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Cypher labels were used as a security
devise to secure impressed revenues to velum documents by the relevant
authorities in the stamping room at the State Treasury. No fee was charged
for this service therefore they are not a revenue. They were never sold
to the public.
Only two states in Australia offered this
service Queensland and New South Wales

The difference between Queensland and New
South Wales Cypher labels as listed below. No printing records have survived
for either Qld or NSW.

Queensland New
South Wales
Queensland Crown differs in that the inner fabric of
the crown is engraved with a mesh, whereas the NSW fabric has been engraved
with single shading lines. The Queensland Crown is 1mm wider than the NSW
Crown. The Queensland Crown has 10 pearls left and right the New South Wales
Crown has 9. If you look close you will find further differences in the shading
of the cross
etc.

Queensland
New south Wales
Queensland V R is in
sans serif capitals whereas the NSW V R is serif
Royal Cypher on the
Queensland issue is 11mm x 10mm. The NSW issue is 11mm x 11mm.
QUEENSLAND
Queensland issued three labels
Type I, II & III

Type I. 1866
Type II c1866
Imperf. 22mm x 27mm
Imperf. 21 x 26˝mm
Type III issue date unknown
22mm x 27mm Perf 12. You can clearly see
the wmk above the crown
Printed on small star [gibbons 3] type
paper with small star and QUEENSLAND/POSTAGE-POSTAGE/STAMPS-STAMPS in
three lines and perf 12. I have a perforated copy with the corner black
'SPECIMEN' ring on.
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Type III
Perf 12. you can clearly see the wmk UE
[qUEnsland]
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Type 1 Usage
Used to seal a silver strip
[akin to the modern staple] on the reverse of velum, to attach a base paper
prior to impressing the instrument. This also applies to NSW. It should be
noted all Qld base paper recorded has had the corners cut in a curve whereas
NSW base paper was cut with square corners. Both states have recorded light
blue base paper issued first both then changed to dark blue. light blue
appears very scarce from either state.
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STOP PRESS
Imperf on Watermarked paper

From a recent discovery I have found
a watermarked
Queensland type III issue in an imperf pair, this is the first copy on
watermarked paper imperf to turn up this also makes it the largest
multiple from either state. Maybe proof status, studies continue.
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NEW SOUTH
WALES
NSW issued 3 different labels Type I,
II & III.

Type I. c1866 22mm x 27mm. Type II
c1874 22mm x 27˝mm.
Manuscript date
Day [17] and month [12] printed daily
29 - 6 refers to the Act [Vic.29. No6]

Type III 3 over S of WALES
27mm high. Type IIIa 3 over ES of WALES 28mm high
With a new Act [Vic.44. No3] in place
old stock was used up till the system ceased c1901.
All labels are printed on unwatermarked plain paper except
Queensland Type III. This is printed on small star [gibbons 3] type paper
with small star and QUEENSLAND/POSTAGE-POSTAGE/STAMPS-STAMPS in three lines and perf 12.
The Queensland watermarked and perforated labels have yet to be found used
on a document, it is possible they were prepared and used for Parliamentary
presentation packs in 1901 but this does not fit the date of watermark usage
all known perforated stamps have gum.
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© copyright 1997 on
All Graphics. Dave Elsmore
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