1 Advertised / Unclaimed Datestamp

Dead Letter Office Page

The 'Advertised / Unclaimed' datestamp was applied at the Brisbane Dead Letter Office to show that an undeliverable and unclaimed item of mail which had been received at the Dead Letter Office had been advertised in the Queensland Government Gazette. It was usually applied on the last day - or the last weekday - of the month, in order to coincide with the publication of these monthly lists of unclaimed articles in the Gazette.

Type 1 An unframed handstamp in three straight lines measuring approximately 23 x 12.5 mm reading 'ADVERTISED/(date)/UNCLAIMED' in red with the date showing the month, day and year each with two letters or numerals. (Listed by Campbell as Advertised Datestamp Type 3)

•  Type 1 (September 1875 to 31 May 1884. Rated 3R - $40 on cover

Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1

1877

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 30 June 1877. Seen at Abacus auction no 142 lot no 315

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 30 June 1877. Seen at Schwanke sale no 32

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 3 July 1877. Seen at Leski auction no 359 lot no 466

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 31 December 1877. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 166

1878

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 31 March 1878. Seen at Abacus auction no 1644 lot no 695

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 31 May 1878. Seen in Phoenix auction no 93

1879

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 30 June 1879. Seen at Millennium auction no 65

1880

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 1880. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

1884

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 31 January 1884. Seen at Abacus auction no 112 lot no 787

Brisbane Advertised / Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 31 May 1884. Seen at Gartner auction no 34

1 Unclaimed Datestamp

Dead Letter Office Page

The 'Unclaimed' datestamp was applied at the Brisbane Dead Letter Office to show that an undeliverable item of mail had been advertised in the Queensland Government Gazette but not claimed. It was usually applied on the last day - or the last weekday - of the month, in order to coincide with the publication of these monthly lists of unclaimed articles in the Gazette and, when seen in conjunction with the 'Advertised' datestamp type 1, was applied the following month.

Type 1 A horizontal framed oval, approximately 34.5 x 24.5 mm across the axes, with 'Unclaimed' around the top joined at each end by an ellipse round the foot. The date is in two lines in the centre, month and day in the top line, and the year in full below. It is struck in black with dates ranging from March 1863 to April 1867. Rated 5R. It is usually found in conjunction with the 'Advertised' Datestamp type 1 but something must have happened to it as it is not found after 1867 whereas the 'Advertised' datetstamp type 1 is known used on cover until 1873. (Listed by Campbell as Advertised Datestamp Type 2).

1863

Brisbane Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 5R. Dated 28 March 1863. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 160

1864

Brisbane Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 5R. Dated 18 June 1864. Seen at Millennium auctions no 48 lot no 113

Brisbane Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 5R. Dated 1 July 1864. Seen at Abacus auction no 237

1867

Brisbane Unclaimed datestamp type 1 rated 5R. Dated 20 April 1867. Seen in Campbell p. 131

1 Advertised Datestamp

Dead Letter Office Page

The 'Advertised' datestamp was applied at the Brisbane Dead letter Office to show that an undeliverable item of mail had been advertised in the Queensland Government Gazette. It was usually applied on the last day - or the last weekday - of the month, in order to coincide with the publication of these monthly lists of unclaimed articles in the Gazette.

Type 1 A horizontal framed oval, approximately 34.5 x 25 mm across the axes, with 'Advertised' around the top joined at each end by an ellipse round the foot. The date is in two lines in the centre, month and day in the top line, and the year in full below. It is struck in black with dates seen by Campbell ranging from February 1863 to April 1873, although Wytenburg in his Postal History of the Brisbane GPO exhibit states that an 1862 example is known. Rated 3R

Advertised datestamp type 1

1863

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 28 February 1863. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 160

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 28 July 1863. Seen at Millennium auctions no 48 lot no 113

1864

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 29 August 1864. Seen at Abacus auction no 237

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated May 1866. Seen in Campbell p. 131

1866

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 1 June 1866. Seen in Spink auction no 23013 lot no 1030

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 1 September 1866. From the L'Estrange Collection at the Queensland Museum

1867

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 1 February 1867. Seen at Gartner auctions

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 1 March 1867. Seen in the Ron Butler collection

1869
Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 1 May 1869. Seen at Phoenix auction no 22 lot no 964

1870

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 1 January 1870. Seen at Phoenix auction no 22 lot no 965

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 31 March 1870. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group


Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 30 July 1870. Seen at Abacus auction no 237

1871

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 31 December 1871. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 163

1872

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 31 December 1872. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 164

1873

Brisbane Advertised datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 11 February 1873. Seen in the collection of Tony Griffin

1 Dead Letter Office Datestamp

Dead Letter Office Page

Type 1 An unframed circle 29 mm in diameter with 'D-L-O' around the top 'QUEENSLAND' round the foot and two arcs at each side. In the centre in two lines, are the month and day, and the year in full. It is struck in black ink and known only as a back stamp

