The 1898 Canadian Christmas stamp-British Empire Postage Stamps

Illustrated below is the Canadian Christmas stamp of 1898 issued on the 7th of December. The design was in black with the red of the Empire and colour in the oceans added by typo.  There are three variations of the stamp due to a change of colour in the oceans

being  printed in lavender, greenish-blue and blue. The example below is of the lavender printing.

This was the first Christmas postage stamp ever produced.

Zanzibar Postage Stamps

Illustrated below is a partial set of Zanzibar stamps issued in 1936. Issued in the new currency of 100 cents = 1 shilling. The portrait is of Sultan Kalif bin Harub. The last Sultan of Zanzibar. The values in the set were, 5 cent (green), 10 c (black), 15 c (carmine-red), 25 c (purple-yellow), 30 c (ultramarine), 40 c (sepia), 50 c (claret) 1 shilling (yellow-green), 2 s  (slate-violet), 5 s (scarlet), 7 s 50c (light-blue), 10s (green and brown).

Official Overprint Variations On Early South Australian Q.V. Postage Stamps

Some examples of  the varieties of official overprints on early South Australian Queen Victoria stamps are illustrated below. The bold OS is the earliest  version of the overprint and dates from the 1860's, the next  a finer lettering from the the 1890's and the widely spaced variety from the early 1900's. Many may have been stamped by hand as the variation in position shows in the final example.

Example of Early Imperforate South Australian Postage Stamps

Illustrated below are some examples of early South Australian  imperforate

postage stamps. Issued in the mid to late 1800's.Values range from 1 penny to 1 shilling

Queen Victoria 2 Shilling and Sixpence Postage Stamp Issued in Queensland

A joined pair ( still on original card) of the Queensland 2 shilling and Sixpence

with a young Queen Victoria head. These stamps were first  issued in 1907 and discontinued in 1911. Perforated for official use. These are the reddish -orange variety listed in Stanley Gibbons no. 309b

Large and Small Official Perforations on Australian Kangaroo Postage Stamps

Illustrated below are 2 examples showing the large and small official perforations

used on the  Australian 1 penny Kangaroo issues .

Queen Victoria Postage Stamps of South Australia-used officially

Illustrated below is a partial set of Queen Victoria postage stamps used officially

in South Australia, issued between mid to late 1800's.