Is this stamp a "forever" stamp?
Postal History Variations Summary Variation Images Full Set Variations
Special $1 Rhodonite stamp from the Rare Beauties set
This special stamp was released on 31 March 2017 at the Melbourne Stamp Expo. It was the single stamp in the Day 2 Minisheet. It differed from the other $1 Rhodonite stamps.
1) It had a lump of
rock attached! The rock was 2mm high and stuck near the top left corner
of the stamp.
2)
It was a different size = 27 x 36.5mm. (The other $1 Rhodonite stamps were
26 x 37.5mm.)
3)
It had a different perforation = 14.1 x 14.3. (The other $1 Rhodonite
stamps were 14.6 x 13.9.)
I wondered how the rock would survive going through the mail stream. I put a piece of cardboard in an envelope, sealed the envelope and affixed the special stamp. I addressed the envelope to myself. I have posted it in roadside mailboxes around Melbourne. Here is it's postal history to date:
Postings #1 - #2: April 2017. No change. Rock intact. No postmark.
Posting #3: Rock removed. Black barcode on front. Red barcode on back. No postmark.
Postings #4 - #11: No change. Still no postmark!
Posting #12: Red barcode on front. Black "DLC 992-4, 19:27, 17/10/2017" codes on front. No postmark yet!
Posting #13 - #15: No change. Still no postmark!
Posting #16: Posted on 20 December. Arrived on 2 January. No postmark. Yellow sticker with red barcode added to front of envelope.
Posting #17: January 2018. This time it got 2 barcodes but still no postmark. A second yellow sticker with a red barcode was attached at the bottom. A different red barcode was printed across the top. This top barcode has gone across the top of the stamp hence proving that the stamp has been through the mail stream but I'm not counting it as a postmark. (This barcode is different from the one it received on the back after Posting #3.) I wonder how often they turn on their postmarker? 9 months without a postmark is amazing!
Posting #18: No change.
Posting #19: The yellow sticker has covered the suburb and State text, so I have added them back. "DLC 19/03/2018" stamp + red barcode on back.
Posting #20: No change front or back. 12 months without a postmark!
Posting #21: Added sticky tape across each corner for protection. No change. No postmark.
Posting #22: New blank yellow sticker added across the bottom covering the first 3 numbers of the postcode. No postmark.
Posting #23: Inverted red barcode and DLC text across the top. This barcode is 11mm long and is different from any previous ones.
It is printed across the stamp. (See Posting #17.) 21 months without a postmark!
I shall post it again next year. I wonder if it will receive the new horrible 'Stay alert postie scooter' DLC postmark.
Updated: 18 December 2018
$1 Rhodonite Stamp Variations Summary.
Original Issue: 30 March 2017 (Opening Day of the 2017 Melbourne Stamp Expo)
Gummed sheet stamp (se-tenant pair) ($1)
Minisheet (se-tenant strip of 4) ($6)
Prestige Booklet (perforated blocks of 4) ($30.95)
Prestige Booklet (imperforate blocks of 4) ($50)
Booklet (self-adhesive stamp) ($10)
Expo Day 2 Releases: 31 March 2017
Day 2 special minisheet ($3)
Day 2 Medallion Cover (cancelled) minisheet ($45)
“Impressions” Products: 6 November 2017
Rare Beauties Minisheet Collection ($149.95)
14 minisheets. Limited edition = 200. Face value of the stamps = $36.
Portrait Multisheet ($99.95 for the set of 3)
The Portrait Multisheet contained 30 different stamps. Limited edition = 200.
The $1 Rhodonite was in the bottom left corner.
