NRS-13330 | Colour trials of unissued adhesive stamps

The Stamp Duties Act, 29 Vic. no.6, was the first act imposing the payment of stamp duty in New South Wales. It commenced on 1 July 1865. The Act imposed a charge of duty upon agreements of bills of lading, policies of insurance, bills of exchange, etc. The payment of duty was denoted by either an adhesive stamp or an impressed duty stamp. This series contains 90 sheets of colour trials of imperforate duty stamps that were originally part of a set of 108 sheets engraved by Thomas DeLa Rue & Co. London. From the 108 sheets engraved, it appears that 18 sheets were selected by the Treasurer to be printed by the Government Printer. A notice to this effect appears in the Government Gazette of 8 November 1866, stating that the stamps selected were to be issued on or after 1 December 1866. Hence, the 90 sheets remaining are colour trials of those stamps that were never issued. Each stamp has a centre medallion which is "purple" (according to the Government Gazette), and the frame colours are green, orange brown to chestnut, yellow, carmine (red), dark brown to orange brown, and blue. (SZ1040). 1 vol. Note: This description is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.