INTRODUCTION: The ½d Green Kangaroo was first issued in Melbourne on the 14h January 1913 and in Sydney on the 20h January. Early supplies were issued as complete sheets of 240 stamps but were quickly cut down to sheets of 120 stamps due to difficulty in handling. It was printed in a two-plate configuration - one upper and one lower, each of 120 clichés. All clichés are of the Die I state.
FIRST WATERMARK: All ½d stamps were printed on first watermark paper. The paper employed was imported ready gummed with white gum Arabic. It has a vertical weave so the stamps tend to curl from top to bottom. Thickness varies from 0.09mm to 0.10mm. The official colour of the stamp was Green but the ACSC catalogues three shades, Green, Deep Green and Pale Green. Stamps on first watermark paper were printed from Upper Plate 1 and Lower Plate 2. Plate 1 does not have the printer's monograms. Plate 2 has the CA monogram under L57 and the JBC monogram under R58.
There were 153,600,100 stamps printed between January 1913 and February 1914.
USAGE: THE ½d Green was issued as (i) the Newspaper and magazine rate and (ii) printed matter within Australia; and (lii) make up for the ld for the lid postcard rate.
There are units with inverted watermark, sideways watermark with the crown pointed to the left and right, double and triple perforations, large and small OS, offsets, printed on the gum side, and intersheet pieces from the 240-on sheet issues.
There are imperforates on the bottom of the last row of Plate 2. The ACSC notes "The final strike of the perforating comb was omitted on four Plate 2 sheets. 39 of the 48 errors have been identified. One left pane (with CA monogram) and three right panes (with JBC monogram) remain intact as blocks of 12". See the cover of this book for one of the right pane imperforate blocks of 12. There is an uncut sheet of 240 units in the Royal collection with an inscription in the top margin: "This is the first sheet sold at the stamp sales counter, Sydney", dated the 20th January 1913 and attested to by Mr Moreton, Stamp Clerk.
EARLY USE: The earliest recorded usage is on a postcard to the USA, cancelled Melbourne, 14 January 1913. The Royal collection has a cover cancelled on the first day of issue in Sydney, 20 January 1913.
The ½d Green Kangaroo was replaced by the ½d Green George V in February 1915.
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