New South Wales Perfin Os-Nsw

I believe this is a common New South Wales (Scott 98) but the perfin intrigued me. I would think the NSW was for New South Wales, but would the OS be Official Service or would someone know what it stands for. Thanks as always - Jeff

This is a new one for me,
never sighted before.
Apparently early colonial govt puncture.
(It is not a PERFIN )
OS = Official Service

One forum a gentleman enquired on these in Oct 2010
and did not receive a reply :)

I look forward to information
others here may have.

Help me Rod, I am not being smart but it is perforated with initials, so now I am lost as to why it is not a perfin. Are you saying because a government agency did the perforation as opposed to a private business? I need some more education.

This is an 'official' perfin.

OS / NSW is "Official Service / New south Wales.

Whether private or grovernment issued, as long as they are 'holes' to make up the names or initials (and in a few cases, numbers), they are perfins.

Hope this helps out

Chimo

Bujutsu

Hmmm, I have to retract my statement,
I cannot find substantiating evidence to support it.
I have always used Puncture when relating to
Government issues, but it seems by wiki
and perfin specialists the words have become
entwined.
I grew up with a commercial PERFIN or SPIFF
as perforated by private companies.
Officials were punctured in a certain fashion.
(eg Hungary and their 3 hole punctures)

Now it seems Government stamps can be perforated
by puncturing in x fashion, becoming an official perfin.

So certainly disregard what I have said, I'll march
on blindly as before because to me, there
is a difference.

Here is information pertinent to your original query:

You'll notice punctures are stated often, so it is good that at least you know what's going on.

State & Private Kangaroo & King George V Perfins
The individual States used the Commonwealth stamps for Official use by perforating them similar to the Post Office of the time, New South Wales issues were perforated "OS" over "NSW" between 1902 & 1933, in 1933 this changed to "G" over "NSW" also from 1907, "GR" was used by the Government Railways & "GSB" by the Government Savings Bank, a large number of others were also in use in NSW . Queensland used normal stamps to begin with then "OS" to 1933. South Australia used "SA" from 1903 to 1912, then "OS" until 1933. Tasmania always used "T". Victoria used "OS" from 1902 until 1933 then changed to "VG", I have stamps punctured "VG" that were released in June 1986 for Victoria, so Victoria was using Official stamps at least up until June 1986. Western Australia used "WA" from 1903 to around 1915, then used "OS" until 1933, then changed to "W" over "A". Additional listings include "PWD" for Public Works Department, UNSW for Universality of NSW, HS for the Health Service, not to mention puncture errors that slipped through the system.

A good site for perfin and spifs story
http://www.norbyhus.dk/perfhist.html

The above site is an absolute must read for perfin/puncture information. And I can certainly relate to having more names for the same thing especially when I tell my kids to put their dungarees away and they tell me all they have are jeans. Thanks Rod - Jeff

I thougth I would use this older post to show a postcard I have just "rediscovered"in the attic(please do not laugh, my attic is one big warzone).

I known a lot of people have databases with pictures to accumulate knowledge. I hope you can use the images.

Thanks John,
personally, I cannot recall seeing a Postcard punctured before, a new one for me, I shall retain your images.
I cannot find any source of listings for NSW Postcards.

Whilst on NSW... a little story,
In 1905, a competition was held to find the world's 12 most ugly stamps,
the following stamp, had the dubious honour of being voted into second place.

Information on the NSW government postcard punctures can be found in the Postal Stationery Collector v.10,no.3 (issue 39) November 2004, on pages 76-82:

postalstationeryaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/psc39nov04r.pdf

Bravo! Jill.
well found, some nice reading there. Thank you very much.

To compliment the Postcard (Museum )
A Postmark from my collection.

There are two types of the OS NSW perfin. In November/December 1902, Type 1 was issued which showed 10 holes in the S. About February 1903 Type 2 appeared with 8 holes in the S.

Forgeries of Type 1 exist.

A second one which also turned up.

Basicly the same but posted a few months before the first one shown. It has a different text on the backside.

As a very young person can remember many times getting off the train at Sydney's underground train station "Museum".

The Museum its self was at the other end of Hyde Park. If my memory severs me correctly.

An example of the 10 hole S on cover. This is probably the latest usage known.




Close up of the stamp:

Bobby De La Rue

Here are a few from my specialist collection (I did not check my general stock as that would take too long). They beat your latest date by years.





½d Kangaroo and Map first issued in 1913.






2d Kangaroo and Map Second Watermark Bence flaw first issued 1915






6d Die 2b Kangaroo and Map first issued 1921.

Are your types and dates correct.

Regards
Frank