Australian KGV Stamps Explained.

And a KGV Silver Jubilee one.......



Thomas

Hi! tholath.
A very nice commemorative 2d of KGV on horse called Anzac!
Not a part of the definitive KGV.

Very fitting as we are still in Rememberance Day somewhere in the world!

Anzac- means the Australia and New Zealand soldiers that fort at Gallipoli, basically, during the 1st World War.

This was King George5 favourite stamp/picture.

Any info on this........



Thomas

Nice bit of info Rod! Thanks!

I did not know this about KGV himself!

Hi! tholath!

In Australia we remember the great loss of our soldiers at Anzac Cove Gallipoli on the 25 of March each year! It is called Anzac Day. It is taken very seriously in Australia. Hence the special stamp issue!

Wow, just finished going through this post. Great information and scans. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

20th anniversary of anzac
issued 18th march 1935
issue = 2d value 47,814,240
in sheets of 96 2 panes each 8 rows of 6

1/- value = 996,600
in sheets of 120 2 panes each 10 rows of 6

p23.5 x 12.5
wmk c of a (type 6)

dull scarlet CV used 10c


Scan image is too poor to discern
re entries or AL joined.

John,
I have that gossip in print somewhere,
but cannot locate it at the moment.

The KG5 astride his horse "ANZAC"
is a magnificent field for specialists study.

varieties of.........
paper
shades
retouches
flaws
reentries
roller flaws

36 retouches are known................

So get out those loupes and magnifiers!

Thanks for all info Rod!
Great stuff!

Not to forget the rare plate proof of the 1/- ANZAC, perf 13½x12½. Gibbons prices it, in a footnote, at £1500.

Never really understood plate proofs Tony,
how many of them would be floating around?

So the printer or the engraver prints some impressions
on card, I would have thought only a few would have been archived
from those requiring an example.
Why would you perforate a plate proof?

Any information welcomed.

I think this would be great practice for you John,
you have a trained eye for shades

KG5 aboard ANZAC comes in

Carmine Red
Bright Carmine red
Deep Carmine red
Scarlet
Bright Brownish red

..and rough paper. .........Ideal for you expertise

(not that you would need any respite from the sidefaces!)

The tres bit issue comes in

Dull blue
steel blue
deep blue
and bright blue.

(shades of the scarlet and brownish red in the 2d value,
and bright blue in the 3d, are from early experimental printings)

Of course, I just live in Australia - I don't collect it - so I can't give an authoritative answer.

How many floating around? Can't be many, if Gibbons rates them £1500 a pop. When was the last time you saw one on offer? It would be a fair guess that there was only ever one sheet.

The why of plate proofs is fairly simple. The printers need to check the impressions from the whole plate. Then, they might want to try the impressions on different types of stock, and the client might want to see the effect of different colours - so more plate proof sheets printed.

Why perforate the sheet? Who knows? Perhaps it was a trial run on the 1/-, which proved unsatisfactory. (Something to do with the chalk-surfaced paper making perforating with the 13½x12½ machine difficult?) Then, who knows? Maybe a normal sheet was spoiled, and the plate proof sheet was handy and was substituted. AFAIK, there isn't any suggestion of funny business associated with the stamp.

To an Indian States collector, it all seems perfectly reasonable and feasible