South Australia - Colonial period: 1855-1900.
Ordinary rate delivery envelopes: SC-EO-5.

 
General characteristics:

Heading and notes:

TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCH spanning Crest.
Form number E19a in TRC.

Reverse side: Blank - no flap seal.
Colours (text & envelope): Rose-pink on cream.
Size of envelope overall: 80 × 138 mm (with some variation).
Distinctive characteristics of this form:
 

Provenance: Abacus Auction 254, December 20023, Lot 2230.
Johnstone Collection.

SC-EO-5.
Adelaide 7 January 1896
to Edinburgh, Scotland
(arrival 10 February 1896).

Used delivery envelope -
front only.

Cover is franked with a thin 'O.S.' Narrow Setting Overprint De La Rue Perf 10 '2½d.' on 4d blue-green and tied by GPO ADELAIDE duplex, Largely superb 'EDINBURGH/FE10/96/ 5 ' arrival cds.
Cover has been redirected locally.

Has unclear TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp in TLC.

EO-5Provenance: Spink May 2015 Lot 2174.
Johnstone Collection.
SC-EO-5.
Used 31 August 1898.
Arrival backstamp for London
3 October 1898.

Used delivery envelope.

Characteristics:

  • IMMEDIATE is in the top left corner;
  • has unclear TELEGRAPH OFFICE date stamp in TLC.
  • has entries indicating amounts to be collected (if any) in the lower left corner.

 

Date stamp in top left corner is for TELEGRAPH OFFICE/ADELAIDE (also on 31 August).

 

EO-5 Crest SC-EO-5 - details of the Crest.
  • Crest is oval horizontally;
  • the Crown on the top of the shield is slightly curved;
  • Lion is facing towards the shield;
  • animals and the circumference of the shield are heavily shaded;
  • the tails are thinner and the decorations under the rear feet are considerably simplified.
Provenance: Spink May 2015, Lot 2174.
Johnstone Collection.

SC-EO-5.
Used 4 March 1905.
Adelaide to Halham, London.

Arrival backstamp on reverse is a very different format from the above example for TELEGRAPH OFFICE/ADELAIDE (here on 4 March 1905).

 

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number
Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
EO-5 None 7 January 1896. Unused: RR
(1 cover known).
Stamped: RRRR
(3 covers known).