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Auction: 20039 - The Gary Diffen Collection of Australian Colonies Errors Part 2 - Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Lot: 109

(x) Tasmania
1904 (Dec.) 1½d. Surcharge
The S.G. note after this stamp states "Stamps with inverted surcharge or without surcharge se-tenant with stamps with normal surcharge were obtained irregularly and were not issued for postal use".
The "Philatelic Journal of Great Britain" in November 1923 makes mention of a conversation that was overheard by a philatelist stating that he heard that a collector had obtained these stamps irregularly in 1920. This reference is also repeated in Brusden White at page 1/199. There is no empirical evidence to support this and this comment has just been taken as assumed by all authors.
However, there are no official records supporting this statement that stamps were removed or stolen from the Government Printer in Hobart who surcharged them.
In addition, the "Australian Philatelist" of February 1916 records the past President of the Royal Philatelic Society of Victoria, H.W. Johnson, displaying these errors, including a block of 22 showing four with surcharge omitted. This date is clearly prior to the comments referring to the 1920 "irregularities" and supports the theory they were available much earlier. Johnson's collection was bequeathed to the Museum of Victoria where the errors still reside.
1½d. on 5d. pale blue and brown, error surcharge inverted, very fine mint. The only recorded example in private hands. R.P.S. Certificate (1920). S.G. 244. Photo

Note: The auction house of Puttick & Simpson sold this example in 1920 (as reported by the "London Philatelist" in July 1920) to the old London dealer Tommy Allen and who's name is on the certificate, who sold it privately to William Frazer.

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Sold for
£1,000

Starting price
£800