$1 Rhodonite Variations | ||||
# | Type | Source | Description | Cost |
1 | Pair | Sheet | Se-tenant pair with $1 Golden Sapphire stamp | $2 |
2 | Minisheet | Minisheet | Se-tenant strip of 4 stamps (2 x $1 & 2 x $2) | $6 |
3 | Strip | Minisheet | Strip removed from minisheet | $6 |
4 | Prestige Booklet Pages | Prestige Booklet (perforated) | 2 pages removed from booklet | $30.95 |
5 | Block | Prestige Booklet (perforated) | Block of 4 of the same stamp removed from booklet page | $30.95 |
6 | Block | Se-tenant block of 4 removed from booklet page | ||
7 | Prestige Booklet Pages | Prestige Booklet (imperforate) | 2 imperforate pages removed from booklet | $50 |
8 | Block | Prestige Booklet (imperforate) | Block of 4 of the same imperforate stamp removed from booklet page | $50 |
9 | Block | Se-tenant block of 4 removed from booklet page | ||
10 | Imperforate | Prestige Booklet (imperforate) | Imperforate stamp removed from booklet page | $50 |
11 | Self-adhesive | Booklet | Self-adhesive stamp removed from booklet | $10 |
12 | Minisheet | Day 2 Minisheet | Special minisheet | $3 |
13 | Image | Day 2 Minisheet | Stamp removed from Day 2 special minisheet | $3 |
14 | Size | Day 2 Minisheet | Stamp removed from Day 2 special minisheet | $3 |
15 | Perforation | Day 2 Minisheet | Stamp removed from Day 2 special minisheet | $3 |
16 | Minisheet | Medallion Cover minisheet (cancelled) | Removed from cover | $45 |
17 | Minisheet | “Impressions” Minisheet Collection | 2 large imperforate minisheets | $149.95 |
18 | Minisheet | Small minisheet with a pair of the same stamp | ||
19 | Image | “Impressions” Minisheet Collection | Stamp removed from the small minisheet with a pair of the same stamp | $149.95 |
20 | Image | “Impressions” Multisheet | Stamp removed from multisheet | $99.95 |
Total | $692.75 |
$1 Rhodonite Variation Images.
Variation #1
Variation #3
Variations #5 & #6
Variations #8 & #9
Variation #10
Variation #12
Variation #16
Variation #18
Variation #20
|
Variation #2
Variation #4
Variation #7
Variation #11
Variations #13, #14 & #15
Variation #17
Variation #19
|
[ $1 Rhodonite, $1 Golden Sapphire, $2 Fluorite, $2
Pink Diamond ]
[ 30 & 31 March, 1 & 2 April, 6 November 2017 ]
|
|||
Type | Source | Description | Cost |
Blocks |
Perforate and imperforate prestige booklets, Multisheet |
Blocks of 4 of the same stamp removed from pages
(perforate and imperforate),
(perforate and imperforate), Multisheet block of 30 stamps |
$180.90 |
Strips |
Single minisheet |
Se-tenant strip of 4 stamps removed from minisheet |
$6 |
Pairs |
Sheet |
2 x $1 se-tenant pair, 2 x $2 se-tenant pair |
$6 |
Image |
Day 1 - Day 4 special minisheets, “Impressions” Minisheet Collection, Multisheet |
3 different images compared with the original sheet stamp |
$161.95 |
Imperforate |
Imperforate prestige booklet, (“Impressions” Minisheet Collection) |
Single imperforate stamps removed from pages |
$50 |
Minisheets |
Single minisheet (strip of 4 stamps), Day 1 - Day 4 minisheets (single stamp), Medallion Covers (pairs if the same stamp), “Impressions” Minisheet Collection |
18 minisheets: Single, 4 daily, 4 cancelled (removed from Medallion
Covers) 4 mint with pairs of the same stamp, 5 large imperforate |
$348.95 |
Perforation |
Day 2 & Day 3 minisheets |
$1 Rhodonite + $2 Fluorite removed from minisheets |
$6 |
Prestige Booklet Pages |
Perforate and imperforate prestige booklets |
Pages removed for both Prestige Booklets |
$80.95 |
Self-adhesive |
Booklet, Day 1 minisheet |
$1 Rhodonite + $1 Golden Sapphire removed from
booklet, $2 Pink Diamond removed from minisheet |
$13 |
Size |
Day 1, Day 2 & Day 3 minisheets |
$2 Pink Diamond, $1 Rhodonite + $1 Golden Sapphire removed from minisheets |
$9 |
Total |
$862.75 |