Australian Philatelic Society Appraisal

Collection of Australian Postal Stamps

This is a collection of seven Australian postal stamps, depicting a variety of themes and periods, laid out on a wooden surface. The stamps vary in size, age, and condition, offering a glimpse into Australian philatelic history. Starting from the top left, a sepia-toned stamp features a portrait bust of Queen Elizabeth II in a tiara, with 'AUSTRALIA' at the bottom and '2d' (two pence) likely implied though not clearly visible, indicating an earlier imperial era stamp. Below it is a vibrant red stamp depicting a 'WARATAH', a native Australian flower, with '3d' in the top left corner and 'AUSTRALIA' at the bottom. To the right of the Queen Elizabeth stamp, there is a brown-toned Christmas-themed stamp from '1961', featuring the text 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth.' and 'AUSTRALIA' at the bottom, alongside artwork depicting what appears to be an angel. Below this, another red-toned stamp, significantly worn and bearing a clear circular postmark dated '26 FEB 5-PM' (partially obscured), shows an early portrait, possibly of a monarch, with 'AUSTRALIA' at the bottom, and appears to be a '2d' denomination. Its ragged edges and heavy cancellation suggest it was used. The bottom row includes three stamps. On the left, a larger stamp with a cream-colored border, depicts a classical painting titled 'after van Eyck The Madonna & the Child'. It's a 'Christmas 1978' issue, valued at '15c' (15 cents), with 'AUSTRALIA' at the bottom. This stamp is still affixed to a larger piece of envelope or postal paper, indicating it was likely cut from a piece of mail. To its right, partially obscured but visible, is a blue-toned stamp showing two figures in uniform, with 'AUSTRALIA' and '5c' (5 cents) visible, alongside text 'GOLDEN JUBILEE OF GALLIPOLI 1915-1965', suggesting it commemorates fifty years since Gallipoli. The final stamp on the far right, also affixed to a piece of postal paper, is a '20c' stamp featuring a kookaburra against a blue and green background with 'AUSTRALIA'. It bears a circular postmark that reads 'S.C.L.E. 5 P25578 NSW-265' and 'Australia', indicating it was cancelled in New South Wales. The variation in denominations (pence vs. cents) points to different periods of issue, with pence stamps predating Australian decimalization in 1966. The condition of the stamps ranges from relatively crisp and clean (Waratah, Elizabeth II) to heavily used and postmarked (red 2d, Kookaburra) or still attached to postal fragments (Madonna, Kookaburra), suggesting a mixed collection from a casual accumulation rather than a curated set. The edges on some stamps are slightly torn or creased. The color saturation on several stamps remains good, despite some fading on the older, more used examples.