Australia Philately: 1973 Marine Life & Gem Stones

The Australia Post Office’s definitive series depicting Australian gem stones and marine life replaces lower value one-colour Queen Elizabeth II stamps, the design of which has been in use since 1966.

Gem hunting, polishing and cutting are increasingly popular hobbies. The name gem stone is applied to stones possessing the attributes of beauty, durability and rarity and Australia is fortunate in being richly endowed with quality stones of this nature. Ninety-five percent of the world’s opal production originates in Australia and its sapphire fields are probably the most extensive in the world. The four stones on the stamps – chrysoprase, agate, opal and rhodonite – typify the natural beauty and fascinating formation of the wealth of gems throughout the continent.

Australia’s 20,000 kilometres coastline has an extraordinary variety of marine life, the most colourful being concentrated along the Great Barrier Reef. The animals chosen for marine life subjects – the Fiddler Crab, Reticulated Coral Crab, Mauve Stinger and Banded Coral Shrimp – are widely distributed in Australian waters but are particularly prolific in tropical waters.

Details

Date of Issue: 11 July 1973
Reprint:
- 20 September 1974 (3c)
Withdrawn Date: Philatelic Sales Centres:
- 17 September 1979 (1c, 2c)
- 14 March 1980 (3c, 4c, 6c, 8c, 9c)
Invalidated:
Designer:
- Note Printing Branch artists (1c, 2c, 3c, 4c)
- John Mason (6c, 7c, 8c, 9c)
Printer: Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne
Process: Multicolour photogravure
Cylinders: In printing order
- Yellow – Red – Grey – Black (1c)
- Yellow – Mauve – Green – Red (2c)
- Yellow – Red-Brown – Green – Black (3c)
- Mauve – Blue – Black (4c)
- Yellow – Blue-Green – Black (6c)
- Yellow – Blue – Red – Black (7c)
- Yellow – Blue – Ultramarine – Red – Black (8c)
- Yellow – Red – Pink – Blue – Black (9c)
Paper:
- Shoalhaven KP5D unwatermarked coated paper incorporating helecon with gum arabic
- Shoalhaven KP6T unwatermarked coated paper incorporating helecon with PVA gum (1976 reprint)*
Watermark: None
Perf: Comb
- 14 x 14.75 (1c, 2c, 3c, 4c)
- 14.75 x 14 (6c, 7c, 8c, 9c)
Sheet:
Quantity:
- 119,836,500 (2c)
- 9,904,000 (4c)
- 15,429,000 (6c)
- 688,541,500 (7c)
- 154,721,500 (8c)
- 15,804,000 (9c)

*The four Marine Life Series stamps issued on 11th July, 1973, were all printed on KP5D paper with gum arabic. The 1c Branded Coral Shrimp has now been reprinted on KP6T paper with PVA adhesive using the original cylinders. The dates of initial distribution to all States were: N.S.W., 12/5/76; Victoria, 7/5/76; Qld, 18/5/76; S.A., 13/5/76; Tasmainia, 12/5/76; W.A., 17/5/76.