Australia Philately: 1974 Christmas

Australia’s 1974 Christmas stamps were issued on 13th November, 1974. The denominations and subjects are: 10c “Adoration of the Magi” and 35c “Flight into Egypt.” The designs, which are exact line-for-line facsimilies of woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer, were prepared by artists of the Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne, who also engraved the dies. Both of the original illustrations, executed by Dürer circa 1503-04. are from the National Gallery of Victoria’s collection and were reproduced by permission of the Gallery Trustees.

The stamps were printed by intalglio by the Note Printing Branch on unwatermarked KP5D paper containing luminescence. In each case, the intaglio pront is in black on a light yellow-buff background printed by lithography. Both stamps are in vertical format and measure 24.05 mm x 37.5 mm; sheet content (as issued) is 100.

The stamps, aerogramme and souvenir pack will remain on sale at post offices until the end of December and at philatelic sales centres for up to twelve months from the issue date.

Details

Date of Issue: 13 November 1974
Withdrawn Date:
- 31 December 1974 (post offices)
- 14 November 1975 (philatelic sales centres)
Invalidated:
Designer: Artists of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne
Printer: Note Printing Branch, Reserve Bank of Australia, Melbourne
Process: Offset lithography and Recess
Cylinders:
Paper: KP5D paper – chalk coated with Helecon
Watermark: None
Perf: 14 x 15 (comb)
Sheet: Printed in two panes of 50 stamps (R10 x 5) divided by horizontal gutter.
Quantity:
- 85,507,000 (10c)
- 3,370,000 (35c)

Subjects

Aerogramme

A 20c Christmas aerogramme, designed by Mr. Paul Warner, of Melbourne, was also issued on 13th November, 1974. The aerogramme depicts an angel from a Dürer woodcut in a panel on the left-hand side of the address face and a star in the stamp area. The areogramme was letterpress-printed by the Note Printing Branch; most of the design is in black, with the stamp and the word “CHRISTMAS” in red ink containing helecon. This ingredient in the stamp area activates the automatic facer-canceller, and in the word “CHRISTMAS” it identifies the areogramme as an air mail article and separates it from non-air mail items.