Aust. 1978 35c Stamp of Racehorse Bernborough - scarce?

[Haemoroids]

In 1978 I worked in the PO in Melbourne. Some new stamps were released, one was famous Australian racehorse Bernborough which was a 35c stamp.

Initially I thought it was flawed because they did a second release but maybe they just ran short of them.

Anyway I grabbed 20 of them and stamped them with the 'First Day of Issue' stamp on the date they were originally released. Would anyone like to buy them?

[Haemoroids]

I am not a stamp collector at all, I just have these stamps of the 35c Bernborough original release stamp - I think I am meant to put a photo on from what 'Jaywalker' said, apologies guys. I was just trying to get an idea of their value, that's all?

[fromdownunder]

Probably not worth the effort of making a scan if they are just the normal 35 cent (there are 4.5 Million of them), and less with a First Day cancel, as they are not even good for postage. But unless we see them, we will never know. Do they look like this one?



Norm

[jaywalker]

http://stampsaustralia.com.au/Online_stamps_shop/query/Australia/Australian_Decimal_Issues_1966_-_Date/Australian_Decimals_1966-1980

Retail value for a complete set of four stamps is $1.50.

[Haemoroids]

Yes that is the stamp

[Haemoroids]

I was only a young bloke at the time, a couple of older blokes said to grab some because there was a flaw/defect with the original stamp so they released them a second time, I would be surprised if there was 4.5 million of them, but like I said, I have no idea and it was nearly 40 years ago.

[Global Administrator]

There are no errors recorded on these in ACSC.

Your 'Rarities' will be worth less than the 35c face value I am afraid.

[fromdownunder]

I would be surprised if there was 4.5 million of them, but like I said, I have no idea and it was nearly 40 years ago.

Well, be prepared to be surprised. I do have an idea, and got the figure from the Australian Commonwealth Specialist's Catalogue. Here is the numbers (rounded) for the full set:

20 cent Tulloch 52,000,000
35 cent Bernborough 4,500,000
50 cent Phar Lap 4, 500,000
55 cent Peter Pan 5,000,000.

And you are right - you have no idea. From about 1976 though the mid 1980's every man and their dog were buying new Australian issues by the sheet full, thinking of them as a long term investment that would put their kids through University. They were wrong and all of these stamps are still a drug on the market (although I suspect you will not believe that either) and sell wholesale mint for about half face, and for used, unless very fine used, they can be used as ferret cage liner.

Norm

[BigSaint]

Haemorroids

I will send you an email:

[centre]https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=57250[/centre]

I collect these things.

Brad

[BigSaint]

All Photobucket “Ransom” images above have been replaced, and saved forever.

Brad

[BigSaint]

In 1978 I worked in the PO in Melbourne. Some new stamps were released, one was famous Australian racehorse Bernborough which was a 35c stamp.

Initially I thought it was flawed because they did a second release but maybe they just ran short of them.

Haemoroids

[centre][/centre]

Details of the issue.

Brad

[BigSaint]

There are no errors recorded on these in ACSC.

Your 'Rarities' will be worth less than the 35c face value I am afraid.

Glen

Interesting that ACSC does not record errors, as McClearys does:

[centre]
[/centre]

Brad

[BigSaint]

I am having trouble finding my stash of "Bernies", so I can only show you number 6, the white dot under "NB", which appears on the top right hand stamp in the block of six below (or lower pane, row 3 stamp 3):

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[/centre]

[BigSaint]

This error just happens to be repeated on the maxi-card. Don't know if that was just luck or good design:

[centre]

[/centre]

[BigSaint]

I also have a paper join:

[centre]

which shows in rows 2 & 3 above & are enlarged below.

[/centre]

I will post the others when I locate them.

