Queensland Catalog of Registered Handstamps and Labels

This is a Handbook by Dr Jeremy Hodes of the various Queensland registered hand stamps and labels used in Queensland on Chalon and Sideface postage stamps and postal history. It includes the use of the Queensland Chalon registered postage stamp as well as New South Wales registered handstamps and registered postage stamps used before Queensland came into existence and which were in use from 1850 to 1860.

A number of different registered handstamps are known.

The registered handstamp comprised two lines with the first line containing the word registered and the second line the name of the post office. This type of registered handstamp came in two different sizes, one with small type and the other with large type. As well a single line registered handstamp with the post office name omitted was used at the Calliope, St George and Yaamba post offices.

There was also an R in oval registered handstamp that was used in a number of post offices from around 1891 onwards. These are best collected on piece or cover in order to identify the post office associated with them.

A number of the larger post offices also used dedicated registered date stamps. Beginning in late 1908, registered labels began to be provided to Queensland post offices. Again, these are best collected on piece or cover. There were also printed registered envelopes, and these are very scarce, especially used.

The rarity rating is Common, for the most commonly found handstamp cancels, Scarce for those that are less common but still readily obtainable, Rare for hard to get handstamp cancels, 2R for very hard to get handstamp cancels and finally 3R where only 1 or two examples have been seen.

All covers and postcards with complete handstamp cancels and labels command a premium as do those registered cancels on piece or postage stamps that have a complete strike. Registered labels, usually only surviving on cover from this period, are also rare and desirable