Loose Ship Letter Type 2

Ship Letter Page

Loose Ship Letters were letters posted in boxes aboard ships, the contents of which were handed in to the post office at the next port of call, in this case Brisbane. There are three Brisbane Loose Ship Letter oval types

• Type 2 - framed, 27.5 x 23 mm, serif letters, 1871 - 1901
• Type 3 - framed, 26 x 21 mm, serif letters, 1895 - 1915
• Type 4 - framed, 29.5 x 23 mm, serif letters, 1903

Types 2 and 3 are similar. Only type 2 is found on Chalons. The easiest way to distinguish types 2 and 3 from type 4 is that the H of type 2 and 3 has a horizontal line on the top left hand side and which is not present in type 4

Left to right: Loose Ship Letter Type 2, Loose Ship Letter Type 3, Loose Ship Letter Type 4

Type 2  A framed oval, 27.5 x 23.5 mm across the axes, with 'LOOSE' round the top, 'SHIP' in seriffed letters in the centre, and 'LETTER' round the foot; at each side is a smallish round dot. Seen from 1871 to 1901. Rated 2R.

• (4 October 1871 - 6 November 1901) rated 2R - $20, $40 on cover

Type 2

1871

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 4 October 1871. Rated 2R. Seen in Abacus auction no 247 lot no 1160

1872

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 14 February 1872. Rated 2R. Seen in Abacus auction no 214 lot no 509

1875

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 16 January 1875. Rated 2R. Seen in Abacus auction no 239 lot no 1783

1884

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 28 November 1884. Rated 2R. Seen in Abacus online auction no 1 lot no 1254

1886

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 2 May 1886. Rated 2R. Seen in Marius Wytenburg Brisbane GPO exhibit

1888

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 29 April 1888. Rated 2R. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 30 May 1888. Rated 2R. Seen in Cavendish auctions no 701 lot no 424

1889

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 16 November 1889. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

1891

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 16 March 1891. Rated 2R. Seen in a private collection

1893

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 18 January 1893. Rated 2R. Seen in Corinphila auctions no 291 lot no 1015

1901

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2 dated 6 November 1901. Rated 2R. Seen on Ebay

Unknown dates

Chalon

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2. Rated 2R. Seen in the collection of Carl Burnett

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2. Rated 2R

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2. Rated 2R. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2. Rated 2R. Seen on Ebay

2nd Sideface

Brisbane Loose Ship letter Type 2. Rated 2R. Seen in the collection of Tony Curtis