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This area is new to me, so I thought I'd share a couple of items I got this week.

The first is a 1972 35c Christmas on registered cover to Yugoslavia. Guru RAP says this stamp is 'difficult' on cover no matter how used. I'm a bit miffed the envelope it arrived in wasn't stiffened and resulted in the 50c Pioneer getting creased, but then that stamp also has a small tear so it's not as disastrous as it could have been.

The second item is philatelic, clearly. Please forgive me for posting it here, but at 3 Euro I had to buy it cos it's lovely!

Scott

Very nice cover of the first 9 decimal issues. Used in period. Well done.

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Waroff49

The last chapter of the Never_Ending Story is being written.

Here are three covers with mixed pre-decimal and decimal. Look to be philatelic to me but still quite nice.

Stampdog,

Some nice items there. As you state a couple do look philatelic but hey who cares. Nice looking items.

Its nice to see some new blood on the thread. Its one of my favourites.

Tim

Folks,

I bid on a lot of four uprated PSE's on ebay recently and paid $15ish for this group. I was keen on the 15c Galah. Its a scarce franking. I did not think much about the others in the group. A couple of queen upgrades and a 20c sturt desert pea upgrade.

It shows that you should always look properly when you buy something.

I have ended up with my nice 15c galah but a couple of real bonuses.

The two upgraded PSE's with the 3c and 2c queens are stunners. They are both upgrading LSD 5d PSE's. So both are cross over covers. Very scarce and desirable.

The next question is why is one upgraded with a 2c queen and the other with a 3c queen? This is why I love covers like this.

Here is my guess. They are both surface rate covers to countries other than Commonwealth countries. Our American brothers had long before taken on the might of the British and left the Commonwealth.

The rate at the time was 7 cents to countries other than Commonwealth countries. So 5 pence and 2 cents makes 7 cents or 5 pence and 3 cents makes 7 cents?

The answer is that 5 pence and 3 cents makes 7 cents. How does that make sense (cents)? 5 + 3 = 7?

At the time of change over from LSD to decimal currency, 5 pence was deemed as being 4 cents. The new decimal normal letter rate was 4 cents. So the correct upgrade of the 5 pence cover (which was still legal to be used until 1968) to meet the 7 cent rate was 3 cents. This was obviously a little confusing and I am assuming that the cover with the 2 cent queen upgrade (which is underpaid) was done so unknowingly by both the sender and the post office.

What a bargain for the group. I would, and I am sure other too, have paid significantly more than $15 for these two covers. As Glen often says knowledge is power but also observance helps as well.

Tim

Folks,

Just for clarification in case some people are wondering from the scans, the other two PSEs are 5 cent covers. They are both later covers and the rate had risen from 4 cents to 5 cents by that time. All four covers are going to the USA but the two later covers are paying the 25c Zone 4 airmail rate.

Tim

Folks,

Sorry I still stuffed that up. The Zone 4 Airmail rate from 14 Feb 66 to 30 September 68 was 20 cents. From 1 October 68 to 30 September 71 was 25 cents. The 15 cent Galah is the former rate and the 20 cent Sturt Desert Pea was the later.

Tim

Folks,

Come where have all you decimal heads gone? This thread has gone quiet.

I need some help with this one. I just received it from an Ebay purchasse. Its a great cover but I am having difficulty calculating the rate.

Its a September 1976 airmail usage to Finland. The cover is oversize and obviously commercial. The rate is $3.35. The cover is registered.

The rate at the time was .25c for registration and the airmail rate was .40c for the first 10grams and .40c for each extra 20grams. Take the .25c registration off and you are left with $3.15. 210grams would add up to $2.80 and 250grams would total $3.20. Seems very heavy for the size of the envelope.

Anyone have any ideas?

Tim

Folks,

I read my rates incorrectly. The registration fee in 1976 was $2 and the Zone 5 airmail rate was .55c for the first 10grams and .35cents for an additional 10grams. That would make 30grams $1.25 and $2 registration = $3.25 so its overpaid by .10cents.

Tim

Folks,

This one is a little easier. Its a November 1973 Zone 5 registered airmail cover to Sweden.

The rate at the time was .75cents registration fee and .30cents per 10grams. So this is a cover up to 30grams .90cents + .75cents = $1.65

Nice franking as well. AAT stamps commercially used are not common and a couple of nice pioneers.

