Victoria - International - Colonial.
Foreign Telegram delivery envelope: IVC-EO-1.

 
General characteristics:

Heading and notes: No Form number.
Heading is FOREIGN TELEGRAM.
Message area: Blank.
Reverse side: Blank but 1A and 1B have seals of the flap.
Colours (text & envelope): Black on white.
Size of envelope overall: 88 × 145 mm.
Distinctive characteristics of this form:
 
IVC-EO-1A IVC-EO-1A.

Used at Melbourne 9 March 1875.

Characteristics:

  • underlining for heading extends beyond both words;
  • vertical text at left is in small font;
  • year in date begins 187_;
  • no horizontal bar for G in FOREIGN;
  • has acoloured embossed crest on the flap (see below).
1A Crest
IVC-EO-1Ba
Prestige Philately September 2006 Lot 476.
IVC-EO-1Ba.

Used at Melbourne 14 May 1890.

Characteristics:

  • printed in black;
  • underlining for heading extends from R to R;
  • vertical text at left is in larger font;
  • year in date begins 188_;
  • horizontal bar for G in FOREIGN;
  • has an embossed crest on the flap (see below).
Crest
IVC-EO-1Bb IVC-EO-1Bb.

Used at Telegraph Branch Melbourne on 9 October 1883.

Characteristics:

  • printed in blue;
  • underlining for heading extends from R to R;
  • vertical text at left is in larger font;
  • year in date begins 188_.
  • horizontal bar for G in FOREIGN;
  • placement of text at left is slightly higher than for EO-1Ba;
  • has an embossed crest on the flap the same as that for EO-1Ba.

 

IVC-EO-1C IVC-EO-1C.

Used at Melbourne on 11 February 1907 (and on other dates).

Clearly there were difficulties in delivering this telegram given the annotations on the front. After trying Russell Street and theBarracks, the telegram was sent to Horsham.

Characteristics:

  • heading is contained in a box;
  • no crest or other decoration on the flap.

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number
Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
EO-1A 10,000 | 6 | 7? 9 March 1875 at Melbourne. R
EO-1Ba None. 14 May 1890 at Melbourne. R
EO-1Bb None. 9 October 1883 at Telegraph Branch Melbourne. R
EO-1C None. 11 February 1907 at Melbourne. R