Victoria - Colonial period: 1854-1900.
Electric Telegraph ordinary rate delivery form: VC-DO-3.


General characteristics:

Heading and notes: No form number.
Crest above
BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
Message area: Blank.
Reverse side: 14 Regulations and Conditions (see below).
Colours (text & form): Blue on grey.
Size of form overall: See below.
Distinctive characteristics of the form:
 
VC-DO-3A
Provenance: Freeman.
Prestige Philately September 2011.
VC-DO-3A.

To Albury (1 May 1863).

Characteristics:

  • size of form is 218 × 229 mm.

Cost is indicated to left of "Dated" as being 6/9 for 21 words.

VC-DO-3A rev Reverse side of the above delivery form.

Characteristics:

  • no box containing the text;
  • size of the unbordered text is
    153 × 155 mm;
  • roman numerals are used for numbering the regulations.

Provenance: Gary Watson, Johnstone.
VC-DO-3B.

4 April 1865 at Melbourne.

Characteristics:

  • size of form is 226 × 216 mm.
  • has OHMS in manuscript in top left corner. 
VC-DO-3B
VC-DO-3B.

14 December 1865 at Ballarat.

Characteristics:
  • size of form is 223 × 213 mm.
VC-DO-3B rev VC-DO-3B (reverse).

Reverse side of the above delivery form.

Characteristics:

  • size of the bordered box is 118 × 118 mm;
  • heading after CONDITIONS has different font and layout;
  • ordinary numerals used for numbering the regulations;
  • different format for the line breaks, etc to accommodate the different size box.

Details of use and rarity.

Form
sub-number
Schedule number Earliest recorded date Rarity rating
DO-3A None 1 May 1863 at Albury. RRR
DO-3B None 4 April 1865 at Melbourne. RRR