Tim

Folks,

This one is a bit simpler. The registration rate is $2 and the zone 5 airmail rate is .55cents making the $2.55 total. It headed off to Austria.

Tim

Nice covers Didge. I think I was underbidder on at least two of them - sorry about that!

Do you know what is being paid on my 1972 Xmas cover posted above? This one:

Pertinax,

I guess thats what competition is about.

Your cover is paying .50cents registration fee and 35cents airmail fee to Zone 5. The rate at that time was .35cents for 1/2 an ounce.

Nice cover too. the .35cent Christmas stamp is scarce on cover.

Here is another Christmas stamp.

Tim

Thanks Tim.

As it happens both the 35c Xmas on my cover and the 25c Xmas on your cover are about my favorite Australian decimal stamps. I'm really getting into this new area. I think it's because it reminds me of my childhood!

Scott

Scott,

I certainly enjoy it as a sideline to my Kangaroos. I am going to put together a rates list from what I know from my collection. I have tried to get some sort of rates book but they seem to be hard to get. I am sure that I have your 35cent Christmas stamp as a single use somewhere. I am going out for dinner now so will have a look for it tomorrow.

Tim

Scott,

I found the 35c Christmas. Its a great cover. Its paying the Zone 5 Airmal letter rate to Switzerland. A rare usage. The Zone 5 rate between 1/10/71 and 30/9/73 was 35cents per 1/2 ounce.

Tim

Lovely Tim. I assume you've seen RAP's report of a solo of this stamp selling for almost $200.

I have fond memories of this stamp. I remember like yesterday catching the bus into the city here in Sydney sometime in 1975 at age 11, with a fellow collector from school - he was buying a mint copy of this stamp that day. It was quite an expensive stamp at that time. We went into Piccadilly Arcade to Cohen stamp dealers, ordered the stamp and when it came out hinged Martin asked for an unhinged one. "Not at these prices" the owner (Alan Jones?) snapped back. He was like that; could be a grumpy old B!

Scott

Scott,

Great story mate. Thats why we collect I am sure. I have read Rods column on this stamp selling for that sort of money. I did not pay anything like that for it. More like $10 than $200.

Tim

Scott,

Here is another usage that Rod rates highly. its the 40c Wren x 2 paying the second weight step plus priority paid rate.

Tim

Tim - what about putting that rates list on the wiki here? It would be great to have access to if you were amenable? If you are just building it the members of the board would I am sure give you input.

In the mean time.... here are some covers from the hoard I got on the weekend.

Front:


Back:

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Have a GREAT! Day
Amy

Front with traffic lights, hand and return to sender check box....



Back:

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Have a GREAT! Day
Amy

Underpaid - money collected from sender on advertising cover.

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Have a GREAT! Day
Amy

Tax 43c no idea why.....

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Have a GREAT! Day
Amy

This one is airmail - and I think even paid the rate. But it only went from Leightonfeild mail center NSW 2153 to Bankstown NSW 2200. Thoughts anyone??

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Have a GREAT! Day
Amy

Putting up some birds on this thread too....

http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.ph ... 653#352653

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Have a GREAT! Day
Amy

Amy,

What a great start. Some very interesting covers. I was going to do the rates thing on the Wiki. It may take awhile to do it all but thats OK. I cant find any publications to help but will do my best.

Perhaps one of the moderators would suggest how to get it started in the correct spot ect.

Tim

A Sydney based company sends out a mailshot to dormant customers resullting in return to sender markings for the same period from all over Australia. The diversity is amazing considering these were all sent at the same time. Can anyone explain why the Alpha, Queensland cover has the check box in French?

Amy,

The $1 butterfly is paying 70 cents priority paid and 30 cents letter rate.

Tim

Amy,

The 66 cent cover is not airmail. The non-standard article rate for an article 50 grams to 100 grams sent intrastate was 60 cents between 4/3/85 and 24/8/86. So your cover could be this rate but overpaid by 3 cents.

The 33 cent Cockatoo is a scare item on cover.

Tim

Stampdog,

Thats a great group of return to sender covers. Some great markings there. Do you have anymore? I would love to see them if you do.

