Sunday Stamps - The Australia Kangaroo

Probably the most iconic uniquely Australian Animal there is. With it's strong legs it can hop up to nine metres in one bound and can be two metre tall. I had seen many over the years mainly from a distance, usually while out driving in the car. I will never forgot when I was out running along a lonely road, when one full grow adult popped out onto the road right next to me and started hopping as if it was a race. We both got startled. It seemed a lot fitter, stronger and with that big hop was much taller than me. It felt quite threatening but I think it was as worried about me as I was of it and he or she quickly disappeared back into the bush. Anyway no wonder it became the design of Australia's first ever stamp series in 1913.

There were eighteen different denominations in this series, I only have eleven of them. Most other than the red, one penny have some good value. Apparently the design was chosen from a competition back in the day but had a fair bit of criticism because most other countries official stamps featured a Kings head. I like the idea that they went with something unique and different. Each State in Australia had stamps older than this but this was the first with a unified system country wide.

My favourite is the black and yellow five shilling probably because it might be the rarest I have and the two tone colours. Unfortunately my specimen might not be worth that much as it is creased and is missing a few perforations. I reckon I paid a couple of dollars for it with my pocket money when I was young. The cheapest I could find on ebay, today was $15 with no bids. What ever the value I will probably just hang on to them for the grand kids.