STAMP NEWS AUSTRALASIA OCTOBER 2008 EDITION VOL.55 Number 10

STAMP NEWS AUSTRALASIA OCTOBER 2008 EDITION VOL.55 Number 10

Australian Stamp Variations Details of the main variations in recent stamp issues Olympic Games Issues Two more Olympic Games sets were issued in August. Part 2 was issued on 1st August consisting of 3 designs and 14 Gold Medallist sheetlets were issued during the Games, 1 to 2 days after the final event. (See the table for a list of the issue dates.) The Part 2 variations were confined to the two sheetlets of 5 x $1.30 and 5 x $1.35 self-adhesive stamps. The Gold Medallist gummed sheetlets were printed in China and Australia. The Chinese sheetlets were identified by a Chinese icon repeated five times down the left hand side and were only available by mail order. The Gold Medallist stamps were only issued in these sheetlets, however some post offices sold individual stamps from the Australian sheetlets upon request. Pairs of the China printed stamps were available in a special Beijing Collection pack available by mail order. This pack also contained the Part 1 and Part 2 gummed stamps and the 14 Australian sheetlets. Beijing Olympic Games Gold Medallist Sheetlets Variations 28 Cost $140 Issue Dates See other table Perforations 14.3 x 14.3 Sheetlets 14 x () Australia 14 x () China Beijing Olympic Games : $5 () Gold Medallist Sheetlets : Issue Dates No. Event Medallist(s) Pictured Issue Date 1 Swimming (Women s 400m Individual Medley) Stephanie Rice 11 th August 2 Swimming (Women s 100m Butterfly) Libby Trickett 12 th August 3 Swimming (Women s 100m Breaststroke) Leisel Jones 13 th August 4 Swimming (Women s 200m Individual Medley) Stephanie Rice 14 th August Beijing Olympic Games Part 2 Variations 4 Cost $26.50 Issue Date 1 st August 2008 50c Basketball $1.30 Cycling $1.35 Gymnastics Gummed stamp: 14.6 x 13.9 Perforations stamp: 11.5 x 11.2 Stamps $1.30 (sheetlet) $1.35 (sheetlet) Sheetlets 5 x $1.30 5 x $1.35 24 - Stamp News

David Mallen 5 Swimming (Women s 4x200m Freestyle Relay) 6 Rowing (Men s Pair) 7 Rowing (Men s Double Sculls) 8 Swimming (Women s 4x100m Medley Relay) Stephanie Rice, Bronte Barratt, Kylie Palmer, Linda MacKenzie Duncan Free & Drew Ginn Scott Brennan & David Crawshay Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones, Jessicah Schipper, Libby Trickett 15 th August 9 Women s Triathlon Emma Snowsill 19 th August 10 Sailing (Men s Two Person Malcolm Page & Nathan Dinghy 470) Wilmot 19 th August 11 Sailing (Women s Two Person Tessa Parkinson & Elise Dinghy 470) Rechichi 19 th August 12 Canoe/Kayak Flatwater (Men s K-1 500m) Ken Wallace 25 th August 13 Athletics (Men s Pole Vault) Steven Hooker 25 th August 14 Diving (Men s 10m Individual Platform) Matthew Mitcham 25 th August Supplementary Issues The following variations became available in July and August as supplements to their original issues. Perforations 14.6 x 13.9 Minisheet Australian Light Horse World Youth Day Variations 2 Cost $10 Issue Date 24 th July 2008 (Original issue: 3 rd & 4 th March) 50c Pilgrims at the Opening Mass 50c Papal Welcome 50c Stations of the Cross 50c Pilgrimage Walk 50c Pope Benedict at the Final Mass Perforations 14.4 x 14 Block 5 x 50c pairs Sheetlet 5 x 50c pairs Anzac Day minisheet Israel World Stamp Championships Block of Playing of the Last Post World Youth Day sheetlet 5 pairs of 5 new 50c stamps Se-tenant block of 10 format Gorges prestige booklets Four (2 x $1.35 self-adhesive) minisheets Four (2 x $2 self-adhesive) minisheets Anzac Day Variations 1 Cost $2 Issue Date 14th May 2008 (Original issue: 16 th April) Gorgeous Australia Variations 8 Cost $27.90 Issue Date 19th June 2008 (?) (Original issue: 3 rd March) $1.35 Grose River Gorge, NSW $2 Walpa Gorge, NT Perforations 11.5 x 11.2 2 x $1.35 Kings Canyon, NT 2 x $1.35 Windjana Gorge, WA 2 x $1.35 Ellery Creek, NT Minisheets 2 x $1.35 Galvins Gorge, WA 2 x $2 Munjina Gorge, WA 2 x $2 The Gorge, Mt.Buffalo, Vic. 2 x $2 Diamond Gorge, WA 2 x $2 Ormiston Gorge, WA Stamp News - 25

