Very Rare Non-Helicon 5d Red with "EDITION G6" Cover
Jan 21, 2018 0:47:48 GMT -5
kacyds, Gordon Lee, and 2 more like this
Post by rob1956 on Jan 21, 2018 0:47:48 GMT -5
Hardly anything is written about the 1965 5d red non-helicon booklet with “EDITION G6” stamped in red on the cover. One will see a 1965 5d red non-helicon booklet being sold for nearly 3 thousand dollars, but none are listed as “EDITION G6”.
There is also a 1965 5d green non-helicon booklet with “EDITION G6” but these booklets have a healthy printing and are still classified as very scarce, compared to only 6-10 of the red “G6” booklets being printed.
"The existence of 5d red non-helicon booklets in general was first discovered in 1966 after the stamp had been discontinued. An official explanation was issued stating that these stamps were printed in error but it was decided to issue the made up booklets as far as impracticable to States other than NSW and Victoria. It was further stated that the quantity of such booklets was believed to be approximately 1,000,000. In view of the scarcity of the variety, this is taken to mean, in fact, 1,000,000 booklet stamps, although used stamps have been found in some quantity (probably many hundreds have been identified), mint stamps are rare. It is believed that four complete booklets have been identified (EDITION G6), several panes of 6, and a small number of singles." Section 8/267. ACSC Queen Elizabeth II 1952-1966 (2015 Edition)
There is believed to be about 6 - 8 booklets altogether (2 panes to a booklet to the value of 5/-); 4 intact and the remainder unthreaded. The stamps that came from the remaining 2-4 booklets have certificates, without the certificates those stamps could be mistaken for the non-helicon stamps that were issued without the “EDITION G6” overprint in red; the very rare few will have the cover, making those with the cover the holy grail of the pre-decimal Elizabethan head stamps.
Below is a pane of 6 with the cover I added to my collection only days ago.
There is also a 1965 5d green non-helicon booklet with “EDITION G6” but these booklets have a healthy printing and are still classified as very scarce, compared to only 6-10 of the red “G6” booklets being printed.
"The existence of 5d red non-helicon booklets in general was first discovered in 1966 after the stamp had been discontinued. An official explanation was issued stating that these stamps were printed in error but it was decided to issue the made up booklets as far as impracticable to States other than NSW and Victoria. It was further stated that the quantity of such booklets was believed to be approximately 1,000,000. In view of the scarcity of the variety, this is taken to mean, in fact, 1,000,000 booklet stamps, although used stamps have been found in some quantity (probably many hundreds have been identified), mint stamps are rare. It is believed that four complete booklets have been identified (EDITION G6), several panes of 6, and a small number of singles." Section 8/267. ACSC Queen Elizabeth II 1952-1966 (2015 Edition)
There is believed to be about 6 - 8 booklets altogether (2 panes to a booklet to the value of 5/-); 4 intact and the remainder unthreaded. The stamps that came from the remaining 2-4 booklets have certificates, without the certificates those stamps could be mistaken for the non-helicon stamps that were issued without the “EDITION G6” overprint in red; the very rare few will have the cover, making those with the cover the holy grail of the pre-decimal Elizabethan head stamps.
Below is a pane of 6 with the cover I added to my collection only days ago.