King George V Sideface Varieties

Great posts. I'm learning a few new things and will have to search through my stock to see if I have any of those varieties.

The 4 1/2 p was an odd item. Die I was issued May 1, 1924 and was relatively common. There is a Single Watermark version, perf 14.25 x 14 comb. There is also a small multiple watermark version, perf 14.25 x 14 comb. And there is a small multiple watermark version, perf 13 1/2 x 12 1/2 comb. An example of Die I is shown below:


Be sure to look at the thin lines making up the "Fourpence Halfpenny"


In 1930, two new steel plates, designated Die II were created, which is a small multiple watermark, perf 13 1/2 x 12 1/2 comb. But since the rate was soon after increased from 4 1/2 to 5 pence, these stamps were held back. Most were overprinted "Five Pence" (Scott 107). However, a small number were cancelled-to-order and included in collector's sets. It is thought that only 24,000 stamps were sent to the Post Office for this purpose, but since not all were issued into collector's sets, many were probably destroyed.



The main difference is the thickness of the lettering at the bottom.


If you find these, hold onto them. They are not listed in my version of Scotts, but should be. Die II are valued at about 4x Die I in the Used, CTO version. Some Mint stamps of Die II are also known, but are extremely rare, and valued at AUS$12,500 plus. Happy hunting!

This variety - line under right value tablet - exists on all versions of the 1d denomination which used Plate 2. i,e, BW 70, 71, 71 80, 81 and 82, and exists on Electro III, Position 42. The example shown is on 82(2)g.

This variety of the BW 82 (SG 125) 1d green is in Plate 2. Electro IV, Position 40 (IV, 40) and, for identification must also take Positions 34 and 35 into consideration.

In ACSC, (IV, 40) is listed as having the Thin GE in POSTAGE - Variety (2)l - and this variety apparently was present from the initial use of Plate 2 in 1914.The plate was unused from 1918 to June 1928.

Prior to its reuse in 1928, the electros in positions 34, 35 and 40 (Positions 34 and 35 are famous for their early rust damage and a rapid deterioration of their copper substitutions) were replaced with steel substitutes then impressions were rolled in, all using using Die I. With this work, Position 40 became 82(2)la. The three substituted positions are not exactly aligned with the other stamps on this pane.

As an aside, ACSC oddly describes the describes the resulting varieties for Positions 34 and 35 as Steel substitution, but Position 40 is described as Thin G retouch re-entered. Also, ACSC says that the three substitutions used two steel plates, one for Positions 34 and 35 and the other for Position 40. In The 1d King George V Australian Commonwealth Stamps, however, D. M. Neil seems to go to lengths to say that a single piece of steel was dovetailed into the plate to accommodate all three substitutions.

The problem then becomes: How to distinguish between the three Die I substitutes. ACSC suggests that, after the substitution, the three stamps are difficult to identify individually. D. M Neil comes to the rescue here by describing the differences in each stamp from a normal Die I stamp. Below is a table which separates the relevant information from his entries for the individual stamps into a table as follows:



So here is my 82(2)la with from position IV/40 with comparisons against a normal issue in grey.




The preferred format for collecting this variety is in a block of four, consisting of:
Position 34 82(2)jb - steel substitution as above
Position 35 82(2)kb - steel substitution as above
Position 40 82(2)la - steel substitution as above
Position 41 82(2)m - Small dot on Y of PENNY.

(ACSC incorrectly lables Position 41 as variety "l" instead of "m" in the notes in its listings for BW 80, 81 and 82.)

Another 1g green BW 82 (SG 125), this time with 82(3)ga Damaged lower right frame retouched variety. This is located on Plate 3, Pane V, Position 30. The original variety (3)g was first seen in July 1917. The (3)ga retouch apparently took place some time after December 1926 with the (3)g and (3)ga varieties both being present on BW 80 and 81. These two issues (both small multiple watermark but different perforation) were printed concurrently from 1926 to 1931 when BW 82 (Crown/CofA watermark) was first issued. BW 82 only listed the (3)ga variety.

