1/- Lyre

1/- Lyre

FDC

Samples

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15th Feb 1932

No watermark, Line Perf 11, Vertical Mesh.

Designed and Engraved: F.D.Manley

Plate Layout: Flat recess, single pane. 10x12

Quantity: Unknown

This issue replaced the 1/- Kangaroo.

The denomination was used for intrastate telegrams and scale 3 parcel rate. The zoological design was in conjunction with the 6d Typographed Kooka of the same year. Both owe their designs to the original 1913 KGV recess issues. In the case of the 1/- it was based on the unissued 1/- Swan of 1913.

Single plate, 10 x 12 (not 12 x10), with a plate dot 8mm left and right margins between rows 4 and 5, plate numbers are not known. Each plate has the Ash imprint, located in the normal manner bottom centre of the sheet.

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A scarce yellow green printing exists illustrated here. It is one occasion where a shade variety is significant. The printing occurred in 1935 using dry ink. As such, not only is the shade distinctly different (due to the ink), but the stamp also is slightly larger. The two illustrations are unfortunately not to scale.

42.5mm imprint

Paper mesh

This stamp can be quite confusing. It was continuously printed, as a definitive, from 1932 to 1937. It has three sizes for identical reasons to the 3d airmail. The reasons are described under the 3d airmail stamp and are worth re-iterating here.

By their nature, commemoratives are on issue only for a matter of months. In the specific case of the 3d Airmail, and the Lyre Bird, these stamps were not commemoratives, but became part of the general definitive issue. As such, they both went thru many printings. Any given printing would see the paper mesh oriented either vertically or horizontally dependant solely on which way the packets were oriented to the printing machinery. (The greater majority of all issues are vertical).

Similar to the 3d Airmail, ONE printing of this issue had horizontal mesh, and is quite scarce.

In 1935, dry ink printing was transferred from the newly introduced rotary presses, to standard flat recess printings as well. As a result, and again, identically to the Airmail, printings after 1935 are slightly larger since the paper was not pre-dampened and consequently did not shrink. In the specific case of the Lyrebird, the ink was of sufficient difference to cause a shade variety. (this did not occur on the 3d).

Again, to re-emphasise the close parallels between these two stamps (3d and 1/-) you can class 3 sizes for both stamps.

OS OVERPRINT

The quantity of OS overprints is unknown, as is the overall quantity of standard issue.

chambon reproduction