Royal Reels: Gambling

Science

JOHANN GOTTLIEB OTTO TEPPER, BOTANIST, SCHOOLTEACHER, & ENTOMOLGIST (1841-1923)

This dull rose-red 1d Victorian embossed envelope has an additional 1d stamp added and both are postmarked with the barred numeral ‘461′ of Hochkirch and there is also an unframed HOCHKIRCH/ JU 8/ 03/ VICTORIA postmark, with the year slug inverted and reversed. It is addressed to Mr. Teppper, Entomologist, Public Museum, Adelaide, S. Australia. The sender is identified by the purple hand-stamp as Louis Kurtze, Hochkirch, Victoria. The ‘4′

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JEOFRY STUART COURTNEY-PRATT of HOBART (1920-1995) [USA]

Three covers appeared on eBay in August 2003, two almost identical and addressed to Jeofry in 1931 to his home, and one addressed in 1930 to A.W. Courtney-Pratt (later proven to be his father) at his place of work in Hobart. Extensive research into these covers was prompted not only by the somewhat unusual surname but also by the purple exhibition vignette. The only difference in the 2 covers sent

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JEAN WHITE-HANEY, AUSTRALIAN BOTANIST & the PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS

Four censored covers from Victoria were sent in 1943 to the United States, all with the red censor label and with the Passed By Censor purple handstamp. The first was sent from PORTSEA/ VIC cancel on the brown-purple 1d QE II and a pair of the small green ‘Lyre Bird’ stamps to Dr. Jean White-Haney at Lovelock Nevada, and readdressed to Arizona (Figure 1). The second was sent from ST.

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JANE & HENRY RUSSELL, MR. BARFF, & the UNIVERSITY & OBSERVATORY, SYDNEY

A series of covers on Ebay addressed to two of the three above- named persons, all of whom were interrelated, opened up an interesting story about all three persons as well as two long-standing important Sydney institutions. The first cover to Mr. Barff, 48 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney with the blue N.S.W. 2d QV stamp postmarked with the Type D4 duplex (in use1894-1901) COWRA/ JU 20/ 6 15 PM/ 00/

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JAMES PARK THOMSON, ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY A’SIA (QLD)

Although these covers produced by the Geographical Society are philatelically contrived, they do contribute to our knowledge of Australian history and geography in addition to honouring Australian men; and, now that I come to think of this statement, I am not aware of any women who have also been honoured. This cover was produced to record the Diamond Jubilee of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Queensland) from 10th July

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GUILLAUME SEVERIN, CURATOR of BRUSSELS MUSEUM: LETTER from ENTOMOLOGICAL BRANCH, DEPARTMENT of AGRICULTURE, SYDNEY

This On His Majesty’s Service envelope is franked with two red 1d N.S.W. ‘Shield’ stamps and a single green ½d stamp, all three perfined OS/ NSW, were cancelled by THE EXCHANGE/ N.S.W. A manuscript at lower left shows that the cover was sent on 3/9/1912 from the office of the Department of Agriculture. There is also an indistinct boxed purple handstamp which reads in part ‘ENTOMOLOGICAL BRANCH/ DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE/ SYDNEY, as

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GEORGE LYELL, NATURALIST CO-PUBLISHER of BUTTERFLIES OF AUSTRALIA; AND, GOVETT’S LEAP, BLACKHEATH

The POST CARD had a red ‘ONE PENNY’ stamp of Victoria which was canceled with a duplex SALE/ PM/ 4.0/ 21 12 04/ VICTORIA and the barred numeral ‘72′.  It was addressed to Geo. Lyell Jnr Esq., Gisborne, Victoria (Figure 1). The reverse of the postcard showed a picture of an area in the Blue Mountains, N.S.W. known as Govett’s Leap, the Lookout from Blackheath, and there was a ms.

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EDGAR WAITE, AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM, SYDNEY from STANFORD UNIVERSITY

The cover was sent from the Leland StanfordJunior University, Stanford University, California to Mr. Edgar E.(sic) Waite, Australian Museum, Sydney , N.S.W., Australia and it was franked with a single carmine 2c Washington stamp (Scott 319) which was postmarked with a duplex STANFORD UNIVERSIRY/ JUN/ 27/ 8 AM/ 1904, CAL. The cover had two taxing handstamps, a black 15/ CTMS/ Tas well as a black 3D. The cover was a front only,

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DR. LYON, EXPERIMENT STATION, H.S.P.A., HONOLULU, LETTERS from N.S.W.

Two letters were seen on Ebay, both addressed to Dr. Harold L. Lyon at the Experiment Station, H.S.P.A. (Hawaiian Sugar Plantation Association), P.O. Box 411, Honolulu, T.H., (Territory of Hawaii). Both covers had a pair of the red 1½d KGV Head stamps, the first cancelled BROADWATER/ 30 JE 28/ N.S.W and the second BROADWATER/ 13 AP 29/ N.S.W. (Figures 1 & 2). The front and reverse gave no clue as

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DR. ALAN CARROLL & MRS. D. IZETT, ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY, A’SIA

The privately printed postcard has an ornate crest of the Anthropological Society of Australasia which was situated at 7 Lincoln’s Inn Chambers, Elizabeth St., Sydney. N.S.W. and the red 1d ‘Shield” stamp of N.S.W. was postmarked with a SYDNEY/ OC 11 roller cancel. It was addressed on Oct 10th 1910 to the Secretary of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee, USA. There was a boxed ‘DEF 5/ DUE

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