Very nice. I am perplexed however, at the need for training stamps. Were they used as "examples" of the new system and passed around in a classroom?
Cheers,
Eric
"Very nice. I am perplexed however, at the need for training stamps. Were they used as "examples" of the new system and passed around in a classroom?
Cheers,
Eric
"
If you look closely where it says "ONLY" you will notice that the "O" is actually a "Q", which spells "QNLY". It seems from the Arthur Grey collection, he has a couple, that he too has the error.
Which means, if any collector has Australian training stamps, look closer and see if you have the same error.
Rob
"They were specifically used to train counter staff to correctly place postage stamps on a letter or parcel."
Hi Ted
It does sound a little crazy, but there was a reason. When we adopted decimal currency on February 14, 1966 (Valentine's Day), it was to make the use of currency much easier, especially for accountants and shop keepers.
Even though decimal stamps were official in 1966 and all pre-decimals were removed from sale, the use of pre-decimal currency was for awhile still used with decimal currency.
But it was not an easy feat for many post office counter staff, for instance, one would think 10 pennies would convert to 10 cents in the new currency, it didn't, it took 12 pennies to make 10 cents and 24 pennies to make 2 shillings, and 2 shillings will make 20 cents.
The decimal training stamps were used alongside the obsolete pre-decimal stamps so the counter staff would know how to convert the currency and apply the appropriate stamp(s).
Rob
Training stamps are commercial stamps that have been hand cancelled with CANCELLED SPECIMEN ONLY, they were used between 1967 and early 1968 to teach postal workers to understand the new decimal currency postal rate.
These cancellations are added to the postage stamps by a coarsely made vertical pair of rubber stamp, a good example showing the amateurishly cut rubber stamp is clearly seen on the 30 cent Waratah stamp.
Although these stamps were never meant to see the light of day outside the post office, they have frequently found their way into the hands of some collectors.
The series of stamps shown are seldom seen and is almost complete.
Queen Elizabeth II. 1 cent (1966)
Queen Elizabeth II. 2 cents (1966)
Queen Elizabeth II. 3 cents (1966)
Queen Elizabeth II. 5 cents (1967)
Blue-Faced Honeyeater. 6 cents (1966)
Kangaroo Paw. 6 cents (1968)
Anemone Fish. 10 cents (1966)
Golden Whistler. 20 cents (1966)
Sturt's Desert Pea. 20 cents (1968)
Cooktown Orchid - with colour bars. 25 cents (1968)
Straw-Necked Ibis. 30 cents (1966)
Waratah. 30 cents (1968)
re: Australian Post Office Training Stamps
Very nice. I am perplexed however, at the need for training stamps. Were they used as "examples" of the new system and passed around in a classroom?
Cheers,
Eric
re: Australian Post Office Training Stamps
"Very nice. I am perplexed however, at the need for training stamps. Were they used as "examples" of the new system and passed around in a classroom?
Cheers,
Eric
"
re: Australian Post Office Training Stamps
If you look closely where it says "ONLY" you will notice that the "O" is actually a "Q", which spells "QNLY". It seems from the Arthur Grey collection, he has a couple, that he too has the error.
Which means, if any collector has Australian training stamps, look closer and see if you have the same error.
Rob
re: Australian Post Office Training Stamps
"They were specifically used to train counter staff to correctly place postage stamps on a letter or parcel."
re: Australian Post Office Training Stamps
Hi Ted
It does sound a little crazy, but there was a reason. When we adopted decimal currency on February 14, 1966 (Valentine's Day), it was to make the use of currency much easier, especially for accountants and shop keepers.
Even though decimal stamps were official in 1966 and all pre-decimals were removed from sale, the use of pre-decimal currency was for awhile still used with decimal currency.
But it was not an easy feat for many post office counter staff, for instance, one would think 10 pennies would convert to 10 cents in the new currency, it didn't, it took 12 pennies to make 10 cents and 24 pennies to make 2 shillings, and 2 shillings will make 20 cents.
The decimal training stamps were used alongside the obsolete pre-decimal stamps so the counter staff would know how to convert the currency and apply the appropriate stamp(s).
Rob