Here are some of the decimal stamps that are hard to find – if they exist at all !

The personalised “Stamplet”

This digitally-printed 55 x 55mm ‘minisheet’ containing a single 60c National Service Memorial stamp, with a tab on the top, could be personalised. Very few were as they cost $19.95 each. This was only available to National Servicemen from 3 December 2010. I doubt if any were postally used. Stamplets with blank tabs were available in the National Service Stamplet Pack that was part of the limited-edition range of products also released in December.

27c yellow Rose with perforation 14.6 x 14.4

It was issued on 19 May 1982. It is rumoured that a single sheet of 100 stamps was bought by a Victorian company for use on mail. A few postally used copies are around, postmarked in NE Victoria. Never seen a mint one though!  Original perf = 13 x 13.3.

$1 Koala ‘Personal Greetings’ stamp

This stamp was first issued on 1 September 1999 with a 16mm text tab. There were 8 different variations of this stamp due to the different tabs and the International POST overprint. 4 variations are quite rare:

  • Type 3: Stamp with 20mm text tab.
  • Type 4: Stamp with 20mm generic tab containing a photo of Australia Post employee, Angela Thom.
  • Type 5: Stamp with 20mm personalised (P-stamp) tab.
  • Type 6: Overprinted stamp with 16mm text tab.

Types 3, 4 & 5 variations were released on 19 June 2000 and withdrawn on 31 August 2000, 2½ months later. The Type 6 variation was possibly released in September 2000 to get rid of old stock. Other overprinted variations first appeared on 8 September 2000. These variations were not sold at Post Offices. They were only available from the Philatelic Mail Order and Personalised Stamps services. Why did they bother to overprint this stamp?

41c Cycling imperforate self-adhesive stamp

Two of these were released in the special ‘Behind The Stamp’ Prestige Booklet on 23rd November 2009. It is the only fully imperforate self-adhesive stamp released to date. No kiss cut. One had to cut them out of the page with a blade.

60c Rising Sun Badge ‘1991 – ’

A special embossed variation of this stamp was released on 16 November 2012 in a minisheet attached to the ‘Remembrance Day Coloured Coin PNC’. It cost $19.95. The stamp was cancelled with a gold ‘Canberra’ cancellation.  No known individual mint embossed stamps or embossed minisheets exist.

2015 ‘Love is in the Air’ P-stamps

These were advertised on the back of the self-adhesive booklet. This set of stamps was issued on 3rd February 2015. About this time Australia Post was changing the personalised stamp printer to ABnote Australia Pty.Ltd.Guess production of these stamps got lost in the changeover. Have you got any?

If you know of any other rare decimal stamps, please let me know.

David Mallen
Australian Stamp Variations
Melbourne
david@asv.net.au
www.asv.net.au

Co-author of the Australian Stamp Variations Catalogue 2011-2015
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