Saturday, November 24, 2012

Queensland 1 shilling watermarks and papers

Watermarks

There were two types of watermarks used.

For all issues except SG 205, which was issued on the thick beer duty paper, the watermark used was Crown over Q. The watermark is 19 to 19½ mm. high, measured from the top of the crown to the lower curve of the Q, the central compartment of the crown has the sides nearly parallel, and both outlines of the tail cross the body of the Q.


Crown over Q Watermark

For SG 205, issued on the thicker beer duty paper in August 1895, the existing beer duty large crown Q watermark was used. This watermark is much bigger than he normal Crown over Q watermark as the beer duty stamps were bigger than the 2nd sideface issues. With the smaller-sized stamps the watermarks were very considerably out of register, and specimens may be found with scarcely any watermark showing.


Beer duty watermark used on SG 205.

Papers

There were three types of papers used, all issues except SG 205 were printed using the De La Rue Crown Q (2nd Type) Paper. This paper was supplied by Messrs. De La Rue & Co., the first consignment being received in Brisbane about the middle of October, 1879. It is a medium white wove paper with a watermark Crown above a double-lined Q (2nd type) to fit each impression on the electrotype plate. The 120 watermarks (10 x 12) are enclosed in a single-lined frame 8¼ inches (20.95 cm) wide and 11¾ inches (29.85 cm) high. There are no marginal inscriptions, but crosses, 5/16 in. (0.8 cm) x 5/16 in. (0.8 cm), are situated in the centre of the top and bottom margins, and in a position in the side margins in which the horizontal limbs of the crosses are in line with the lower edges of the fifth row of watermarks.

The De La Rue Crown Q (2nd type) paper was specially designed to give the best results with electrotype printing, and seems to have had a certain proportion of zinc white or white lead, probably the former, in its composition, giving it a dead white, and sometimes a chalky appearance.

SG 172 and SG 174 were also printed on the Cowan Crown Q paper from the middle of 1896 onwards. 
The Cowan paper has the same Crown over Q watermark but can be distinguished from the De La Rue paper by its being of a more open texture and generally showing a distinct mesh, and being thicker and not so surfaced as the De La Rue paper. It is also of an ivory white tint as against the dead white of the De La Rue manufacture.

The stamp on the left is dated 1899, so it is the Cowan paper, showing the distinctive mesh. The block on the right is from 1892 and is the De La Rue paper.

The colour is harder to show, but usually the De la Rue paper looks whiter.

SG 205 was printed on the Beer duty paper which was used as an emergency paper for the 1d. 2d. and 1-/ 2nd sideface stamps in 1895.


It is a very thick white wove paper with 120 watermarks, large Crown and Q, in twelve horizontal rows of ten, enclosed in an interrupted single outline frame, which only shows for 1 inch (2.54 cm) each side of the four corners. There is a cross in the centre of each margin, and an inscription "QUEENSLAND BEER DUTY" in double-lined capitals, reading upwards in the left margin. 

It is not known who supplied this paper, but it has the general appearance of being of a similar manufacture to the De La Rue 2nd Crown Q paper.

About 1894 Queensland experienced a period of financial stringency, and it is probable that only a small reserve (if any) of the De La Rue Crown Q (2nd type) watermarked paper was maintained. Thus, when towards the end of 1894 a shortage of paper occurred, probably owing to a delayed shipment from England, recourse was had to provisional papers.

The Beer Duty paper was the first to be requisitioned, and printings of the ld. and 2d. were issued on 16th January, 1895, and of the 1s. in August, 1895. It is not known when the printing of the 1s. was made, but it was issued to the Parcel Post Branch at Brisbane on the date mentioned, and to the general public on the 15th October following. 

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