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Quiz about Stamp Collecting DownUnder Style
Quiz about Stamp Collecting DownUnder Style

Stamp Collecting Down-Under Style Quiz


A general mish-mash of Australian and New Zealand stuff, with a few 'technical' questions thrown in ...

A multiple-choice quiz by ozzz2002. Estimated time: 8 mins.
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Author
ozzz2002
Time
8 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
65,453
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
25
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
14 / 25
Plays
915
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 25
1. Australia Post issues stamps for use by personnel posted to the Australian Antarctic Territory (A.A.T.). Are these stamps valid for use in Australia?


Question 2 of 25
2. What year was the first A.A.T. issue? Hint


Question 3 of 25
3. Why was the 1980 15cent stamp, depicting the ship SY Nimrod, reissued with a different design? Hint


Question 4 of 25
4. What did the first A.A.T. miniature sheet (issued in 1995) depict? Hint


Question 5 of 25
5. There are 4 Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (A.N.A.R.E.) bases, each with its own postmark. Three of the bases are Macquarie Island, Casey and Davis. What is the fourth?

Answer: (One Word. Named for a famous Antarctic explorer. (6 letters, starts with M))
Question 6 of 25
6. Moving away from the frozen south, can you give the common name for the first stamps issued by the State of New South Wales in 1850? Hint


Question 7 of 25
7. One of the philatelic world's better known error rarities is the fourpence blue Swan, issued by Western Australia in 1855. What (erroneous) name is given to this stamp? Hint


Question 8 of 25
8. What was unique about the kangaroo booklet of 20 stamps issued on November 2, 1994? Hint


Question 9 of 25
9. The 1994 kangaroo booklet stamps created another Australian 'first', in that they are not square or rectangular. What shape are they? Hint


Question 10 of 25
10. In 1946, seven different values of Australian stamps were overprinted for use by Australian members of the post-war occupation of Japan. What did the overprint say? Hint


Question 11 of 25
11. What date did Australia convert to decimal currency? Hint


Question 12 of 25
12. Australia Post had a long-standing policy not to portray living people (other than Royalty) on their stamps. This policy was changed in 1997 with the introduction of the 'Legends' series. Who was the first famous Australian to have his exploits recognised? Hint


Question 13 of 25
13. Who was the first monarch featured on a post-federation stamp? Hint


Question 14 of 25
14. Let us take a quick trip across the Tasman Sea to visit our New Zealand neighbours. In 1958, New Zealand and Australia issued identical stamps portraying which famous aviator? Hint


Question 15 of 25
15. Since 1929, New Zealand has issued special stamps with a surcharge applied. What is the money raised from this surcharge used to fund? Hint


Question 16 of 25
16. The New Zealand Parliament building was featured on a 1975 issue. What is the nickname given to this edifice? Hint


Question 17 of 25
17. In 1996, NZ Post issued a Health stamp promoting road safety. However a VERY major mistake in the stamp picture led to the cancellation and re-design of the stamp. The original design showed a baby in a car safety capsule with a Teddy Bear beside it. What was wrong with the original picture? Hint


Question 18 of 25
18. What is the name of the quarterly publication issued by NZ Post, for the benefit of collectors? Hint


Question 19 of 25
19. When did New Zealand issue its first stamps? Hint


Question 20 of 25
20. Time for a few questions on the terminology of stamp collecting. If two stamps are attached upside-down in relation to each other, either intentionally or accidentally, what term is used? Hint


Question 21 of 25
21. Collecting by subject, rather than country, is extremely popular.(Examples are Dogs, Olympics, Trains, etc.). In America this is known as 'topical' collecting. What is the Australian term for this type of collecting? Hint


Question 22 of 25
22. Perforations are a major method of enabling stamps to be separated from each other. To a serious collector, perforation measurements can differentiate between different printings of the same stamp. What would a notation of 'perf 14' mean to a collector? Hint


Question 23 of 25
23. Is a stamp classified M.U.H. more valuable that the same stamp classed M.H.?


Question 24 of 25
24. What is rouletting? Hint


Question 25 of 25
25. What name is given to Australian labels, that look like stamps, but are not actually valid for postage? Examples are Red Cross seals, bogus issues, advertisement labels, tax stamps, etc. Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Australia Post issues stamps for use by personnel posted to the Australian Antarctic Territory (A.A.T.). Are these stamps valid for use in Australia?

Answer: Yes

They are rarely used in the Antarctic, unless you care to write a letter to a penguin.
2. What year was the first A.A.T. issue?

Answer: 1957

March 27, 1957. The design showed a map of the Territory, and 3 scientists.
3. Why was the 1980 15cent stamp, depicting the ship SY Nimrod, reissued with a different design?

Answer: The original stamp showed the wrong ship.

The 1980 issue actually showed a ship called the 'Morning'. The Nimrod was used by Ernest Shackleton for his 1907-09 expedition.
4. What did the first A.A.T. miniature sheet (issued in 1995) depict?

Answer: Whales and Dolphins

The Hourglass Dolphin, Minke Whale, Humpback Whale and Killer Whale.
5. There are 4 Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (A.N.A.R.E.) bases, each with its own postmark. Three of the bases are Macquarie Island, Casey and Davis. What is the fourth?

Answer: Mawson

Because of the vagaries of the weather and the priorities of space on supply ships and planes, the postmarks for all 4 bases are actually applied at A.N.A.R.E. HQ in Hobart, Tasmania.
6. Moving away from the frozen south, can you give the common name for the first stamps issued by the State of New South Wales in 1850?

