New Zealand: Postally used Fiscal Stamps

Nice thread Mark.

I was just chatting to Jim (jimbabwe ) the other day about these actually. Another interesting area in NZ philately.

Perhaps we can chat later about the period of the 1882 'Provisionals' at some stage. A period when Stamp Duty stamps were allowed to be used postally.

In the meantime here are a couple of very interesting links to related sites :

The NZ Society of Great Britain - NZ Society of Great Britain - revenue images

Dave Elsmore - NZ Revenues - Dave Elsmore - NZ Revenues



Dave

Thanks Dave, good reference material. It is interesting that the fiscals might provide some information on the Chalon paper types and perforations.    

Postal use of values other than the 1d was not authorized until the Post Office Circular 82/41 of 22 April 1882. The 2nd Sidefaces had been available for issue by 1 April, but were not then widely released. Instead the authorities sought to use up all other stamps that could be used, in particular remaining 1st Sidefaces, but also the Long Type 4d, 6d, 8d and 1/- Stamp Duty.

Only as those were exhausted were the 2nd Sidefaces released. Their release date officially being 1 April 1882 but rarely found postmarked until mid to late 1882.



Dave

The Fiscals may provide some information on the perforations. They had both 12.5 and 10 perforations and combinations of the two. Typically the combinations are 10x12.5, but I found a 12.5x10 (see the 6d). I don't know much about perforations, but if the perforating machines were used for both the log-type fiscals and the chalons etc, then the width between the perforations would have to be changeable to do the horizontal perforations on the fiscals. If both 10 and 12.5 have been used for this, then both types would have to be changeable. I don't think the comb perforations could be changeable and if the line perforators had multiple wheels, the wheels would have to be moveable.    

Hi Skid

Yes interesting part of the early revenues was the use of different experimental perforations / roulettes etc as tried also on the Chalons.

However, that may be for another thread as this thread you started is entitled "New Zealand: Postally used Fiscal Stamps".


Dave

I just received in this item in a lot of other older NZ material.

It has a postal type 'Squared Circle' postmark but was probably not used postally but as a revenue.
There appears to be a very faint cleaned manuscript cancel on there so would have to be revenue usage BUT looks nice.

p10 x 12½ Die 2 Blue / Green




I couldn't find this one online in any of the available online catalogs so have just bought myself this book :




Kiwi Catalogue of NZ Revenues & Railway Stamps.

7th edition and latest.

100 pages, A5 size in colour.

Prices simplified and specialised.


I look forward to it arriving and having a good look thru' it.



Dave

And for more on this (above), this article appeared in the book 'The New Zealand Stamp Collector - Celebrating 100 years! 1919 - 2019'

Published by the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Inc, 2020.







Dave

Here you go Clayton. 

Pages 148 & 149 - the relevant bits from the 7th edition of SG New Zealand & Dependencies:






I note that the dates needed to be considered genuine postal usage is either 1882 or 1883.
My 9/- above I see is 1885 - so considered philatelic!


I hope this helps.


Dave

Your 2/6d looks good to me Clayton. As good as any shown in the above 'New Zealand Stamp Collector' article.
The Christchurch obliterator on your one matches a couple shown above.

BTW in the RPSNZ handbooks, vol.3 page 65 shows your 'C' duplex as figure 10.
Their example is dated 21 MR 82 so quite obviously around in 1882, if not introduced about that time.


Dave

Yes I had seen the example in RPSNZ Vol.3, but was unsure just how long this cancel was in use for.
Just thought to check R.S. Craddock's 'A' Class and Allied Datestamps reference as remembered they have the Duplex cancels listed there too.

In this it gives earliest known date as 21 MR 82 (that illustrated in RPSNZ) and last known as 5 FE 84. So seems quite unlikely to have been used as late as even 1892, which would be the next closest option.

As for your 9s it seems a tricky one to prove either way and hence the qualification in NZ Stamp Collector article.
Although the Wmk NZ and star 9s would have been available from 1882 through to 1885, there is no reason why someone would not have retained a stamp of this value for some years before using for genuine postal reasons.
It then becomes a question of proving intent and there is no way to show if someone knowing they had an early issue with large NZ wmk deliberately put this through the post in order to 'create' a postally used example of such.
An earlier date would be preferable but it is not so late as to warrant a philatelic classification. 
SG comment seems to relate more to new values not on the list requiring early usage to be included.

Clayton

Non specialist's guess.
A cursory view, for me, suggests perhaps a shard from a monthly? payment on an outstanding account audit, for Postage used mailing a company's circulars / papers etc
The only query on that suggestion is the blue paper ?   I would have expected white  general official paper.
Would NZ Envelopes of the period exist in such blue paper?

Looks genuine to me.

My only reservation, regarding postal use,  is the current state of the "piece"
Surely such an extraordinary postal value, would have been jealously preserved on full piece / cover
if for not only the Value of such an item, but for NZ Philatelic posterity.

I am more easily assuaged, imagining it a piece of Internal NZ Postal Stationery,
somehow, leaked or taken from older unwanted, now rejected material.
Inspired in part, by past experience of Australian Telegraph stamps, taken from old used out of date forms
Similarly, revenue stamps, Passport stamps etc.

The pen script on the £1 I would think consistant, with a postal clerk's confirmation of use and audit, from / for  the office's internal records 


All speculation, of course.

 New Zealand Revenue on Blue Paper (Land Deed ?)
link

New Zealand Revenues on Blue Paper (Probate)  also embossed

1904 (Oct.) Probate document with QV Long Type £50 grey, £4 pale blue & 7/- blue plus 5d Pictorial postage stamp
(all with the perforations removed) tied by OTAGO datestamps and attached by lead fastener to the form
which has been folded & bound. Most attractive.

The paper is quite similar to this revenue paper. No sign of embossing, however.