The details addressed on this page are:
- the design of the 2d (2/-) Charity stamp;
- the alternative standard issue 2d stamp in 1900;
- details of printing and issue;
- large multiples;
- examples of used examples of the 2d (2/-) off cover and a complete list of recorded examples of stamps with a complete date stamp.
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The 2d emerald stamp used to pay the 2d inter-colonial postage rate.
It features three members of the Victorian contingent which served in the Boer War campaign - an infantryman "on guard" with a mounted bayonet and two mounted troopers, each with rifles, scanning the Transvaal horizon (the rider on the right possibly using binoculars). The Charity stamp was sold for 2/- - 12 times the face value - to raise money for the Patriotic Fund. The stamp was not valid for overseas use. |
The 2d Victorian stamp on standard issue in 1899/1900 was first issued in 1888 for the purpose of paying the cost of sending a basic inter-colonial letter. The stap was a modified design of that prepared by Charles Naish. There were many printings in violet shades.
Those wishing to send a letter to another Australian Colony therefore had the choice between these two stamps - depending on whether they wished to pay the extra amount of 12 times the basic rate by using the the Boer War Patriotic Fund stamp. |
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Both stamps in the Patriotic Fund issue were printed from electrotype printing plates in sheets of 42 arranged in six rows of seven stamps.
Main details of printing.
| Date of issue: | 22 May 1900. |
|---|---|
| Watermark: | V over Crown (V4) sideways. |
| Perforation: | 12½ single line perf. |
| Number printed: | Unknown but more than 20,034 stamps (477 sheets) plus some sheets which were sent to the Victorian Agent General in London for sale. |
| Supplied to Bern Bureau (UPU): | Unknown. |
| Destroyed under Treasury Authority: | Unknown. |
| Number issued: | About 4,000 stamps. |
There are only two recorded multiples - both pairs - of the 2d (2/-) stamp.
One pair has no selvedge while the other has selvedge at the right side.
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Pair with no selvedge at right.
Provenance:
Abacus Sept 2019, Sale 237 Lot 536; Johnstone; |
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Pair with selvedge - MNH.
Provenance: Stone Collection. |
A CTO horizontal pair with Melbourne 28 July 1902 cancellation across the join was sold by Status International in July 2002 as Lot 1472.
As noted elsewhere, used 2d (2/-) stamps in good condition with a clear date stamp are scarce. There are at least 15 but probably less than 25 examples recorded.
Some examples are:
 Melbourne: 25 May 1900. Three days after issue. Prestige Philately June 2012 Lot 471. |
 Essendon: 18 June 1900. |
 Elsternwick: 22 September 1911 (Late cancellation - out of postal validity). Status Auctions January 2013 Lot 1952. |
Date stamps on 2d (2/-) stamps.
The list below records the clear date stamps on the 2d (2/-) 1900 Victorian Charity stamp.
Faint, smudged and incomplete date stamps are not included because of the difficulty in ascertaining their degree of genuineness;
CTO cancellations are discussed elsewhere.
| Date on stamp | From | Notes | Seller/Reference & Date (lot) |
| 25 May 1900 | Melbourne. | Prestige Philately June 2012 Lot 471. | |
| 28 May 1900 | Melbourne 7. | Double circle date stamp. | Matthew Bennett April 2003 Lot 2831. Abacus Auctions Dec 2019 Lot 536. |
| 30 May 1900 | Geelong 2. | Duplex - rotated anti-clockwise. | Status February 2003 Lot 1587. |
| 2 June 1900 | Rosedale | Unframed date stamp left of centre and rotated about 200 degrees clockwise. |
Abacus Sale 227 Lot 450 (part) |
| 5 June 1900 | Spottiswoode | Unframed - with 1d (1/-). | Ebay April 2018. |
| 16 June 1900 | Illowa | Unframed | Phoenix Auctions, Jan 2015, Lot 776. |
| 24 June 1900 | Mildura. | Prestige Philately August 2005 Lot 436. | |
| 18 June 1900 | Essendon. | ||
| 20 June 1900 | Melbourne 7 | Double circle with shading in lower section around the 7. | Ebay April 2018. Ebay Oct 2019. |
| 2 August 1900 | Port Melbourne 7?. | Duplex. | Status February 2012 Lot 1672. |
| 16 September 1900 | Rialto. | Duplex. | Matthew Bennett April 2003 Lot 2832. Richard Juzwin July 2018. |
| 8 January 1901 | Rialto Telegraph Office. | Status May 2006 Lot 1476 Status December 2006 Lot 1641. |
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| 11 January 1901 | Melbourne. | Double circle date stamp. | Ebay September 2013. |
| 25 May 1901 | Bendigo Registered. | Has margin at left. | Phoenix Dec 2012 Lot 842 and July 2013 Lot 1144. |
| ?5 July 1901 | Melbourne ?7. | Double circle (left side not present). | Sandafayre October 2013 Lot 4170 and November 2013 Lot 5546. |
| 5 January 1903 | Maldon | Incomplete and in lower right corner | Ebay July 2018 |
| 12 January 1904 | Down Train M.G. 17 | Octagonal date stamp with VICTORIA at the base. Centered but toushes perfs at the left. | Corinphila May 2018 Lot 3485. |
| 22 September 1911 | Elsternwick. | Usual date stamp crossing right side perforations. | Prestige August 2012 Lot 272; Status March 2013 Lot 2010; Status June 2013 Lot 1845. |