11 GPO Obliterator

Brisbane GPO Obliterator Page

Type 11 A continuous roller type, with each impression of 'GPO' letters 5 mm high, separated by 5 unbroken lines or bars. Mainly used on newspaper wrappers, parcels and Large Chalons (probably for payment of bulk postage). There are also several examples known on 5s Chalons thay may or may not be genuine - perhaps also for payment of bulk postage? It is known with both thinner and thicker lines as well as differently shaped letters, strongly suggesting that more than one implement was in use.

Examples are known used from the Chalon era to 26 November 1903 but these dates may be incomplete as very few examples have dates associated with them. Best collected on wrappers or multiples showing the continuous roller impression. Rated common

• GPO Obliterator type 11 (late 1870s to circa 1905) rated Common

There are three types. Type 10 (not shown here and found only on Chalons has 6 lines), type 11 has 5 lines with letters 5 mm high and type 12 has 4 lines with letters 6 mm high. The shapes of the letters varies according to the subtype. The elongated 'P' is found in both types 11 and 12

Actual type 11 examples showing variations in lettering

Chalon

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. This example suggests that one of the types also had a framed vertical line

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane obliterators type 11 rated common

Chalon - 5s examples

Brisbane obliterator type 11 on a 5s Chalon in red ink. Seen at Spink auctions

Brisbane obliterator type 11 on a 5s Chalon. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Brisbane obliterator type 11 on a 5s Chalon. 4 examples seen at different times on Ebay

1st Sideface

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen on the Internet

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Dated 20 March 188-. Seen on Ebay

2nd Sideface

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Brisbane obliterators type 11 rated common

2nd Sideface - Newspaper wrappers

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen in the collection of Dr Andrew Mortlock

3rd Sideface

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen in the collection of Tony Griffin

3rd Sideface - Newspaper wrappers

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common

Large Chalons

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Dated 26 November 1903. Seen in Phoenix auction no 5. Ex Kiddle

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen in a private collection

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 157

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen in Spink auctions no 12043 lot no 1245. Ex Alan Griffiths

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Brisbane obliterator type 11 rated common. Seen on Ebay

Return to Sender Handstamp

Dead Letter Office Page

The Dead Letter Office Return to Sender Handstamp is known used on one postal item from August 1908. It would appear that this example was applied within the DLO (although it is possible that it may have been applied elsewhere within the Brisbane GPO) to notify letter carriers to return the mail item to the sender. 

It is an illustrated handstamp  of a hand made into a fist with 3 knuckles, a pointed finger, and the letters 'RETURN TO SENDER' applied in dull-red ink

• Brisbane return to sender handstamp (11 August 1908) rated 5R - $100 on cover

Return to Sender handstamp

1908

Brisbane Dead Letter Office Return to Sender Handstamp rated 5R. Dated 11 August 1908. Seen in the collection of Dave Elsmore

Brisbane NSW 1a Datestamp

Brisbane Datestamp Page

Brisbane NSW Era Page

Type NSW 1a Oval in shape but without an oval frame measuring 31 x 24 mm. 'BRISBANE' at the top, with 'NEW. S. WALES' round the foot (all letters serified), with a star each side and a crown below 'BRISBANE' and above the date; in the centre is the date in two lines, month and day at the top separated by an asterisk and the year in full beneath (White type C67, Tobin and Campbell type 0(ii))

These can be relatively easily distinguished from type NSW 1 by the oval shape and the word 'WALES' at the bottom. The Crown is also different to the wavy line in type NSW 2. It can also be distinguished from type NSW 1b by serif rather than the sans-serif letters and numerals for type NSW 1b and which was also in use later (1852 - 1855 for type NSW 1b and 1844 - 1852 for type NSW 1a)

• Brisbane Datestamp type NSW 1a (21 August 1844 - 17 November 1850) rated 4R

Composite of Brisbane Type NSW 1a with an Ipswich Type NSW 1a on right to show the serif lettering

1844

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 21 August 1844. Rated 4R. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 139 lot no 352

1846

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 5 May 1846. Rated 4R. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 148 lot no 1175

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 20 November 1846. Rated 4R. Seen in Corinphila auctions

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 10 December 1846. Rated 4R. Seen in Corinphila auctions

1847

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 4 December 1847. Rated 4R. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 148

1848

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 12 October 1848. Rated 4R. Seen in Phoenix auction no 57 lot no 1200

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 11 November 1848. Rated 4R. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 139 lot no 353

1849

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 20 February 1849. Rated 4R. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 152

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 2 December 1849. Rated 4R. Seen in Abacus auction no 256 lot no 258

1850

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 1 April 1850. Rated 4R. Seen in Abacus auction no 256 lot no 259

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 21 May 1850. Rated 4R. Seen in Leski auctions

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 19 October 1850. Rated 4R. Seen in Corinphila auctions

Brisbane datestamp type NSW 1a. Dated 17 November 1850. Rated 4R. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 152