Brad

[BigSaint]

Found some more when I was looking for something else, as you do. Now here is number "1" from the upper pane Row 1, stamp 1, a retouch at left of horses front leg:

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[/centre]

[BigSaint]

Now here is number "2" from the upper pane, Row 1 Stamp 4, blue dot over "A" of Australia which appears on the top right hand stamp in the block of four below:

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This shows up better here than with the magnifying glass. [/centre]

[BigSaint]

This one is not recorded in McCleary but you will see the black dot over the "Au" in the bottom right hand stamp at normal size:

[centre]





Much easier to see than the previous blue dot, I will need to find others before I can work out it's position on the sheet.[/centre]

That's all for now.

Brad

[BigSaint]

Again while looking for something else, I found a used example of number "1" from the upper pane Row 1, stamp 1, a retouch at left of horses front leg:

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[/centre]

It looks like this example is postmarked either Philatelic Sales Centre Melbourne or Philatelic Sales Centre Perth, so I can't claim genuinely postally used.

Brad

[Lakatoi 4]

Brad,

I guess the reason they aren't flaws aren't listed in the ACSC is because they are even tinier than the fly speck flaws on the KGV's and Roo's.

Anything that you can't see without a 4X plus mag. just doesn't cut it for many people. They want to see a decent plate scratch or constant ink flaw that stands out and can be seen with the naked eye.

[ChrisGray]

It may be a flyspeck, but as a constant plate variety it should count just as much as a KGV 1d Red Die II.

Thanks for all the images Brad. As somebody who relies on the BW Decimals volumes, it's an eye opener.

[BigSaint]

Tony, that is the wonderful thing about philately, not everything is everybody's cup of tea. Unfortunately the largest of the flaws in this set are on "Tulloch" - like the broken leg variety below:

[centre][/centre]

& on this thread for some more:

[centre]https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=43707&start=300[/centre]

I only like my flyspecks on horses. Glad you are enjoying these images Chris. Still have to find that other variety on Bernborough.

Brad

[BigSaint]

A Bernborough with, as another Stampboarder so eloquently called them, bullet holes. But it was Phar Lap that Squizzy Taylor shot at.

[centre]
[/centre]

Not bullet holes at all, but a "VG" for Victorian Government perfin.

[BigSaint]

I picked up the missing variety recently on eBay from Dr Brian Jeffries, who traded under the name of KJB, where he was the J & David Byron was the B. I can't remember who the K was:

This one is number 5 above & occurs in the lower pane, row 2 stamp 8, a wavy black line above "li". It is a little difficult to see but it appears in the orange section between the horses bent leg & the green of the racetrack.

Brad

[BigSaint]

This is the marvelous thing about philately, you can collect something for 40 odd years & have everything in the catalogue & you can still find something you don't have.

I picked this up from Phoenix the other day. The left hand single stamp is there for comparison only but the right hand stamp pair show some parts of the letters of "Bernborough" wording missing in the top left corner of the stamps. The right hand stamp has affected more than the middle stamp. There is also a brown mark above the "GH" of the middle stamp.

My guess is that the parts of the missing letters are a doctor blade flaw:

Left....................Middle............................Right



Missing black from base "RN" & second "R" on middle stamp & missing base of "ERN" & second "R" on right stamp

Enlargement of middle & right stamps. Note the brown mark over top of "GH" on middle stamp.

Speaking to David Wood this is the only example that has been seen & recorded.

[satsuma]

This one is number 5 above & occurs in the lower pane, row 2 stamp 8, a wavy black line above "li". It is a little difficult to see but it appears in the orange section between the horses bent leg & the green of the racetrack.

Brad

Brad, I respect the "each to his own concept of collecting", but in this particular case, this is going to be an unrecognised variety to most because if that was seen on a scan, it would be presumed to be an artefact on the scanner.

The little black dot above the left leg of the "U" and just below the orange is also problematic. Is it a constant variety, a transient, or dust on the scanner?

One of the reasons 1d Die II KGV attracts more interest is the "how did this happen" and "why didn't they fix it earlier" and other curiosity factors, something which the four colour printing process of short term commemorative issues lacks for many.

