2d Australia Stamp Error

Hello members,

I have these stamps from Australia and I notice between the two stamps the bottom stamp color is omitted on both columns, roof, small house, the water, white missing on Sydney Harbor bridge letters. Small boat design looks different a pole is sticking out from the water, bridge is more darker, I dont know which one is genuine, please advice. Thank you

Mara

Why can't they both be genuine?
Australia 130 and 133, or vice versa.
One is engraved, one is typographed. Perforation and watermark differences too.

Marapaul,

Your lower stamp is recess printed with no watermark as per the other denominations of this issue.

The upper stamp is typographed, letterpress-printed with CofA watermark, printed in response to the post office request for an increased supply of 2d stamps.

Source: ACSC KGV CATALOGUE - 2018 AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH SPECIALISTS' CATALOGUE BW 5TH EDITION KING GEORGE V

ACSC 146A) 1932. Sydney Harbour Bridge. 2d. Perforation 11. No watermark. Recess. Carmine-Red

The 2d, 3d and 5/- are recess printed and do not have a watermark.
The 2d, 3d and 5/- recess printed stamps have a single line perforation.
There are 20 perforation tips across top.

2d recess quantity issued: 9,749,680

ACSC 149) 1932. Sydney Harbour Bridge. 2d. Perforation 11. No watermark. Letterpress. Scarlet

The 2d letterpress stamp has a 10.5 comb perforation and is printed on watermark paper (Multiple Crown and C of A).
There are 19 perforation tips across top.

2d letterpress quantity issued: 256,000

Your top stamp is letterpress printed and the bottom recess printed (the easiest way is the lack of white background and smoke from the ship funnel as well as the lack of definition of the bridge, compared to the very detailed design of the bridge and lack pf smoke from the ship's funnel and no white background.

I noticed that I mentioned the letterpress has no watermark, it does, and when the info is read it does mention a watermark.

Just for info, this is the only Australian issue that was issued with the two printing types like this. However some gotchas, this issue was forged in bulk at the time and are again the same but different to the two standard prints. Those though are worth keeping if you find any especially on cover as the regular issues are fairly worthless to most Aussie collectors.

IMPORTANT: I've seen dodgy people trying to pass off a fake 5/- green harbour bridge (which is often a gap in many collections) by claiming recess/letterpress printing differences. ONLY the 2D was ever issue like this, no others. At the Anpex 1972 stamp expo a souvenir miniature sheet was made featuring nice printings of the 1 pound Blue & brown kangaroo, the 5/- green harbour bridge and the 2 pound black and red kangaroo. These are the three most valuable regular stamps of Australia and usually always gaps in peoples collection. Dodgy sellers separate these stamps from the sheet to try to sell them as the genuine issues for hundred and thousands. Its easy to fool novices with these but if you search online for "ANPEX 1972 image" you'll see the sheet and note the distinctive clean cancellation thats identical on every sheet so easy to recognise when someone is trying to pass off an individual stamp as a genuine issue. Individually the Anpex sheet stamps are valueless but the intact sheet are collectables.