Australian Stamp Variations Other Issues Four other sets of stamps were issued in July and August: Living Green 100 Years of Quarantine 150 Years of Australian Football Aviation The Living Green set was issued on 8th July consisting of 4 designs. A first time special feature of this set was doublesided self-adhesive stamps. i.e. A die cut sheet of stamps was on both sides of the backing paper. They were found in both the booklet of 20 stamps and on one minisheet in the prestige booklet. The stamps were different in each booklet (see the summary table). The gutter strip had green symbols in the gutter and the prestige booklet contained 1 double-sided and 5 single-sided minisheets. The 100 Years of Quarantine and 150 Years of AFL were single designs both issued in gummed sheetlets of 10 stamps. The Quarantine stamp was also available in a special sheetlet with tabs (and a different perf 13.9 X 13.9) and as a selfadhesive variation in a roll. Each tab was below the stamp and contained a different pest or disease image and text. The Aviation issue of 5th August consisted of three 50c gummed stamps in a se-tenant strip, three 50c gummed stamps as a pair, a $2 gummed stamp, a block of 4 of all four gummed stamps and a $2 self-adhesive stamp (from a sheetlet of 5). The prestige booklet contained 5 minisheets with gummed stamps perforated 13.9 x 14.6 as advertised. The gummed sheet stamps were perf 13.9 x 13.9. The minisheet of the Empire Flying Boat showed a picture of a Qantas Empire Airways Cooee flying boat. Why was the image on the stamp a New Zealand (TEAL Aoteoroa ) aeroplane? (Thanks to Dudly Roberts for pointing this out. He travelled to Australia on a QEA flying boat in August 1948.) Living Green Variations 16 Cost $38.90 Issue Date 8 th July 2008 Perforations Block Gutter Minisheets Stamps 50c Save Water 50c Reduce Waste 50c Travel Smart 50c Save Energy Gummed stamps: 13.9 x 14.6 stamps: 11.2 x 11.5 2 x 50c Save Water 2 x 50c Reduce Waste 2 x 50c Travel Smart 2 x 50c Save Energy 8 x 50c double-sided Booklet & Roll single-sided Booklet double-sided (inverted) 50c Save Water/50c Travel Smart 50c Reduce Waste/50c Save Energy Minisheet double-sided 50c Save Water/50c Reduce Waste 50c Travel Smart /50c Save Energy 100 Years of Quarantine Variations 14 Cost $35.35 Issue Date 15 th July 2008 50c Quarantine Matters 26 - Stamp News

David Mallen Perforations Stamp Sheetlets Tabs Gummed sheetlet stamp: 14.6 x 13.9 Gummed sheetlet stamp with tabs: 13.9 x 13.9 stamp: 11.5 x 11.2 50c (roll) stamps with tabs 150 Years of Australian Football Variations 1 Cost $5 Issue Date 29 th July 2008 50c Engraving of early football match Perforations 14.6 x 13.9 Sheetlet Stamp $2 (sheetlet) Sheetlet 5 x $2 Butterfly Re-issue I don t normally bother with previously released stamps that are issued for special promotions or events in the Souvenir Stamp Sheetlet (SSS) format. However, the Barbie Mariposa sheetlet issued on 28th July caught my eye. It contained a block of 9 x 50c Ulysses Butterfly 2003 stamps with a new perforation and butterfly fairy tabs below each stamp. The original stamp was issued on 24 th September 2003 with 13.9 x 14.6 perf. The stamps in this SSS were 13.9 x 13.9 perf. I guess I ll have to keep a closer eye on these products! If you collect SSSs please let me know if the reprinted stamps are different from the original. Aviation Variations 16 Cost $54.35 Issue Date 5 th August 2008 50c Bristol Tourer 50c Empire Flying Boat 50c Super Constellation $2 Airbus A380 Perforations Gummed sheet stamps: 13.9 x 13.9 Gummed booklet stamps: 13.9 x 14.6 stamp: 11.2 x 11.5 Blocks, Strips & Pairs 3 x 50c se-tenant strip 2 x 50c Bristol Tourer 2 x 50c Empire Flying Boat 2 x 50c Super Constellation 3 x 50c & $2 Block of 4 Minisheets 2 x 50c Bristol Tourer 2 x 50c Empire Flying Boat 2 x 50c Super Constellation $2 Airbus A380 3 x 50c & $2 Block of 4 Butterflies Barbie Mariposa SSS Variations 12 Cost $63.80 Issue Date 28th July 2008 reprint (Original issue: 24 th September 2003) 50c Ulysses Butterfly Perforations 13.9 x 13.9 Block 9 x 50c with tabs Sheetlet 9 x 50c with tabs Tabs 9 x 50c Footnote: The cost quoted in the above summary tables is the minimum cost to obtain one of each variation. Many variations are only available in sheetlets or booklets containing multiple stamps and are often sold above face value. The cost does not include the cost of single gummed sheet stamps when issued. 102 variations costing $403.80 for July and August! Author of the ASV Catalogue Website:www.users.bigpond.net.au/asv Email: asv.cat@bigpond.net.au 7 Rodney Close, Wheelers Hill, VIC, 3150 Ph: 03 9561 2365 Visit my website for new issues, updates and stamp variations for sale Stamp News - 27