The Earliest Version of the Australian 10 Dollar Paper Banknote

Illustrated below is the earliest version of the Australian 10 dollar banknote. The note bears the legend

 "Commonwealth of Australia". This was altered to "Australia" in the early 1970's (as all Australian paper banknotes designs were). The specifications for the 10 dollar note are listed below. 

Obverse Francis Howard Greenway

Reverse Henry Lawson
Signatories H. C. Coombs, Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia
Roland Wilson, Secretary to the Treasury

Size 154.94mm (width), 76.20mm (height)

Composition Paper

Watermark Captain Cook in left panel

 Serial Prefix MRR was the last series of paper notes printed. After 1991 10 dollar banknotes were printed in the new polymer version and the design was changed.

 

 

The Australian 5 Dollar Paper Banknote-1966-1991

Illustrated below is an example of the 5 Dollar Australian paper banknote. The specifications are listed below.

Obverse Sir Joseph Banks

Reverse Caroline Chisholm

Signatories, Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia , Secretary to the Treasury

Size 152.40mm (width), 76.20mm (height)

Composition Paper

Watermark Captain Cook in left panel

 Serial Prefix QPG was the last series of 5 dollar paper notes printed in 1991.Thereafter the 5 dollar note was printed as a polymer banknote.

The Australian 2 Dollar Paper Banknote-1966-1985

Illustrated below is an example of the Australian 2 dollar paper banknote. Issued between the introduction of decimal currency in 1966 till it was discontinued in 1985. The design and specifications are listed.

Obverse John Macarthur with Merino Sheep

Reverse William James Farrer with Wheat Ears

Signatories, Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia , Secretary to the Treasury

Size 145.00mm (width), 72.50mm (height)

Composition Paper

Watermark Captain Cook in left panel

Serial Prefix LQG was the last series of 2 dollar paper notes printed. This example is signed Johnston/Fraser.

Australian 1 Dollar Banknote-1966-1982

Decimal currency was introduced in Australia on 14th of February 1966. The new 1 dollar banknote was put into circulation on this date. The design changed very little between its introduction in 1966 and the final issue in 1982. Two things in the design that were altered were the legend "Commonwealth of Australia" along the top of the note (this was altered to "Australia" in the early 1970's) and the movement of the security thread through the note from the centre to the side. The signatures ranged from Coombs/Wilson in 1966 to the final issue in 1982 signed by Johnston/Stone.

Obverse Elizabeth II & Coat of Arms

Reverse Aboriginal Art Theme by David Malangi

Signatories , Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia , Secretary to the Treasury

Size 139.70mm (width), 69.85mm (height)

Composition Paper

Watermark Captain Cook in left panel

Serial Prefix DPS was the last series of  1 dollar paper notes printed

Below is an example of the 1 dollar signed by Knight/Stone

3 Early Postage Stamps of Haiti on an Album Page

Queensland-Queen Victoria Postage Stamps-1896-1902

Issued in Queensland between 1896 and 1902 were Queen Victoria stamps in left-facing profile. Illustrated below are the 1 penny and 2 penny of the issue

Fijian Postage Stamps of 1890's-New Designs and Values

In the early 1890's some new values and designs were added to the issues already current. Illustrated below are the Halfpenny, new 1 penny designs and new Twopence halfpenny value. Details of the Halfpenny and Twopence Halfpenny are shown below.

 

 

 

Fijian Postal History-Early Fijian Postage Stamps

King Cakobau of Fiji ceded Fiji to Great Britain in 1874 and thereafter Fiji became a Crown Colony. The original stamp issues of  King Cakobau were overprinted with "V R" (Victoria Regina). New issues were printed "V R" between 1878-1899. The 1 penny postage in 2 shades is illustrated below.

Postal History of Fiji-An Example of an Early Stamp

Illustrated below is one of the earliest stamps issued in Fiji. Produced in the Govt Printing Office of Sydney

Australia and with the legend "C R". This stood for Cakobau Rex the first king of Fiji. Originally issued in 1871 then overprinted with a surcharge in local currency of 2 Cents in 1872. The example below is of the surcharged variety. Valued more highly when postally used. Listed in Stanley Gibbons SG No 13.

