Clearly an oversight as Geoff was appraised of these high prices, and for anyone looking to make an astute buy, hoover up any you see while prices are so silly. These 10 copies shown invoiced after heavy bidding for $1,275 at a large Melbourne auction - full cat is just $600 - quite insane.

But someone ‘Down South’ it seems decided the ‘COLONIAS’ and ‘SPECIMEN’ handstamps on the same stamps warranted huge price leaps to $1,500 from $1,000. Would I rather have 25 of these Dec 5, Federal MP shiny ink CTOs, or a possibly spurious SPECIMEN handstamp, for the same money - total no-brainer!

Die Proofs are not for everyone of course, but a number of keen, well-heeled collectors globally have emerged for them in recent years. The late and much missed David Terrington got very good prices for his, last year at auction etc. A KGV heads proof block is on the front cover of this edition, as can be seen.

Arthur Gray had some terrific KGV proofs, but they did not sell well at his 2015 Auction that I attended in Melbourne, and many were passed in on the day. Interested parties were invited to make after sale offers, at under official starting prices, and I was one, and much of this material was then sold.

Sold for $5,500 - now $45,000.

I got some nice things, including the totally unique 61(DP)1 large size proof that I still own. But I SHOULD have bought more! Lot 24 at Gray was the 1d Proof shown nearby in black.

It was ACSC 70DP(9) that was unsold at $6,000 in 2013, and was secured after sale for $5,500 by a buyer. In the last KGV cat it was $20,000, and now suddenly it is $45,000. So a truly massive windfall for someone.

Other KGV head Die Proofs also soar from $20,000 to $45,000. The 1d KGV head PLATE PROOFS in various colours also increase nicely - very pretty things, and in the far more affordable price league to most collectors, at a few $100 apiece.

Varieties often increase strongly, from all the 1913 1d Engraved apparently endless perforation errors priced at $1,000s each, the 1929 1½d Swan ‘imperf at base’ goes from $17,500 to $20,000, and even the 1934 2d Macarthur proof steams up from $5,000 to $7,500.

The 1928 3d Kookaburra issue is always a popular item - one of my favourite KGV era designs, and many aspects of the issue increase. The ever popular color Mini Sheet cancels from the Exhibition in Green, Red and Blue inks all increase.

The most commonly seen colour of RED ink cancel on the Miniature Sheets has gone from $475 to $575. Even the humble SINGLE stamp on FDC is up from $325 to $375.

The new ACSC now lists imprint *PAIRS* of all KGV head issues and all the KGV era commemoratives, as well as the usual Block 4 listing. An interesting new feature, as for some scarcer pieces, often only pairs are encountered for sale.

The John Ash imprint pair shown nearby of the Australia 1931 CofA watermark KGV 1d Green Ash imprint pair variety, with ‘Watermark Inverted’ shows this variety nicely from the FRONT of the piece as you can see.

Inverted Watermarks show nicely!

As a block of 4 it is catalogued at $A1,250, and clearly pairs are also scarce. I can’t recall ever having even an imprint pair in 50 years of stamp dealing. For an inverted watermark such as this one I sold recently, collecting in imprint form makes a lot of sense as the CofA watermark being inverted shows through very clearly from the front as can be seen.

A single stamp mint is only catalogued at $50 mint, so being in an imprint really adds to the value. The pricing of the imprint pairs seems to have been done in a rather ad-hoc sort of fashion, and not using much logic, and is not consistent. In 95% of imprint blocks, the top 2 stamps are hinged, and the lower 2 stamps are MUH.

As MUH KGV era stamps are generally retail double a hinged one, this makes a big difference when pricing. For some common imprint blocks like 1d Green CofA normal watermark, it really does not matter what price ratio is, as the item in readily buyable either way, and value of the stamps is minor.

But when we come to SCARCE imprints, even pairs are clearly worth WELL over half the blocks price. Often they are the only option available on the market.

Work out the Math on these!

I recently sold this *ONE LINE* 1d Red Harrison imprint pair MUH - with the bonus of ‘RA Joined’ major plate variety as can be seen. ALL one line Harrison imprints are rare to SUPER rare, in any form, as Harrison changed to the 2 line version very fast. The stamp itself is quite common - $40 MUH, and $20 hinged.

The pair is cat $1,000, but a block 4 is weirdly cat $2,250. $1,250 more for the 2 common stamps! Clearly nuts, and $1,500 and $2,250 are more like the correct ratio for key pieces like these, rare in ANY format, where the 2 extra basic stamps have minor value.

Again, I recently sold this 1931 Kingsford Smith ‘OS’ issue in imprint pairs with Photo Certificate. They are now catalogued $10,500 as blocks of 4, but only $5,000 in imprint PAIRS! Since when did a normal hinged pair of these have a value of *$5,500* - it makes zero sense.

Basically it is saying any hinged normal pair has about the same value as an IMPRINT pair. Geoff thought about it for a while over his coffee, and more or less agreed! I am sure the pricing formula will get fine-tuned later on. But a good initiative to price them both at last. One has to start somewhere with prices.

Imprints of these Smithies in ANY fashion are super rare, as the stamps were *NEVER* sold to the public, but given solely to Federal MPs (only) for postage use to constituents, and any GENUINE multiple of any kind are super elusive.

Imprint pair same as normal pair?

Used on cover they are cat $6,500 a set, so super scarce things. ‘Plate Number’ blocks exist, but serious doubts exist that they were all printed in 1931, as no record of them existed until 40 years later, and all basically came from one source. Hmmm.

A most worthwhile effort, and my main suggestion CONTINUES to be to ask the printer to add SOLID board covers to each ACSC. Cost to do this is peanuts if negotiated well, and each book will last longer, look better, and be easier to use, and hence better value for buyers.

I also keep urging that USED Blocks of 4 be priced for all stamps in all catalogues. This is common in European catalogues. All Kangaroos right up to £2 exist thus, and clearly all KGV heads. Makes more sense than listing imprint pairs to be honest!

Something like a 1/4d KGV head in a used block is scarce. Even the common CofA is cat only $25 a used single, but a *used* BLOCK 4 is clearly a $500 type piece, and certainly a TON scarcer than an Mint imprint block - now cat $1,000.

Dr. Geoff Kellow RDP is an Editor without par for this series of catalogues. Geoff is one of the few Australians to have been invited to sign the very prestigious Roll of Distinguished Philatelists at the RPSL in London, and still exhibits material on a regular basis. Meticulous and scholarly original research is evident in all volumes.

The resultant TEN volume ACSC set is something all parties involved should be enormously proud of. NO other country can boast such a detailed set of 10 catalogues covering just 100 years of issues, from 1901 to 2001. Or indeed anything even close to this set. Updated regularly too.

The Brusden White publishers/owners would never win any awards for their marketing or promotion or communication skills, that is for CERTAIN! They have some very curious ideas on how to run a business, but luckily that is not of my concern, and these fine works stand as a permanent testament to great research.

Collectors and dealers should support these ventures by purchasing a set of them - or at least the volumes you use most. ‘Knowledge IS Power’ - I have typed that 100s of times in my 40 years of writing stamp columns, and a set of ACSC gives you both knowledge AND power ... trust me!