Note: This information is based on a reading of ACSC. D. M. Neil, on the other hand, states that the retouch took place in 1935.

The characteristics of the variety consist of a thickening of the right frame generally and a thinning of the white border to the right of the right value tablet. This is shown below in comparison to a normal stamp shown in grey.

Another 1d green variety, this time 82(3)e - Notch in left frame opposite wattles. This variety first appeared in 1915 and is on in all but the first issue, i.e. BW 71 to 82, of the 1d Sideface where Plate 3 was used.

This variety is on the 1d BW 81 and consists of a with flaw running downwards left to right and cutting into the green oval band above the L of AUSTRALIA. It is not listed in ACSC and is on Plate 3, Electro VI, Position 13. It was present only on green 1d issues from 1925 onwards.

The example shown is BW 81wd - Perf OS - on which there is also a white flaw in the gap between the left base of the crown and the white oval. I do not know if this is material.

Here is a red 1d BW 71 (SG 21c) from Plate 4, Electro VIII, position 49 with variety Vertical spur upwards from left of the cross on the crown. Variety is not listed in ACSC. The variety is seen on all Plate 4 issues of the 1d denomination from March 1916 onwards.

On Page 6 I showed a 1d red BW 71 with the coloured spot in the margin above and to the right of the cross on the crown (Plate 4, Electro VII, Position 4). Here is this variety on BW 81. This variety is not listed in ACSC. In the close up image, I have included the BW 71 close up for comparison.

This variety - scratch above emu's back - is listed in ACSC. The example is a BW 81(4)n and is located on Plate 4, Electro VIII, position 16. The degree to which the scratch may be seen depends upon the level of inking. The variety first appeared about 1918 and was present to the final issue.

In this 1d green BW 82 (Plate 3, Electro V, Position 12) the top of the cross on the crown slopes downwards from left to right. The variety existed from 1916 to the final issue. In the last printings of 1936 and 1937, the cross on its right side and the right frame became irregular, making identification easier.

Note also that the white area below the upper frame makes a significant incursion into the crown. I do not know whether this is a constant feature of this position.

Another 1d green BW 82 (Plate 2, Electro III, Position 27) which exhibits a curved notch in the upper frame close to the right corner. The variety existed from 1917 to the final issue.

A couple of puzzles today. The first is a 1d green BW 81 which has previously been identified as Plate 3, Electro V, position 49 and which broadly fits the D. M. Neil description for that position: Left frame irregular for the top 5mm with an inwards depression close to the corner.

ACSC, however, lists V/49 as 81(3)j: Scratch above 'roo's back.

Neither reference says anything at all regarding the characteristics of the other. Can anyone help?

The second of today's puzzlers is the 1½d red BW 89 (SG 77). I had scanned a bunch of these for investigation and these two, with identical flaws were sitting right beside each other.

The flaw is a quite sudden thickening of the right frame as it approaches the emu's tail. Possibly it is 89(23)q: Retouch behind the emu, but my examples don't show the gross deformation of the frame per the third image below (from ACSC). I would welcome other suggestions.

This one is an example of 1½d red-brown BW 93(1)la (SG 97 - variety not listed). This Die II variety is on Plate 1, Right Pane, Position 19.

In this variety, there is a thickening very slight heightening of the words of the denomination other than for the HAL of HALFPENCE. The original (1)l variety, present of the previous Die II issues of the 1½d denomination, BW91 and 92, was a white flaw on the left wattles. The (1)la variety appeared when this was corrected and was present in printings of BW 93 and 94.

Here is a lucky one. If the postmark had been slight off, the variety could well have been hidden. This is another BW 82 (SG 125 variety not listed) 1d green from Plate 1, Pane II, Position 10 - White spot in front of emu's neck. In my example, the white spot is just under the left end of the horizontal bar of the G in the postmark. This very late variety, first seen in 1937, is not listed in ACSC.