Private Revenue Perfins of Western Australia An Elsmore Coath production The authors would welcome your comments additions or input into this work C D F G H I K L M N O P R V W Other W -------------------------------------------------------- WS/&Co.a
User: W Sandover & Co Pharmacy, Hardware and Department Store Address: 683 Hay St, Perth, WA. also Fremantle Revenue Use: 1917-22 issue 1d. 1920-23 2d, 3d. 1923 (zinc plate) 1d. Rarity Scale: 1917-22 issue 1d R3. 1920-23 issue 2d R3, 3d R4. 1923 issue (zinc plate) 1d R3. Railway Use: 1907-50 issues 9d, 1/-, 1/6d, 2/-, 2/6d. 1951 issue 1/-, 1/3d, 1/6d, 1/9d, 2/-, 2/6d, 3/-. Rarity Scale: 1907-50 issues 9d R4, 1/- R4, 1/6d R4, 2/- R4, 2/6d R4. 1951 issue 1/- R1, 1/3d R2, 1/6d R2, 1/9d R2, 2/- R2, 2/6d R4, 3/- R4. Background: *William Sandover (jnr)
was born in Adelaide in 1856 the son of a William
Sandover (snr) a politician and hotelier. In 1884
William (jnr) established a pharmacy and hardware
business in Perth, and he asked his younger brother
Alfred to join him in the firm. William Sandover
& Co. expanded rapidly after the opening of the
Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie goldfields in the 1890's
and the firm was described as “brimful of all the
latest ideas in machinery, mining, agricultural and
domestic requisites”. The brothers soon joined a group of
Fremantle merchants who were concerned about the
high freight rates charged by English shipping
companies. This lead to the formation of the West
Australian Shipping Association (WASA) Ltd in 1884
on which Alfred served as Chairman. The WASA
chartered its own ships and came to control much of
the Western Australian shipping trade. In April 1907 the Hay St premises
of William Sandover and Co. were damaged by fire.
The date of the fire is sometimes erroneously
reported as 1904. Alfred took an increasing role in
the company and he was well known for his
philanthropy which included, from 1921, the
provision of a medal for the Western Australian
Football leagues fairest and best footballer, the
"Sandover Medal". In 1923 Sandovers Ltd acquired the Perth branch of the Adelaide Company, G. P. Harris, Scarfe & Co., and registered it as Harris, Scarfe & Sandovers Ltd. Alfred was appointed chairman and he was to retain the position until he retired in 1957 at the age of 90. He was succeeded as chairman by his son Sir Eric Sandover. Device: The WS/&CO.a device is a four die device in a 4 x 1 format giving 4 dies in a horizontal array. The dies are very similar and on
clear strikes there are some subtle differences but
overall it is very difficult to differentiate
between the dies. The 4 x 1 format has consistent
spacing between dies 1 and 2 and the same spacing
between dies 3 and 4, however the spacing between
dies 2 and 3 is slightly narrower. The spacing
roughly suits the WA “Swan type” postage and revenue
stamps of the period if they are fed under the dies
sideways. This was most likely the practice and
early use shows positions 2, 4, 6 and 8 predominate,
especially on the much wider “Swan type” revenue
stamps. The device was manufactured by
Slopers in July 1906 and Willliam Sandover had
applied and received approval to perforate stamps in
May 1906. The device was long lived and it is
found used on postage stamps as late as 1951. Usage
from the mid 1930’s is characterised by many blind
pins and incomplete punctures which suggests that
the device was not in good working order. Related patterns: Nil
The fire in the William Sandover & Co. building, Hay Street, Perth, 24 April 1907 (Source: State Library of Western Australia. SLWA: 012841D) * The Australian Dictionary of Biography -------------------------------------------------------- C D F G H I K L M N O P R V W Other © copyright 2011 |