Australia postage stamps year 1956 Olympic Games Melbourne MNH set
The 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games set is a cornerstone of Australian philately, issued to celebrate the first Olympics held in the Southern Hemisphere. While the core commemorative set consists of 4 stamps issued in October 1956, collectors often include the two preceding “publicity” stamps to form a complete 6-stamp series.
The main set was released on October 31, 1956.
| Catalog | Numbers |
| Scott | 288 – 291 |
| Stanley Gibbons | 290 – 293 |
| Michel | 266 – 269 |
This set is notable for using two different printing methods: the lower values were printed locally in Australia, while the higher values were printed in Europe to achieve high-quality multicolor results.
- 4d Carmine-Red: Features the Arms of Melbourne. (Letterpress/Typo)
- 7½d Deep Blue: Depicts the Olympic Torch and the Southern Cross. (Letterpress/Typo)
- 1/- Multicolor: Shows Collins Street, Melbourne. Printed by Harrison & Sons, London (Photogravure).
- 2/- Multicolor: Features Melbourne across the Yarra River. Printed by Courvoisier, Switzerland (Photogravure).
Before the main set, Australia issued two stamps featuring the Olympic Poster design to promote the upcoming games:
- 1954 2/- Blue: (Scott 286 / SG 280)
- 1955 2/- Green: (Scott 277 / SG 281)
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.