This was a special series introduced for use on mail posted at the Brisbane General Post Office and is quite different from previous types. Octagonal in shape, measuring 21.5 to 23 mm between opposite points, they fall into four groups, with the letters 'H', 'O', 'T' and 'X' placed in the top angle. Immediately below is a code number, flanked by the letters 'P' and 'B', 'BRISBANE' across the centre, and the date in two lines below (the year in two figures). The top letters referred to four pillar boxes at the Brisbane General Post Office as follows:
- 14(H) - (Home) mail intended for delivery in Queensland outside the Brisbane city delivery area. Codes H1 - H9 (October 1891 - January 1910)
- 14(O) - (Overseas) mail addressed beyond Australia. Codes O1 - O5 (November 1886 - October 1910)
- 14(T) - (Town) mail to the Brisbane delivery area. Codes T1 - T9 (XXXX)
- 14(X) - (Intercolonial / Interstate) mail. Codes X1 - X7 (XXXX)
Letters posted in the wrong box would, if the mistake was not picked up, be impressed with the wrong datestamp; this frequently happened and they are well worth collecting.
An example of mail posted in the wrong box. It was posted in the 'O' box (overseas mail) instead of the 'H' box (mail intended for delivery in Queensland outside Brisbane)
The Code letters represented a time code. The 30 implements had short lives and frequent replacement of type was necessary. At least nine varieties of O1 and ten of T1 are known and varieties are discussed and shown HERE.
They were introduced in November 1886. The 'X' group was the first in use, with the others following gradually and up to the end of 1896 the stamps were cancelled by obliterators with the datestamps appearing elsewhere on the cover. They then came to be used as obliterators and were in use until October 1910. Most, but not all, of these pillar box codes are very common and I therefore only show a representative sample with the emphasis on covers and clear, complete examples where no covers have yet been seen.
Type 14(O) Codes are O1 - O5. Numerous varieties known. Dates range from 12 November 1886 - 11 October 1910 but dates before 1897 can really only be collected on cover. Rated Common
- Code O1 (20 June 1891 - 8 December 1908) rated Common - $5, $12 on cover
- Code O2 (12 November 1886 - 11 October 1910) rated Common - $12, $30 on cover
- Code O3 (22 April 1898 - 13 August 1910) rated common - $10, $100 on cover
- Code O4 (3 July 1897 - 24 December 1907) rated Common - $8, $50 on cover
- Code O5 (8 April 1897 - 6 April 1905) rated Common - $12, $100 on cover
L-R: Type 14(H), 14(O), 14(T), 14(X), from Campbell
Code O1
1898
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O1. Dated 11 July 1898. Rated common. Seen in Phoenix auction no 55
1902
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O1. Dated 16 August 1902. Rated common. Seen on Delcampe
1904
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O1. Dated 14 May 1904. Rated common. Seen on Ebay
1905
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O1. Dated 31 October 1905. Rated common
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O1. Dated 9 November 1905. Rated common
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O1. Dated 20 November 1905. Rated common. Seen in a private collection
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O1. Dated 31 December 1905. Rated common. Seen on Ebay
1906
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O1. Dated 28 February 1906. Rated common
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O1. Dated 9 April 1906. Rated common
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Code O2
1886
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O2. Dated 12 November 1886. Rated common. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group
1893
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O2. Dated 14 July 1893. Rated common
1907
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O2. Dated 15 July 1907. Rated common. Seen on Ebay
1909
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O2. Dated 6 November 1909. Rated common
1910
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O2. Dated 21 February 1910. Rated common
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O2. Dated 11 October 1910. Rated common. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group
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O3
1898
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O3. Dated 31 May 1898. Rated common
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O3. Dated 13 August 1898. Rated common
1903
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O3. Dated 13 August 1903. Rated common
1904
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O3. Dated 4 August 1904. Rated common
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O3. Dated 22 December 1904. Rated common -------------
Code O4
1898
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O4. Dated 29 January 1898. Rated common
1899
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O4. Dated 10 August 1899. Rated common
1903
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O4. Dated 6 July 1903. Rated common
1904
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O4. Dated 11 August 1904. Rated common
1905 Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O4. Dated 29 September 1905. Rated common
1906
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O4. Dated 9 May 1906. Rated common. Seen in Grosvenor auction no 166
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O4. Dated 29 May 1906. Rated common. Seen in a private collection
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O4. Dated 19 September 1906. Rated common. Seen in a private collection
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Code O5
1897
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O5. Dated 1 September 1897. Rated common
1899
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O5. Dated 9 December 1899. Rated common. Seen on Ebay
1900
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O5. Dated 30 July 1900. Rated common
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O5. Dated 29 August 1900. Rated common
1901
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O5. Dated 6 December 1901. Rated common
1903
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O5. Dated 4 February 1903. Rated common
Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O5. Dated 16 October 1903. Rated common
1904 Brisbane date stamp type 14(O). Code O5. Dated 2 November 1904. Rated common
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