Brisbane Telegraph Counter Datestamp Type 1

The Telegraph service operating out of the Brisbane General Post office had a number of datestamps, but it appears that only two were also used for postal purposes. Type 1 has been seen postally used from 6 August 1894 to 19 December 1906 with one example seen 24 July 1909 and Type 2 from 11 September 1908 to 8 February 1913 (For Type 2 see here)

• Type 1 - A framed circle 24 mm in diameter, with 'Brisbane' round the top, 'T.C.' at the foot, and in the centre, in three lines, the month and day, time, and year in two digits. Rated rare on stamp and 3R on cover

'T.C,' stands for Telegraph Counter. Often the strikes are not very clear or else they are clear but parts of T.C. or Brisbane are missing or indistinct. Sometime in 1897 the datestamp was damaged which resulted in the rim having an indentation on the top right of the circle between the A and the N of Brisbane.

This datestamp was also used to for Cancel to Order (CTO) purposes. CTO was introduced in Queensland in around 1892 for stamps that were to be retained by the authorities. Later it was also used for presentation sets or for sale to collectors until 1 July 1902 when this practice was prohibited by new Commonwealth postal legislation. CTO examples can usually be differentiated from genuine postal usage by having a partial cancel in a corner of the stamp or else being cancelled on higher value stamps. At the bottom of this page I show examples of CTO usage.

L-R, type 1, type 2a, type 2b

1894

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 rated Rare. Dated 6 August 1894, the earliest known date

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a postcard rated 3R. Dated 9 September 1894. Seen on Ebay

1898

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 rated 3R. Dated 19 January 1898 and already showing the damaged portion of the date stamp between A and N

1901

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 rated Rare. Dated 15 February 1901. This example clearly shows the indentation on the top right of the circle between the A and the N of Brisbane resulting from damage to the implement around 1897. This example also shows that while the cancel itself is clear and not smudged, parts of Brisbane at the top and T.C. at the bottom are missing or indistinct

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 rated Rare. Dated 21 August 1901

1902

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 10 July 1902. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 29 October 1902. Seen in a private collection

1904

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 21 September 1904

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 rated Rare. Dated 17 October 1904 and showing parts of Brisbane at the top and T.C. at the bottom are missing or indistinct

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 31 October 1904. Seen on Ebay

1905

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 27 January 1905

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 11 May 1905

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 19 September 1905. Seen in Leski auctions. Ex Beston

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 12 December 1905

1906

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 2 March 1906. Ex Wytenburg

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 19 March 1906. Seen in Cavendish auctions

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 19 December 1906

1909

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 rated Rare. Dated 24 July 1909. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Cancelled to Order (CTO)

1895

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 used for CTO purposes. Dated 23 February 1895. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1897

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 used for CTO purposes. Dated 22 January 1897

1899

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 on a cover rated 3R. Dated 11 October 1899 and used for CTO purposes

Unknown year

Brisbane Telegraph Counter datestamp Type 1 used for CTO purposes