Australia

Australia Philately: 1968 State Floral Emblems

thedigitalphilatelist 10/07/1968

The six new definitive stamps of the “Floral Emblems” series was issued on 10th July, 1968, as mentioned in the June bulletin. All were printed on unwatermarked coated paper incorporating Derby Luminescence, and four printing cylinders were used for each stamp. Colours listed in order of printing, are: 6c Kanagaroo Paw, buff, green, red, dark brown; 13c Pink Heath, light blue, light pink, dark pink, dark green; 15c Tasmanian Blue Gum, yellow, grey, green, dark brown; 20c Sturt’s Desert Pea, olive, green, red, black; 25c Cooktown Orchid, pink, blue, magenta, green; 30c Waratah, pink, green, red, dark brown. Some sheets of the 6c and 30c stamps, and all sheets of the 15c and 25c stamps, bear a marginal marking in the form of a bar. This is approximately 9.5 mm x 2 mm, in the same red ink as the serial numbers, and appears in the selvedge level with the number and on the side opposite to the autotron bars, and it actuates an electronic counting device which is used by the Note Printing Branch as a check (additional to the numbering machine) on the gross quantity printed. 

Details
  • Date of Issue: 10 July 1968
  • Reprint: 29 June 1971 (30c)
  • Withdrawn Date:
    • 31 March 1971 (6c)
    • 29 September 1971 (20c, 25c, 30c)
  • Invalidated: 
  • Designer: 
    • Nell Watson, Sydney (6c, 30c)
    • Ralph & Paul Warner (13c, 25c)*
    • Dorothy Thornhill, Sydney (15c, 20c)
  • Printer: Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne
  • Process: Multicolour photogravure
  • Cylinders: Printing order
    • Buff – Green – Red – Dark Brown (6c)
    • Light blue – Light Pink – Dark Pink – Dark Green (13c)
    • Yellow – Grey – Green – Dark brown (15c)
    • Olive – Green – Red – Black (20c)
    • Pink – Blue – Magenta – Green (25c)
    • Pink – Green – Red – Dark Brown (30c)
  • Paper: Unwatermarked coated paper incorporating Derby Luminescence
  • Watermark: None
  • Perf: 13.5 x  13.25 (comb)
  • Sheet: Printed in two panes of 50 stamps (R5 x 10) divided by horizontal gutter.
  • Quantity:
    • 9,119,000 (6c)
    • 25,859,000 (13c)
    • 23,700,000 (15c)
    • 29,609,000 (20c)
    • 24,259,000 (25c)

Ralph Warner passed away before the 13c was finished. The stamp was completed by his son Paul Warner.

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