Good luck with your focus, but don't expect a throng in front of an exhibit of these flaws.

[Global Administrator]

I picked up the missing variety recently on eBay from Dr Brian Jeffries, who traded under the name of KJB, where he was the J & David Byron was the B. I can't remember who the K was:

(Andrew) Kimonides.

THE most unlikely business trio in history I always thought!

[BigSaint]

Of course, how could I forget Andrew Kimonides.

[BigSaint]

Ken

With flyspeck philately, yes a lot would think it was a spot of dirt or something similar & discount it as a variety.

But funny you should bring that up:

But that brown mark above the "GH" I thought should not be there. So I cleaned the scanner & it was still there. I cleaned the hagner sheet & it was still there. Brought out the magnifying glass & it was still there. Yes sometimes we need convincing. One day when I have some spare time, I will check all my Tullochs, Bernboroughs, PharLaps & Peter Pans & see what I come up with.

I doubt very much I would do a display on just flyspecks. Maybe I would concentrate on one stamp & have mint, used, fdcs, commercial covers & one page of flyspecks but that won't happen either well at least not in the short term.

[BigSaint]

In 1946 Bernborough won the Doomben 10,000 (renamed the Rothmans 100,000) & the Doomben Cup in 1946:

Occleshaw - Commemorative/Short Term Queensland No. 5.
BATC (Brisbane Amateur Turf Club) Rothmans 100,000 7th July and
Doomben Cup 14th July - short term commemorative slogan cancel.

Occleshaw says used at Fortitude Valley, Brisbane in 1979 during following periods:
30th April to 4th May
14th May to 1st June
11th June to 6th July.

The only examples I have seen used the Australia Post Golden Wattle generic souvenir cover & the Bernborough stamp. I have never seen the stamp in the top right corner always in the middle, I think hoping that date section will just touch the stamp leaving a nice clear impression of the slogan, sometimes they missed altogther:

Friday - 11th May 1979

Friday - 14th May 1979

Thursday - 24th May 1979

Friday - 1st June 1979

Tuesday- 3rd July 1979.

I am a bit puzzled by the dates used by the person who did these. Obviously I need to see more of these to work it out.

The first example I show I have labelled as May 11, but Occleshaw says it was not used on that date, I have magnified the date stamp:

I believe the first 1 of 11 is in line with the jockeys purple sleeve & it just goes past his elbow & on to his white pants.

[BigSaint]

Some enlarged images of those in the previous post as they came out a little small:

Fortitude Valley - 11th May 1979

Fortitude Valley - 18th May 1979

Fortitude Valley - 24th May 1979

Fortitude Valley - 1st June 1979

Fortitude Valley - 3rd July 1979

Fortitude Valley is 1.3 kms north east of Brisbane & about 7 kms south west of Doomben Racecourse. I have always thought that it odd that Fortitude Valley was used rather than Brisbane or a closer post office.

[CHzug1291]

Hi Brad,

I just found this nice color shift, sadly with a " rounded" corner

[BigSaint]

Yes pity about that one Peter.

Should have been scratched at the barrier.

[castores]

A hair? it has a shadow of white at right.
More intriguing is the "3" with the little 'hook' that attaches to the base of the 'hair'.

Any ideas?

[BigSaint]

Could be hair or something similar. Who knows

[castores]

Here's one with a hook on the second "a" of Australia. Very similar to the hook on the "3" from my previous post.

[BigSaint]

Probably a slight doctor blade flaw. Looks like a small piece of the top part of the second "a" has been scraped away when you compare with third "a".

Good find.

[castores]

Probably a slight doctor blade flaw. Looks like a small piece of the top part of the second "a" has been scraped away when you compare with third "a".

Good find.

Thank you, and yes that's what I considered as well.

Still looking....

[castores]

Bernborough retouch under "ER"

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19.61 KiB - Viewed 867 times