澳大利亚邮票：哪些才真正值钱

What are Australian stamps worth by era?

Colonial and early Commonwealth issues carry the value. Pre-decimal stamps are mixed, with the high values and a few commemoratives standing out, while decimal issues from 1966 are mostly common.

Which Australian stamps are worth money?

Colonial rarities, the high-value Kangaroo and Map stamps, the 1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge 5 shillings, and early airmail issues, especially unused and well centered.

• Kangaroo and Map high values. The pound denominations of the first Commonwealth series are the classic Australian rarities.
• 1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge 5 shillings. The key commemorative of the pre-decimal era, worth far more unused than used.
• Colonial issues. Each colony has its own scarce stamps, and Western Australia's Inverted Swan of 1855 is world-famous.
• Early airmail and flight covers, which connect to Australia's aviation history.
• Errors and varieties, including missing colours and perforation errors on later issues.

What does “pre-decimal” mean for Australian stamps?

It means stamps issued before Australia changed to dollars and cents in 1966. Pre-decimal stamps are priced in pounds, shillings and pence, and they're where most Australian value sits.

If a stamp shows a value such as 3d, 1/- or 5/-, it's pre-decimal and at least sixty years old. If it shows cents or dollars, it's from 1966 or later and almost certainly common. That single check sorts most family albums in a few minutes.

How do I identify an Australian stamp?

Look for “Australia” in the inscription, or a colony name such as New South Wales, Victoria or Tasmania on pre-1913 issues. The currency and monarch then narrow down the date.

• A colony name means the stamp predates the Commonwealth series of 1913.
• A kangaroo on a map of Australia identifies the first Commonwealth series.
• King George V, George VI or Elizabeth II narrows the reign, just as it does for British stamps.
• Watermarks and perforations separate many similar-looking Kangaroo and KGV printings, and they change the value substantially.

Stanley Gibbons and specialist Australian catalogues both cover these, and the differences matter. See how to identify stamps.

Are decimal Australian stamps worth anything?

Most are worth about face value. Australia has issued a lot of attractive commemoratives since 1966, and collectors saved them in quantity, so supply is high.

The exceptions are genuine errors, some booklet and coil varieties, and stamps on unusual covers. Unused decimal stamps still work as postage, which is often the best use for a shoebox of them. See commemorative stamps value.

What about Australian territory stamps?

Australia's external territories have issued their own stamps, including the Australian Antarctic Territory, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Most collectors file them with Australia, and catalogues list them separately.

• Australian Antarctic Territory: polar themes and expedition postmarks make these popular, and covers carried on Antarctic voyages are collected in their own right.
• Norfolk Island: long-running issues with strong local themes.
• Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands: small issuing programmes, which keeps some issues scarcer than mainland stamps.
• Papua and New Guinea: administered by Australia for much of the 20th century, and collected as a separate country with genuinely valuable early issues.

Territory stamps are a good example of why identification comes first: they look Australian, they're catalogued separately, and their values follow their own supply rather than mainland Australia's. See how to identify stamps.