The 'Australia in Space' postal numismatic cover scandal 2024

From stamps on letters to coins in pockets

In the 388th edition of the Australia Post Stamp Bulletin, released on 2 March 2024, two versions of a new cover were announced in association with the release of a one dollar coin by the Australian Mint, Canberra, on 1 January 2024. The theme of both cover and coin was Out of this World - Australia in Space. One of the covers (illustrated above) featured an image of Australia from a satellite in space. The coin (illustrated below) featured an astronaut on a space walk.

Out of this World - Australia in Space $1 coin, Australian Mint, 1 January 2024.

As they had done since 1994, the Australian Mint and Australia Post collaborated on the release of material for the local and overseas collecting community - a release program which was known to generate funds in a political environment of efficiency dividends and other measures to make the two government organisations less financially dependent on federal, taxpayer funding (Philatelic Team 2016). With real money (coins and banknotes) going out of fashion as people increasingly moved towards a digital economy, and interpersonal contact through letters now largely replaced by social media apps, traditional sources of community revenue raising were drying up and both Post and Mint were being forced to squeeze more money out of the collecting sector. This was the obvious reason behind the fact that perhaps half of the March 2024 edition of the Stamp Bulletin contained advertisements for numismatic material i.e., coins. For the traditional stamp collector coming late on the scene, this was something of a surprise, and not necessarily a welcome one, for some of the reasons outlined below.

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Cover variant #1

Stamp Bulletin #388 promoted a cover which included one of the new Australia in Space $1 coins. Such items are known as PNCs - postal numismatic covers - and apparently they are very popular, though costly, for both philatelists and coin collectors (McDonald 2023). They can contain coins or medallions, usually printed by the Australian Mint or the Perth Mint, and most often, though not always, Australian. In some cases they are foreign, such as from the Tuvalu islands.

Cover variant #1, unstamped and unreleased, Stamp Bulletin, 2 March 2024.

As can be seen from the above image, the cover was available for a premium price of $18.95, with a limit of two per customer. This relatively high price for a new cover was due to the inclusion of the uncirculated coin, which originally retailed for around $10 from the Australia Mint. There was no indication in the Stamp Bulletin as to how many covers were to be printed, though this figure was later made available. Neither was there a release date, or information as to whether the cover was associated with a new stamp release. Also, it would come to pass that the close-up, full colour satellite photographic image of planet earth on the cover as displayed in the Stamp Bulletin was replaced in the one actually sold to customers by a full globe and monotone map outline of Australia. Decidedly less glamorous, it is unclear why Australia Post decided to change covers after the event and went with the plainer item.

Upon phoning Australia Post on Tuesday 5 March, the writer was informed that the $18.95 cover would be released on Friday, 8 March 2024. The fact that there was no information available regarding the origin or reason for the cover, either in the Stamp Bulletin or on the Australia Post Collectibles website, was strange, and problematic for collectors. As of the time of writing (19 March 2024) there was still no information available on the webpage. This laxity on the part of Australia Post was unexpected, though the author recalled how Australia Post had made a cost-cutting decision to cut back content in the the Stamp Bulletin, and it seems that edition #388, being the first for 2024, was the initial example of this. On second thought, it seems obvious that, as noted above, the Australian Mint and Australia Post had collaborated on the PNC release program. The other organisation involved in similar releases was the Perth Mint.

The author had been a collector of Australia Post covers since 1970, and this encounter with the Australia in Space cover was the first time that he saw such a philatelic item issued with so little background information. Since its origins in the 1950s, the Stamp Bulletin has proven a solid reference source for all the philatelic material issued by Australia Post. That is no longer the case. Also, the present writer was not a collector of the PNCs covers. They had proliferated since the early 2000s, and the author very early chose to steer away from them due to the expense and practicalities of collecting coins.

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Cover variant #2

Cover #1 illustrated above proved to be different to that eventually issued by Australia Post and illustrated below. This cover was basically a day-of-official-release cover.

Cover variant #2, released 8 March 2024. Front and rear illustrated.

It bore a red seal on the rear, which read: Authentic Merchandise / Australia Post G475381, along with a RRP $18.95 and notification of a print run of 7,500 covers. The covers had sold out by 19 March 2024, by which time they were for sale on eBay for $35 + $10 postage = $45. The Authentic Merchandise label was introduced in 2008 due to the existence of bootleg postal numismatic covers entering this lucrative market.

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Cover variant #3 - Bootleg!

Such is the popularity and (artificial) rarity of some of the official Australia Post PNCs, that shortly after 8 March 2024 a bootlegged copy of the official Australia in Space cover appeared on the market. Online, the only way to distinguish this variant was by viewing the rear, and seeing that there was no official Australia Post logo or other relevant information provided. On the front, the stamps, coin and postmark all appeared genuine.

Bootleg copy of cover variant #3, postmarked 8 March 2024 in black. Offered for sale on eBay for $35. Printer: Unknown.

Copies of this bootleg cover appeared online before the genuine cover, and it would have been easy for collectors to be trapped into purchasing such a cover, in the belief that it was official. With official covers often having low print runs, the market is therefore being manipulated into a form of panic buying.

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Cover variant #4

The other Australia in Space cover advertised in Stamp Bulletin #388 was a special, limited release available on 8 March 2024 at the Perth Stamp and Coin Show Australia Post stand (illustrated below).

