The above illustrated item is the 'small' size registered envelope, of which there were 1000 printed. It is believed that all unsold stock was destroyed, but a definitive figure of the surviving numbers has yet to be determined. It remained on sale until the 1930's, when it was still being used for registered mail. Used copies are however, quite scarce.
I have a cutout of the 'small' envelope, used at Daru in 1924, ex Hamilton Croaker.
Above is pictuered the 'long' format, which is considered rarer than the other one, though the same number were printed. It is priced at usually twice the levels of the 'small' format (around A$800-1000).It is rarely encountered used, and prices of upwards of A$2000 are prevelant at the moment.
This particular cover is in my collection- I bought it at a Harmers sale recently, together with a mint small envelope for around 400 pounds. It is cancelled to order, and is the only such example I have ever seen. Although it is a rarity, it is probably not as collectible as a genuinely postally used example. It was put up for auction recently at Status stamps in Sydney, but was passed in at $A800.
A Genuinely postally used example of the small envelope. It is taken from Premier Philatelic auctions in Melbourne, and is estimated at around $A1000 (sold for $A1600 (excl buyers comm) March 2002). I have seen this particular cover auctioned about three years ago with Macray auctions, also of Melbourne.
Illustrated above is a used example of the long envelope, auctioned recently in Switzerland (2001).
The Postcards came in packs of 12- remarkably this one remains intact.
