Australia Philately: 1972 Prime Ministers (1913-1929)

Four further stamps of the Prime Ministers series, in booklet form, were issued on 8th March, 1972; the subjects are Andrew Fisher, Joseph Cook, W. M. Hughes and S. M. Bruce. In the $1.40 booklet for post office counter sale there are twenty 7c stamps, in the same size and format as those of earlier booklets in this and the Famous Australians series. Each booklet is compromised of four panes each of five stamps plus a “little tab”. Each stamp measures 20.25 mm x 24.05 mm, and is partially imperforate.

The portraits were specifically prepared for the Australian Post Office by Mr. John Santry, of Sydney, and the stamps were engraved and recess-printed at the Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia, on unwatermarked paper incorporating helecon. The Fisher and Hughes stamps are in blue, and the other two are in red, and all are on an oval background off-white tint printed by lithography.

Two types of 70c booklets each containing ten stamps (one pane of Fisher plus one of Hughes, and one of Cook plus one of Bruce) are being produced for sale through vending machines. The covers of all three types of booklet have the same design; the $1.40 cover is mainly blue, and the two smaller booklets have green covers (containing the blue stamps) and purple covers (with red stamps) respectively.