My Australian Oddities

To me, it doesn't look the same as the picture in ACSC, though my catalog is in Black and White and not a very good picture.

Here's a new purchase. Scott 127, MNH, overprinted Specimen. ACSC 50xe. However, this shows the Duty Plate Variety, 50(D)j, which is called, "Broken coast near Sydney and white flaw after 'I' of 'Australia'". I like it.

And, continuing with my intermittent purchases of Scott 17, I found this version of ACSC 59(3)g, the lower stamp identified as, "Vertical hairline from emu to emu".

Here's a new purchase with an oddity. This is the 5 shilling Kangaroo, which appeared with 5 different watermarks. Scott doesn't list it, but the ACSC says that all watermarks were Die II.

This example has a very difficult watermark to identify, due to the location on the far right, upper side. After much study, it's the third watermark, Scott watermark style 10.



It also appears to be a Duty Plate variety, with an elongated Spencer's Gulf. So, after all is said and done, I'm calling it Scott 54, ACSC 44(D)o.



But, what is odd is that it also appears to be a Die I, as evidenced by the break at the inner frame line just above the words of value. My other copies are all clearly solid in that area ... this is the only one with such a break. ACSC doesn't list any Die I. Is it even possible, or just a paper fragment that got in the way of the inking process?

Serendipity. (and nice catch!)
I needed another scan (up close) to identify mine.
1. It discounted my original thought "retouch to top of crown"
2. I thought mine was an early "state" of 59(3) g....look very closely you can see those vertical lines down to the Emu.
(I wonder what caused those lines )

Being able to "toggle" yours and mine, I identified mine as an early Plate 1
(Plate 1 was rolled in less deeply than Plates 2,3,4)
Hence the large amounts of retouches.

If you toggle mine and yours, see the extensive work at the bottom frame !

So mine is 59 (1) n 1/35 CV $75 (I paid $2)

I am not conversant with the Duty Plate Roos,
I'll ask my colleague David, when he next visits.

I have the the King George one penny as well, didn't really check what they are worth as they look very ordinary to me.

In general, they are lower value. However, some varieties are more rare than others.

Partime

re your 5/- Roo with "Die 1 break"

Inner frame breaks are endemic in the Roos and I have seen hundreds of cliches with false Die 1 breaks. When plating Roos I tend to ignore inner frame breaks as a point of reference. Only after I have identified a cliche will I return to my research to see if there are any line breaks including inner frame which are constant with the features I used for plating.

Regards
Frank

Thanks Frank. Great to know and solves a mystery.

Yes, agree. Those retouches are sometimes difficult to see, but show up well in your example. I was also considering 59(1)i, but n is a better match. I have no idea about the very faint vertical line on the right side, but it is plainly there. Good eye.

First time I have been able to identify the Kangaroo "Type"
I'd suggest it is a V L

Here's a cover. The official first day version was printed in a quantity of 185,000 and featured a single copy of the queen and king. This is a Registered cover to England, which meant that additional postage was necessary. I like the "FIRST DAY COVER" marking, probably applied by the sender, not the post office.

One of my most interesting finds is a 1927 1 1/2d Canberra with what appears to be a very small "S" in the top left frame!

Partime, Is there anything on the back of your FDC?
Here are 2 other FDCs postmarked Newcastle, with different First Day Cover notations stamped on them, sent from Selfridge & Co Ltd., Philatelic Dept.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Stamps-...AOSwndZaeP-q