Tim

Since rates seem to be key to this discussion, how many of you routinely download the rate sheets from the Aust Post web site? Five minutes work that will in a few short years provide vital data.

dw,

Thanks for that. I am guessing that you can only get the current rates. Do you have past information as well? That would be very helpful.

Tim

Every now and then when I remember I go and download the latest. Not a complete set, but not bad for the last several years. There was a compendium of Aust Post rate books published by Richard Peck in the early to mid 1990s??? Very, very useful.

DWHopper,

I have tried to get a copy of Richard Pecks book but have been unable to get one. I have heard that it is very good. I posted a thread on the site to see if anyone had one but did not get a response.

Do you have one? I would love a copy if you do.

Thanks,

Tim

Didge - as one of the admins on the wiki forum- I would be happy to get you started. Drop me an email and we will chat about it!

Thanks for looking at my covers everyone. I saw an erlier comment about high prices on covers and reference to some one or something called ROD. Is this a book I could get? Or is there some other way of placing a general value
on what I have.

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Have a GREAT! Day
Amy

Amy, Rod is Rod Perry

Have a look at www.rap.com.au

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Always looking for KGV British Commonwealth, mint, used, covers, anything

Thankyou Sherro - I will spend the afternoon browsing his articles. I have been following them in my subscription of stamp news but did not know to whome you refered. Bit slow making the connection. Already I have found an interesting article about the stamps I am interested in. Pig in mud here!

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Have a GREAT! Day
Amy

Amy,

Will send you an email.

Tim

Some nice covers all.

Here's two more.

The first is something I thought wouldn't exist - commercial use of a se-tenant strip of five. Or is it philatelic? Only the sender can know what he was thinking I suppose, but it does look to be paying the correct double rate to zone 5. And this at a time when the second step was after just 14 grams (I think?), not the current 50 grams, and so that it was overweight is quite possible.

(As an aside, surely more recent covers going overseas with double or greater rates on them are going to be much scarcer since the weight was put up to 50 grams?)

The second cover is something called Surface Air Lifted. Not sure what this - I'll take a guess though: was it a guarantee that the article would be on a plane the next day? Anyway it has a pair of 15c Living Together stamps on. I think this series is just lovely and I wouldn't mind putting together a one frame display of its use. Though with 27 stamps in the set, maybe one frame isn't enough!





Scott

Scott - would you believe just last sunday I came across the same sort of thing - a setenant strip of five comercially used. Must be the stars for it or something. I have several thousand new covers in so it might take a while to find it again but I will scan it when I do. I think it was even the same series...

Didge - http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.ph ... 631#353631 is the new decimal rates thread for you.

Now - where did I put that cover??

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Have a GREAT! Day
Amy

Scott

SAL was a sort of poor man's airmail: you got surface transport at both ends of the trip, and airmail from country to country. It was cheaper than airmail, but more expensive than surface.

Tony

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

Scott,

Tony is correct about SAL. Surface from postage in Australia to the flight destination, air to Country of destination and Surface again in the country of destination to the receivers address.

I have one SAL cover. They are scarce.

I also have what appears to be a comercial strip of the walting matilda stamp. I cant find it either but will post it when I do. It was sent to Israel from memory so also Zone 5 and returned to Australia unclaimed.

Tim

Amy,

Thanks for that. I will start posting this week. Have friends for dinner tonight so will be later in the week.

Tim

Thanks for explaining that. The explanation did surprise me as I thought this item couldn't have been franked less than the airmail rate, but then I suppose it was over weight.

Scott

The service was mainly used for parcels as there was quite a saving, so that would help the scarcity factor. Also they were not guaranteed next flight, but that they had to go within 5 or 7 days from memory. Didn't happen often except near pre xmas period

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AUSTRALIA 2013 EXHIBITION - 10 to 15 MAY 2013 - http://www.australia2013.com

SAL saved a FORTUNE on parcels to Europe and USA .. I remember it well.

A COVER tho is most unusual as the saving was miniscule.
.

Folks,

Here is my SAL item. Its a bit earlier and also a cover. As was mentioned by Glen covers would have been more unusual than parcels. Its the only one that I have.

Tim

Folks,

Here is the back of the cover. It gives you a better look at the label.

Tim

Lovely, thanks Tim.

Two recent additions - the first is another example of the 1972 Christmas on cover - mixed franking.