Australian Stamps Gutter Strips, Blocks & Pairs

One nice addition for your thematic stamp collection are Stamp Gutter Blocks and Strips or Gutter Pairs.

Originally markings in the gutter of a stamp sheet were there to aid the printer by showing the colours used in the printing of the stamps. This started in the 1960s in Australia, with new multi-coloured printing techniques. Later when marginal were no longer necessary margins were used for decorative makings related to the issue. These can add extra information or interest for any thematic collection.

Stamp Replica Cards

Australian stamp replica cards are facsimiles of unissued or famous stamps. The stamps are reproduced on cards with information on the stamps and the subject of the stamps.

The cards have been produced for the Australian Philatelic Federation since 1984 using previously issued intaglio printed stamp designs which are reproduced using the original hand engraved steel dies (by permission of Australia Post) to commemorate national philatelic exhibitions in Australia.

The cards are very attractive as well as informative and make a reasonably priced collecting area.

Who else but the Australians!

Who else but the Australians could issue a set of stamps commemorating corrugated iron! Australia Post have issued a set of 4 stamps, Corrugated Landscapes, featuring buildings and features made of corrugated iron, some of it rusting! According to Australia Post Australians hold corrugated iron 'in fond regard'!

2009 Corrugated Iron Set

Corrugated Landscapes strip of 4

Corrugated Landscapes self-adhesives set of 4 from roll

Corrugated Landscapes Booklet Pane

Corrugated Landscapes Booklet

Corrugated Landscapes Prestige Booklet

Australian Presentation Pack Corrugated Landscapes strip of 4

Australian Stamp Publicity Cards

The Australian Post Office prepared publicity cards to show new stamp designs. These were mainly sent to overseas Australian embassies and consulates for them to display. They were not generally distributed in Australia but a few were given to dignitaries and officials; only a few have found their way into the hands of collectors. Australian publicity cards provide information about each issue and are very collectible.

Beginning in 1952 the Australian Post Office prepared publicity cards to show new stamp designs. They were made up of a printed card with the Australian coat of arms at the top and a brief description of the stamps at the bottom. Stamps taken from the issued sheets were stuck in the centre of the card. Usually a block of four, but occasionally a larger block was used; when a set of stamps was issued on the same day only a single or a pair of each stamp was affixed. There was sometimes variation of the number of stamps used for any given issue.

The first publicity card was produced for the 1952 Pan-Pacific Scout Jamboree commemoration. After that issue publicity cards were created for every stamp issue in the pre-decimal era, and after decimalisation until the establishment of Australia Post in 1975 when the production of the cards ceased.

List of Publicity Cards for Sale

1953 1d Queen Elizabeth II block of 4

1953 3d Queen Elizabeth II block of 4

1953 3½d Queen Elizabeth II block of 4

1954 Queen Elizabeth II 2½d & 6½d

1953 Young Farmers Club block of 4

1953 Tasmanian Sesquicentenary set of 3

1953 Tasmanian Stamp Centenary block of 4

1954 Telegraph Centenary block of 4

1954 40th Anniversary of Australian Red Cross block of 4

1954 Western Australia Stamp Centenary block of 4.

1954 Railway Centenary pair

Australia Official OS Stamps

Australian Official Service or OS stamps, introduced in 1902, were punctured or overprinted OS for use in Federal Government departments. Their use was to signify the mail was for official purposes and presumably to try to stop fraudulent use of the stamps by employees.

The first punctured or 'perfin' stamps were were punctured with a large size OS but the holes weakened the stamp so that the perfins were reduced in size to a smaller OS from about 1913 onward. A medium size OS was used in 1927-29 on three commemorative issues. There is also what is referred to as the NSW perfin as the "S" of "OS" had 12 holes, as compared to 11 found in most small OS; this only used for New South Wales state departments.

	Perfin	Dates/Issues	Size
	Large OS	1902 to 1914	14mm high, 15mm wide with 19 holes in "O" and 17 holes in "S"
	Medium OS	1927 Canberra, 1929 Western Australia Centenary &1929 Airmail	10mm high, 14mm wide with 12 holes both in "O" and "S"
	Small OS	1913 to 1930	7.5mm high, 15.5mm wide with 12 holes in "O" and 11 holes in "S"

The perfin was replaced by an overprinted OS in 1931 and the use of the OS was withdrawn in 1933. Maybe the employees were stealing them for their collections!

Update on Australia Stamps Reprints

Australia Post have over the last few months produced further reprints for the 1997 Kakadu Wetlands as well as other issues. These include the first 2 Roo reprint, which is the 10th printing of the 20c Saltwater Crocodile! They will have to devise a new reprint system if they carry on, as space is running out on the stamp margins!

Australia First Day Covers

First day covers from Australia exist from the earliest issues, the hobby of philately had long since created a collecting interest for stamps used on the first day they were issued. First day covers before the mid 1930's were generally home produced, the individual usually writing 'first day cover' on their envelope.

Becoming increasingly available at this time were preprinted covers with an illustration or information relevant to the stamps that the individual could use to make up their own covers. The Australian Post Office also produced generic 'official' first day envelopes (showing the Australia Post logo of Hermes in various designs and colours) which could be used for any first day issue.


Producers soon realised the popularity of these covers and started to offer services providing illustrated covers which they stamped and sent to the individual. There were various companies who offered these services, the biggest of which were Wesley Cover Services (WCS) and Royal. Other cover producers include Art Craft, Excelsior, Guthrie and Parade. All these covers are very collectible, unaddressed covers fetching a premium.

Australia Post, obviously realising they were missing a market, started to produce there own 'Official' first day cover service in 1970. Covers were produced either addressed or unaddressed, again unaddressed covers fetch a premium. In 1980 they stared to use special cancels, on the stamp theme, which fetch a premium over 'ordinary' Post office cancels in this period, all covers were now unaddressed. In 1990 the special cancels became standard on unaddressed envelopes. First day covers are produced for all issues including for self-adhesive stamps and miniature sheets on cover.