Charters Towers

Charters Towers  post office, 108 km south west of Townsville, opened on 17 May 1872

• Datestamp type 1b (19 November 1874 - 14 December 1879) rated 5R - $60, $75 on cover
• Datestamp type 3c - No Code (28 December 1878 -  31 March 1903) rated 3R - $20, $30 on cover
• Datestamp type 3c - Codes 1,3, 5 (18 August 1883 - 11 November 1886) rated 4R
• Datestamp type 3c - Codes A, B, C, D, E, F, I (7 September 1884 - 16 January 1897) rated 2R
• Datestamp type 4at - (30 October 1895 - 27 February 1913) rated 3R (Narrow Q of Queensland until January 1899, then a wider Q thereafter) - $18, $28 on cover
• Datestamp type 4bt (19 November 1900 - 18 February 1901) rated 5R - $100 on cover
• Datestamp type 5a (15 August 1912) rated 5R
• Datestamp type 5b (29 May 1907 - 1 January 1912) rated 4R - $40
• Datestamp type 6 (28 August 1911 - 11 February 1913) rated 5R - $70
• Datestamp type 6 in violet (14 March 1912) rated 5R - $100
• Machine cancellation type 3 (15 August 1908 - 12 November 1911) rated 2R - $12, $20 on cover
• Unclaimed (May 1892 - November 1899) rated 5R - $75 on cover

Type 4at date stamps can be distinguished from the date stamp portion of the Charters Towers numeral 568 duplex canceller introduced in December 1898 as 4at has 3 lines - time, month, year and the duplex has them as month, time, year. A type 4at forgery is shown at the end of the 4at examples

Distinguishing between the type 3c date stamp and two different Charters Towers numeral 165 duplex cancelers with numeral codes is relatively simple as the date stamp finished being used before the duplexes were introduced. The first duplex (3 middle bars), was introduced in January 1888 and had codes 1,4,5,8 and 9. The second (6 middle bars), was introduced in July 1896 and had codes 1-8 and 11. Therefore, if a date stamp has codes 3 or 5 and is dated earlier than 1896, it is type 3c 

From Cowan and Dell

Charters Towers numeral 165 HERE. Charters Towers numeral 568 HERE. Charters Towers registered HERE

Datestamp type 1b

1876

Charters Towers datestamp type 1b dated 29 September 1876. Rated 5R. Seen at Abacus auction no 234 lot no 673. Ex Smithies

1877

Charters Towers datestamp type 1b dated 3 November 1877. Rated 5R. Seen at Phoenix auction no 47 lot no 1012

1879

Charters Towers datestamp type 1b dated 14 December 1879. Rated 5R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Datestamp type 3c (no code)

1882

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c dated 22 March 1882. Rated 3R. Seen in Abacus auctions no 252 lot no 142

1883

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c dated 18 June 1883. Rated 3R. Seen in Abacus auctions no 234 lot no 117

1888

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c dated 4 November 1888. Rated 3R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

1902

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c dated 30 August 1902. Rated 3R. Seen in the collection of Tony Curtis

1903

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c dated 31 March 1903. Rated 3R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Datestamp type 3c - FORGERY

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c dated various dates in 1878. Fiscal stamps were only authorised for postal use on 1 January 1880 and these stamps evidence clear signs of fiscal usage prior to the date stamp being applied. This is either a forged date stamp or fraudulent use of the existing type 3c (i) date stamp. Seen in Delcampe auctions

Datestamp type 3c - Code 1

1883

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code 1 dated 18 August 1883. Rated 4R. Seen in Spink auction no 12043 lot no 1203. Ex Griffiths

1892

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code 1 dated 19 August 1892. Rated 4R

Datestamp type 3c - Code 3

1884

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code 3 dated 28 May 1884. Rated 4R. Seen in a private collection

Datestamp type 3c - Code 5

1885

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code 5 dated 5 and 20 October 1885. Rated 4R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Datestamp type 3c - Code A

1896

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code A dated 7 June 1896. Rated 2R

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code A dated 30 August 1896. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Datestamp type 3c - Code B

1884

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code B dated 7 September 1884. Rated 2R. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 146 lot no 1045

1889

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code B dated 25 June 1889. Rated 2R. Seen in a private collection