• DLO datestamp type 1 (16 February 1863 to 15 April 1873) rated 3R - $40 on cover

Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1

1863

Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 16 February 1863. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 160

1864

Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 1 September 1864. Seen at Abacus auction no 237


Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 1 September 1864. Seen at Abacus auction no 237

1869

Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 18 April 1869. Seen at Phoenix auction no 22 lot no 964

1870

Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 28 March 1870. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 20 December 1870. Seen at Phoenix auction no 22 lot no 965

1871

Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 20 December 1871. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 163

1872

Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 11 December 1872. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 164

1873

Brisbane Dead Letter Office datestamp type 1 rated 3R. Dated 15 April 1873. Seen in the collection of Tony Griffin

1 Duplex - Concentric Circles

Brisbane GPO and QL Duplex Canceller and Obliterator Page 

Type 1 A void centre within three concentric ovals, the outer measuring 21 mm x 15 mm and the innermost 12 mm x 6 mm. The datestamp portion is an unframed circle, 22 mm in diameter, in which the inscription round the rim, reading outward, is 'BRISBANE QUEENSLAND' with two bars between 'D' and 'B;' in the centre is the date in two lines, month and day in the first and the year in two digits in the second, the date being under the two bars, over which is the obliterator in a horizontal position. As Campbell notes, this results in a very unusual position; for when the obliterator is turned vertically to cancel the stamp, the date reads sideways and downwards. In addition if the word 'QUEENSLAND' is the correct way up, the 'BRISBANE' is upside down! Known used from 3 May 1860 to 18 December 1861.

As this was the first duplex obliterator used in Brisbane, it includes the period between the creation of Queensland in December 1859 until Queensland introduced its own postage stamps in November 1860 and therefore this duplex is also found on NSW postage stamps for this period. Rated 3R on NSW postage stamps and 4R on cover and 2R on Queensland postage stamps and 4R on cover.

This obliterator is obviously based on the Sydney obliterator then in use in NSW and which is occasionally seen on QLD stamps. The Sydney one has four concentric circles and the words NSW in the centre. It is also similar to the Brisbane QL type 1 obliterator which also has three concentric circles but the centre contains the letters Q.L

Brisbane duplex type 1 (From Campbell)

NSW Stamps

1860

Brisbane duplex type 1 on a NSW stamp rated 4R. Dated 3 May 1860. Seen on the internet

Brisbane duplex type 1 on NSW stamps rated 3R. Dated 4 July 1860. Seen in Mossgreen auction no 115

Brisbane duplex type 1 on a NSW stamp rated 3R. Dated 4 July 1860. Seen in Spink auction no 12043 lot no 1036. Ex Griffiths

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 3R. Dated 14 July 1860. Seen in Millennium Auction no 38 lot no 38

Brisbane duplex type 1 on a NSW stamp rated 3R. Dated 1 August 1860. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 130

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 28 August 1860. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 144 lot no 452

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 29 August 1860. Seen in Millennium Auction no 80 lot no 452 

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 13 September 1860. Seen in Millennium Auction no 80 lot no 454

Brisbane duplex type 1 on NSW stamps rated 3R. One is dated September 1860. Seen in Spink auction no 12043 lot no 1036. Ex Griffiths

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 3R. Dated 5 October 1860. Seen in Millennium Auction no 80 lot no 433

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 8 October 1860. Seen in Millennium Auction no 80 lot no 456

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 3R. Dated 10 October 1860. Seen in Millennium Auction no 80 lot no 427

Brisbane concentric circles duplex obliterator type 1 rated 4R. Dated 22 October 1860. Seen in Millennium Auction no 80 lot no 457 

Queensland Chalon

1860

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 4 November 1860. Seen in Corinphila auctions

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 8 November 1860. Ex Wytenburg

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 14 December 1860. Seen in the HL White Collection at the State Library of NSW

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 21 December 1860. Seen in Campbell, p. 190

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 2R. Dated 21 December 1860. Seen on Ebay

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 28 December 1860. Seen in the HL White Collection at the State Library of NSW

1861

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 4R. Dated 27 February 1861. Seen in Millennium auction no 80 lot no 458

Brisbane duplex type 1 dated 1 May 1861. Rated 2R. Seen in Corinphila auctions

Brisbane duplex type 1 dated 10 June 1861. Rated 2R. Seen in the Henry White Collection at the State Library of NSW 

Brisbane duplex type 1 dated 18 December 1861. Rated 2R. Seen in Abacus auction no 256 lot no 343

No date

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 2R 

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 2R

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 2R . Seen in Classicphil GmbH Sale 4 lot no 1025 Nov 2019

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 2R

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 2R. Seen in Abacus auction no 239

Brisbane duplex type 1 rated 2R. Seen in Spink auction no 12043 lot no 1042. Ex Griffiths