Answer: Sydney Views

Strangely, they depict woodcut pictures of the early days of Sydney Town. The Boer War would not take place for over 40 more years.
7. One of the philatelic world's better known error rarities is the fourpence blue Swan, issued by Western Australia in 1855. What (erroneous) name is given to this stamp?

Answer: Inverted Swan

During the printing of this stamp, one of the plates was inverted, resulting in the frame being inverted, not the swan. Only 14 known copies exist, unfortunately, not in my collection. Each copy is worth in excess of $100,000.
8. What was unique about the kangaroo booklet of 20 stamps issued on November 2, 1994?

Answer: They were obtainable from Advance Bank Automatic Teller Machines (ATM's).

For collectors who were not customers of this bank, a rather difficult issue to obtain.
9. The 1994 kangaroo booklet stamps created another Australian 'first', in that they are not square or rectangular. What shape are they?

Answer: Triangular

The booklet contained 20 stamps, with nine different colour combinations.
10. In 1946, seven different values of Australian stamps were overprinted for use by Australian members of the post-war occupation of Japan. What did the overprint say?

Answer: B.C.O.F. Japan 1946

The British Commonwealth Occupational Force (B.C.O.F.) comprised troops from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and India and were stationed at Kure, Japan.
11. What date did Australia convert to decimal currency?

Answer: February 14, 1966

'Dollar Bill' was the mascot for the conversion.
12. Australia Post had a long-standing policy not to portray living people (other than Royalty) on their stamps. This policy was changed in 1997 with the introduction of the 'Legends' series. Who was the first famous Australian to have his exploits recognised?

Answer: Sir Donald Bradman (cricketer)

'The Don', who was Australia's most outstanding sportsman, passed away in 2001. Arthur Boyd was honoured on the 1999 issue and Slim Dusty (who died in 1994) was featured on the 2001 stamp. 'Hoges' has yet to be immortalised.
13. Who was the first monarch featured on a post-federation stamp?

Answer: King George V

Although Australia became a unified, independent country (within the British Empire) in 1901, no stamps were issued until 1913. In the interim, stamps issued by the individual states were used.
14. Let us take a quick trip across the Tasman Sea to visit our New Zealand neighbours. In 1958, New Zealand and Australia issued identical stamps portraying which famous aviator?

Answer: Charles Kingsford-Smith

The issues commemorated the 30th anniversary of the first Trans-Tasman flight.
15. Since 1929, New Zealand has issued special stamps with a surcharge applied. What is the money raised from this surcharge used to fund?

Answer: Health camps for children

The 1931 issues, known as the 'Smiling Boys' are quite valuable. Health stamps can be easily identified by the fact that they have two values printed on them, one for postage, and a smaller value for Health.
16. The New Zealand Parliament building was featured on a 1975 issue. What is the nickname given to this edifice?

Answer: The Beehive

Because of its rather distinctive design. Or perhaps because the occupants are always so busy and industrious...
17. In 1996, NZ Post issued a Health stamp promoting road safety. However a VERY major mistake in the stamp picture led to the cancellation and re-design of the stamp. The original design showed a baby in a car safety capsule with a Teddy Bear beside it. What was wrong with the original picture?

Answer: The capsule was facing the wrong way.

The Teddy Bear was deleted for the re-issue of the stamp. However, a few hundred copies were sold to the public before the error was discovered. These errors are worth several thousand dollars.
18. What is the name of the quarterly publication issued by NZ Post, for the benefit of collectors?

Answer: Stamp Focus

An excellent publication, and it is free!
19. When did New Zealand issue its first stamps?

Answer: 1855

Just 15 years after Sir Rowland Hill was responsible for the world first stamps- the Great Britain Penny Black.
20. Time for a few questions on the terminology of stamp collecting. If two stamps are attached upside-down in relation to each other, either intentionally or accidentally, what term is used?

Answer: Tete Beche

Roughly translated from the French, it means 'head-to-tail'.
21. Collecting by subject, rather than country, is extremely popular.(Examples are Dogs, Olympics, Trains, etc.). In America this is known as 'topical' collecting. What is the Australian term for this type of collecting?

Answer: Thematic Collecting

Subjects are only limited by your imagination. Other favourites are space exploration, flowers, maps, ships and classical art.
22. Perforations are a major method of enabling stamps to be separated from each other. To a serious collector, perforation measurements can differentiate between different printings of the same stamp. What would a notation of 'perf 14' mean to a collector?

Answer: 14 perforation holes every 2 centimetres

Some issues have different perforation measurements on the vertical and horizontal sides. These are known as compound perforations. Most of the early stamp issues were separated by scissors.
23. Is a stamp classified M.U.H. more valuable that the same stamp classed M.H.?

Answer: Yes

M.U.H. means Mint UnHinged. i.e. with undisturbed gum on the back. M.H. means Mint Hinged. Hinging was a method of attaching stamps to album pages. Most serious collectors use mounting systems that do not disturb the adhesive.
24. What is rouletting?

Answer: A method of separating stamps, similar to perforating.

Rouletting uses an instrument similar to a pizza-cutter to create a 'tear along the dotted line' effect. This system is seldom used these days.
25. What name is given to Australian labels, that look like stamps, but are not actually valid for postage? Examples are Red Cross seals, bogus issues, advertisement labels, tax stamps, etc.

Answer: Cinderellas

Although they cannot be used for paying postage, there is still a thriving market in these items.
Source: Author ozzz2002

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