Old Indian Postage Stamps-Sri Rama Varma 1st-Cochin Maharaja 1895-1914

A partial set illustrated below of the issues of Sri Rama Varma the 1st, Maharaja of Cochin 1895-1914, a now defunct Indian State. The issue consisted of  a 2 pies (brown), 3p (blue), 4p  (green) 4p (apple-green), 9p(carmine), 1 anna (brown-orange), 1 and a half anna (purple), 2a (grey), 3a (vermilion). Many were overprinted for official use,in red or black, or with values changed or surcharged, with some of these varieties shown here. Below the details of the 4 pies and 9 pies are the watermarks,an umbrella.one of the state emblems of Cochin, these are sometimes inverted or sideways creating even more varieties within the issue.

 

The sideways watermark is on the 4 pies green issue

India-2 Pies Brown of Cochin-Maharaja Postage Stamps

Illustrated below are the 2 Pies (brown) issues of all the Maharajas of Cochin. (See also this blog, the 4 pies (green), 6 pies (red-brown), 9 pies (carmine), 9 pies (blue), 10 pies (blue), 1 Anna (orange-brown) in August list)

 

 

This Detail Shows the examples of the 2 dies used in the production of Sri Kerala Varma 3rd issues. Die 1 on the left and Die 2 on the right (the scarcer variety) showing a slightly larger space behind the hat and more of the collar around the neck.

 

There were also 2 die variants of the 2 pies of issue of Sri Rama Varma 3rd. The example shown here is of Die 2.

 
 

 

 
 

An Album Page of Old Turkish Postage Stamps

Shown below is a page from an old album of turkish stamps. The last detail below the page is a stamp of Great Britain used abroad with overprinted local value.

3 Postage Stamps of the Ottoman Empire from an Old Album Page

Republique de Guinee-African Masks and Costumes Postage Stamps

The first stamps of independent Guinea were issued on 5 January 1959. Before that, Guinea used general French Colonies stamps, the stamps of Senegal and stamps of French West Africa.

Issued in the mid 60's and shown below (with details) is a partial set of stamps with illustrations of masks and costumes worn in the country. Missing from the set is a 200F value.

 

 

 

 

 

The 1979 New Zealand 1 Dollar Coin

Illustrated below is the 1979 New Zealand 1 Dollar coin. Cupro-nickel. A large coin with a diameter of approx 39mm. Obverse is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth the 2nd. Reverse is the Coat of Arms surrounded  by the New Zealand "Silver Fern" leaf.

 

Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1945-1946) Provisional Postage Stamp

On 2 Sept. 1945, President Ho Chi Minh proclaimed in Hanoi the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. During the first days of  independence, theVietnamese Postal Administration had to over-print several Indochinese stamps to use as provisional postage stamps of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

One set of stamps overprinted for use by the new Government was the Philippe Petain issue,( President of Vichy France during the Second World War). The issue had 6 values a 3 Cent (olive-green), 6 Cent (red), 10 Cent (green), 40 Cent (deep-green), 40 Cent (blue) and 1 Franc (light-brown). Illustrated below is the 6 Cent value. Overprints were in green.red and black.

An Album Page with Russian Czarist Postage Stamps

The emblem at the centre of the stamp is the Russian Imperial Double Headed Eagle. A detail is added below.

Album Page 2 of Older Austrian Postage Stamps

A page of older Austrian postage stamps with details below.

An Album Page of Older Austrian Postage Stamps

A page of older Austrian postage stamps with details below. The portrait is of Emperor Franz Josef.

A Small Album Page of Portuguese Colonial Stamps

Illustrated below is small Postage stamp album page of Portuguese colonial Stamps. Mostly from Angola with a detail of 3 of the stamps below that.

 

Indian Maharaja Stamps-Sri Rama Varma the 1st-Overprint Type 1

Sri Rama Varma the 1st Raja of Cochin 1895-1914. Below is an example of the type 1 official overprint with oval O in "ON" and serifed "S" as listed in Gibbons.Printed in red. This example looks as if an attempt was made to correct the "S" resulting in a confused double printing resembling an 8.

Indian Maharaja Stamps-Sri Rama Varma 1st-6 Anna Official-Type O2

Sri Rama Varma the 1st Raja of Cochin 1895-1914. Below is an example of the type 2 official overprint with small "ON" and serifed "G" as listed in Gibbons. The six anna stamps were only ever used officially.

Cochin Maharaja Stamps-Rama Varma 3rd-2 Examples of Official Overprint Varieties

Illustrated below are 2 examples of official overprint varieties on the Sri Rama Varma the 3rd 3 Anna stamp.

The examples are of the Perkins-Bacon recess printings.

The first shows (as listed in Stanley Gibbons) overprint type O9 with a circularar "O" and small serifs on the "N"  .The second overprint type is overprint O5 with a straight back to the "C".