Western Australia 1854 Scott 3 (Sg 5) 4-P Blue With Hole Punch?

Three millimeter hole punch in Western Australia 1854 Scott 3 (SG 5) 4p blue


Wmk as expected is Swan-sideways (Scott Wmk 82 - SG Wmk 4)

I have what I believe is a 1854 Scott 3 (SG 5) 4p blue. But why the hole punch?

SG has a note that Official stamps from August 1. 1862 were punched with a circular hole, earlier- 3mm, later- 4mm. The punching ceased March, 1886.

The hole punch on this 1854 Scott 3 (SG 5) is 3mm.

Were any 1854-57 issues hole punched?

(Well, at least one appears to be - mine. )

Could Australian/Western Australian experts explain what is going on here?

Hi Jim,

uneducated guess......
I think your stamp may be from position 175
"P of PENCE has a small head"

Western Australia . The Stamps and Postal History
The western Australia Study Group
ISBN 959647600 1979

Postmark?.... Guess: 15bar numeral 8 = Fremantle 1859




Punch Hole ?
Can find nothing as yet, still reading..................

Rod- I was hoping you would respond.

Great information so far!

I think you have a 4d imperial puncture (Bravo!)
Being that it is Postmarked, it cannot be a Cable or Telegram. (at least, that is my guess)


The 4d is known with imperial puncture large or small hole.

Thanks Rod for a brilliant job of sleuthing.

I thought, since you are from the area, that you might have the resources to figure this out - so a 4d Imperial puncture, a type of "official", yes?

I take it, it is good, but I probably would have preferred a puncture-less specimen for my general collection.

Of interest, I bought this Western Australia accumulation from a stamp store in the Hague, Netherlands this past April when visiting our eldest daughter who lives there now.

Jim

Hi Jim,
I would take it as good, I see no reason to puncture an otherwise nice stamp.
Personally, I don't mind these types of examples
Early (only 100 years after the American revolution)
Postmark ID'd
Plate position ID
Official Stamp, and at 4d possibly official correspondence going back to old Blighty

That stamp would have had a colourful career, been on a barque possibly
under canvas, sailing the seas.

Has enough history to stand alone on an album page.

Frematle (Swan River Colony) during your stamp
Penal Colony.
The first 75 convicts arrived in 1850 on the 'Scindian' from Portsmouth to be followed by over nine thousand more convicts before 1868.

I used to work with a direct descendant of the acquirer of Western Australia for the Crown - one of generations of naval Fremantles!