New South Wales 1865 - Embossed 'ONE HALF PERCENT' Stamp Duty Fiscal Proof Specimen
Because these proofs were working approval materials rather than issued fiscal documents, most examples were destroyed after printing commenced. Surviving sheets that retain the printer’s blue framing guides and 'Specimen' designation provide rare documentation of the early stages of colonial security printing. As such, this piece represents a direct witness to the administrative and technical foundations of fiscal printing in nineteenth-century Australia. Read more →