot 1249.
29 July 1900 Warwick. Difficult date to read. Status December 2002 Lot 1046.
15 August 1900 Townsville. On piece with 3d brown. Status February 2012 Lot 1520.
Ebay January 2018.
8 September 1900 Brisbane.    
16 September 1900 Brisbane Registered.   Ebay September 2013.
24 September 1900 Roma.   Matthew Bennett January 2004 Lot 2417.
6 November 1900 Stanthorpe.   Gibbons September 2001 Lot 1326;
Prestige Philately September 2011 Lot 241.
5 December 1900 Gladstone.   Status May 2006 Lot 1349.
  Nelson. Numeral 263 but no date. Sandafayre September 2010.

 

5. Multiples.

The largest multiple for the 2d (1/-) stamp is a pair (only one recorded).

2d (1/-) pair in bright violet - only recorded multiple.
Has reinforcing to perforations on reverse.

Provenance: Bernie Manning.

Rodney Perry 1999 Lot 621.
Prestige Philately June 2009 Lot 1211.