1891

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code B dated 24 April 1891. Rated 2R. Seen in Smithies

1894

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code B dated 23 June 1894. Rated 2R. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 157 lot no 284

Datestamp type 3c - Code C

1889

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code C dated 14 September 1889. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

1890

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code C dated 21 February 1890. Rated 2R

1891

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code C dated 9 May 1891. Rated 2R

1892

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code C dated 1 February 1892. Rated 2R

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code C dated 14 May 1892. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Datestamp type 3c - Code D

1896

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code D dated 16 May 1896. Rated 2R

Datestamp type 3c - Code E

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code E dated 19 September 1895, 5 October 1896 and 16 January 1897. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Datestamp type 3c - Code F

1894

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code F dated 15 September 1894. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

1895

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code F dated 10 April 1895. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Charters Towers datestamp type 3c Code F dated 11 October 1895. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

Datestamp type 4at

1898

Charters Towers datestamp type 4at dated 13 April 1898. Rated 3R. Seen on Ebay

Charters Towers datestamp type 4at dated September 1898. Rated 3R. Seen in a private collection

Charters Towers datestamp type 4at dated 5 November 1898. Rated 3R. Seen in Smithies

1899

Charters Towers datestamps type 4at dated 4 August and 25 November 1899. Rated 3R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

1903

Charters Towers datestamp type 4at dated 23 May 1903. Rated 3R

1905

Charters Towers datestamp type 4at dated 20 February 1905. Rated 3R

1907

Charters Towers datestamp type 4at dated 22 November 1907. Rated 3R. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

1910

Charters Towers datestamp type 4at dated 22 April 1910. Rated 3R

Charters Towers datestamp type 4at dated 30 July 1910. Rated 3R. Seen in the collection if Tony Curtis

1911

Charters Towers datestamp type 4at dated 27 February 1911. Rated 3R. Seen in the collection if Tony Curtis

Datestamp type 4at - Forgery

A Charters Towers type 4at forgery dated 16 April 1900. Seen on Ebay in October 2024

Datestamp type 4bt

1901

Charters Towers datestamp type 4bt dated 18 February 1901. Rated 5R. Seen on Ebay

Datestamp type 5b

1907

Charters Towers datestamp type 5b dated 29 May 1907. Rated 4R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting facebook Group

1908

Charters Towers datestamp type 5b dated 15 August 1908. Rated 4R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting facebook Group

1910

Charters Towers datestamp type 5b dated 2 September 1910. Rated 4R

1911

Charters Towers datestamp type 5b dated March 1911. Rated 4R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting facebook Group

Charters Towers datestamp type 5b dated March 1911. Rated 4R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting facebook Group

Datestamp type 6

1911

Charters Towers datestamp type 6 dated 28 August 1911. Rated 5R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting facebook Group

1912

Charters Towers datestamp type 6 dated 12 November 1912. Rated 5R. Courtesy of Dave Elsmore

Datestamp type 6 - Violet

1912

Charters Towers datestamp type 6 in violet dated 14 March 1912. Rated 5R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting facebook Group

Machine cancellation type 3

1908

Charters Towers machine cancellation type 3 dated 15 August 1908. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting facebook Group

Charters Towers machine cancellation type 3 dated 5 September 1908. Rated 2R. Seen in Prestige Philately auction no 134 lot no 386

Charters Towers machine cancellation type 3 dated 15 October 1908. Rated 2R. Seen in Abacus auction no 234 lot no 674

1910

Charters Towers machine cancellation type 3 dated 11 July 1910. Rated 2R. Seen on Ebay

Charters Towers machine cancellation type 3 dated 11 July 1910. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting facebook Group

Charters Towers machine cancellation type 3 dated 14 December 1910. Rated 2R. Seen in Millennium auction no 72 lot no 194

Charters Towers machine cancellation type 3 dated 19 December 1910. Rated 2R

1911

Charters Towers machine cancellation type 3 dated 12 November 1911. Rated 2R

Charters Towers machine cancellation type 3 dated 1910. Rated 2R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting facebook Group

Unclaimed

1892

Charters Towers Unclaimed dated November 1892. Rated 5R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group

1899

Charters Towers Unclaimed dated August to November 1899. Rated 5R. Seen in the Queensland Stamp Collecting Facebook Group