Victoria Imperforate 1886 No Scott Match

I have a half penny imperforate Victoria stamp, pink/lilac color, that matches the 1886 SC159 (image A35) in every respect, with the exception that my stamp is imperforate, whereas 159 is perf 12 1/2. I cannot find a Scott# match for my stamp. Any suggestions? Do I have a fake?

Could it be a piece of postal stationery?


Peter

Agree with Petert4522's speculation. The paper looks awfully soft for a stamp and so a halfpenny indicium would probably be for a newspaper wrapper.

EDIT:
Here's a candidate that yours could come from:

found online, not mine.

Yes it does look like a cut out from a pre-paid envelop.

Tricky little customers the pre-paid envelops are. They really do look like imperfs.

Exactly. And they certainly were collected in the early days. I've seen several very early albums with spaces for stationery cutouts.

As a general (not hard and fast) rule, if you find an imperforate stamp and the general catalogue doesn't list an imperforate variety of an otherwise normally perforated stamp, it's quite often the case that it's a cutout from a stamped envelope or postal card. With the latter, you can generally tell because it's on heavy stock. In the case of envelope cutouts sometimes they will fool you, though because there IS a normally imperforate postage stamp that is a look alike. I once thought I had hit the jackpot. I had bought an old Great Britain collection, and it included what looked like an unused copy of the sixpenny mauve embossed stamp of 1854. If it had been it would currently have a catalogue price in Stanley Gibbons of 19,500 pounds (2020 price), but investigating a little further, in fact just reading the information right there in the SG catalogue, I realized it was just a postal stationery cutout. The easiest way to tell the difference is that the real stamp has a VR watermark, it also has tiny letters and numbers denoting the die number at the base of the bust. Sometimes a seemingly imperforate stamp also could be a perforated stamp with the perfs cut off, especially if it's cut very close to the edges of the stamp design itself.

Yes Mutilated Stationery fragment.
I don't see many of these, my records are void on this particular issue, Outbid on my last try at a catalogue.

Keep looking ! the 1869 1d Green Wrapper, only 2 known.

I have a similar image to HB's Image of the wrapper.
Mine is Pmkd SHEPPERTON to Gordon and Gotch yje famous Australian Newsprint sellers

I wonder if these Wrappers were a Private printing ?


PS: John Gotch arrived in Australia from Liverpool, went to Melbounre with 2.5d in his pocket, met Gordon, and the rest is history.

Probably Shepparton.

This site may be of interest, showing several private overprints on Victorian newspaper wrappers:

https://www.stampdomain.com/victori...po/index.htm

Great link, Thanks Jill.
Other, I was typing how I hear it.
:) Noted.

Postmark
Either SALISBURY WEST (14) or SANDHURST (9)
I'd go former.
"4A" 4 in afternoon?

Great information everyone. Assuming that it is a newspaper wrapper cutout, which I believe it is now after reading the replies, is there any value?

Rod:

4am would not surprise me if it were a newspaper. The newspaper would go to press fairly late in the day and it could be handled by the PO so that it could be delivered by first post wherever possible.

Like the speed of traffic in London, this is something that has not improved over the past 100 years.

Mainelystamps,

Not in that format. Full wrappers can have value buy they were widely used. The ½d in pink was issued on 8 February, 1887. The design of the indicium was based on the 'Fergusson and Mitchell' stamp design of 1895 with the engraving completed by Samuel Reading.

Rod222, Kellow's "The Stamp of Victoria" have a detailled listing of these, but no prices.


John

Thanks John
I am bidding on the Kellow Catalogue, at the moment.

I don't much focus on pricing, never have, (except of course when buying) I noticed my Turkey collection is skyrocketing, which is a real shock.

Frank: You make a good argument for 4 am, passed my mind.

Mainly Stamps, No fiscal value of any degree, but as you see, Philatelic interest, which has a value (to me at least)

That little piece of paper, has been kicking around for 130 years
It may have carried newsprint that declared to the world....

Jan 1 1891 French troops occupy Nioro, West-Sudan, 3000 killed

This has become a real history lesson, and learning experience about newspaper wrappers. I plan to sell this particular Victoria wrapper cutout, so if there is any interest, let me know. And thanks to everyone for their input. It has been a huge help in understanding this item.

Mainelystamps,

The cancellations of Melbourne used canceller/time codes such as the 4A seen on your Sandhurst cancellation.

The 4 represents the canceller number (one of many that could be used at any time of the day) and the A represents the time period during which it was cancelled.

At around the date yours was issued, the Melbourne time code 'A' meant that the stamp was cancelled between 6pm and 7.30 am.