During the twenty-three years of life of the series only three gauges of perforator were used

Line Perf.

The first was a single-line machine gauging 14.2. This was an adapted machine which had originally gauged 12½ and had been used to perforate States issues printed in Melbourne and some of the earlier bi-coloured Commonwealth postage due issues. It was first used in its new gauge for the first printings of the 1d value but was soon replaced for this value by the second perforator, a comb machine. The single-line machine was also used for a very small printing from electro 3 of the ½d late in 1915.

All printings of the 5d were perforated by it between February 1915 and September 1917. It was also used, in 1918, for the small printing of the rough paper issue (not issued until late 1920, perf OS only). Postage due issues were perforated by it until 1932 and it was used for all the issues of Papua from mid-1915 to 1932.

Comb Perf14

The second machine was a comb machine gauging 14.25 by 14.0. It was used for all Georgians, except those mentioned above, up to the end of 1926. In December 1926, the third machine was brought into use but the comb 14 machine continued in use concurrently and was not discarded until the end of 1930.

Comb Perf 13½ by 12½.