Cover variant #4, four stamps plus special postmark, Perth Stamp & Coin Show, 8 March 2024. Source: Stamp Bulletin, 2 March 2024.

Apparently only visitors to the exhibition in Perth could secure a copy. They were issued in a limited print run of 150 - marked as such on the front - with our, previously released space-related stamps attached, and stamped with one of the three special Perth Show postmarks, in green ink. The cover featured the original multi-coloured partial map of Australia, as originally advertised in the Stamp Bulletin in relation to the normal cover. This Perth cover was announced as one of a series of four to be issued over three days (Friday 8 - Sunday 10 March 2024). It sold for $35, with a limit of one per customer. To obtain a set of the four covers would have cost $140 and involved standing in line and hoping to be lucky enough to secure a copy on each of the three days.

The present author, who had only recently begun researching the topic of UFOs and extraterrestrials, was attracted to the Australia in Space cover, and sought to purchase it as a one off. During the aforementioned phone call to Australia Post Collectibles he asked if there was any way to secure a copy of the cover with the four stamps and postmark. The answer was no. He was not happy about this as, in the past, it was usual that you could purchase such covers through the Australia Post Philatelic Sales Section, before, during and after such events. Of course, not having kept up to date with the increasing complexity and variety of covers being produced by Australia Post since the early 2000s, and most especially through its Impressions program, the reality of the situation was something of a shock. In the past, the number of covers printed was never announced as small as 100-150, or subject to lotteries in order to secure them. But times had obviously changed..... Also, the variety of cover types was basically limited to first day covers and souvenir covers (Almeida 1982-97, Organ 2021). Of course, when it came to collectibles and rarities, the latter classification were usually associated with the number of items postmarked, and even those was generally readily accessible. Most such covers could be purchased unused, or even with stamp and postmark at a very reasonable cost price, with no significant profit margin for Australia Post. As such, a 'complete' collection could easily be secured on a limited budget, whether you were a young person at school, a retired pensioner, or anyone in between with disposable income.

Having given up the thought of obtaining a copy of the rather attractive Perth Stamp & Coin Show Australia in Space cover with four stamps and green, pictorial postmark, the author was more than a little shocked, and dare I say it angry, when the four Perth Show covers were advertised on eBay the following Monday, 11 March 2024 for $440!

eBay, 11 March 2024.

This was an outrageous figure and spoke of manipulation of the collector market by Australia Post, the Australian Mint, and those dealers and private collectors who were imposing such extraordinary markups on what should have been relatively cheap, and accessible, philatelic and numismatic items. The matter was further brought to the author's attention when the following day - 12 March 2024 - a different set of five Perth Stamp & Coin Show limited edition covers was advertised for sale on eBay with a price of $300!

eBay, 12 March 2024.

Apparently these five not previously advertised covers were produced by Australia Post in limited print runs of 200-325 each and sold by, or on behalf of, the organising committee of the Show, with all profits going to them. This activity had been taking place for a number of years, as part of a sweetheart deal which would provide a cache of money for the organisers. The status of these items remains unclear to the author. It is likely they are assumed to be genuine Australia Post products. However, there is no identifying information on the rear, unlike that for the official Australia in Space cover. This can be seen in the Year of the Dragon PNC cover reverse.

Year of the Dragon cover, Perth Stamp & Coin Show, 10 March 2014. Rear and front views.

As a result, the status of such covers remains a mystery. A previous set of covers from the 2022 Perth Stamp & Coin Show - illustrated below and retailing for $550 on eBay - comprised four PNCs with coins and medallions attached to pre-stamped envelopes. The three MyStamps and Peter Brock stamp were actually printed on the envelopes, rather than stuck on as stamps, leading to further confusion amongst some collectors. It is also assumed that Australia Post was the printer, though it is not identified as such.

Of course the main problem was the practice by Australia Post of issuing philatelic material in such limited numbers and at such exorbitant prices, rather than keeping prices down and enabling equitable access and availability to all those who may be interested. It is interesting to note that the five covers did not identify as official Australia Posts on the rear, and would possibly not be considered as such in the future. Nevertheless, they were selling at a premium during March 2024. Some recent (2011) PNCs on eBay were sitting on a offer price of $3,000! It now became increasingly obvious that something had to change as such practices were not sustainable, at least not for the general collector with a limit budget for their hobby.

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Letter to Australia Post

On 11 March 2024 the author sent off a letter to Australia Post expressing his concerns over the perceived manipulation of the collector market that he felt was currently occurring. The following is an extract from that letter:

Dear Sir / Madam

I wish to express my extreme displeasure and disappointment with Australia Post over its abandonment of traditional philatelic practices and ethics, replaced by an unbridled manipulation of the market in the quest for a few dollars profit by both Australia Post and those individuals or organisations immediately on-selling items at gross markups of as much as 200%.

I refer to the recent (8-10 March 2024) limited release of 4 Postal Numismatic Covers (PNCs) at the Perth Stamp and Coin Show. The covers were advertised in the recent Stamp Bulletin #388, though not on the Collectors website prior to the event. Retailing for $35 each, with a different cover issued over 3 days and only 150 of each printed, the covers cost a total of $140. This is an exorbitant price. The 4 covers are at present (11 March 2024), one day after the Show, being offered for sale on eBay for $440.

Upon the receipt of the recent Stamp Bulletin #388 on 2 March 2024, I phoned Australia Post and asked if there was any way in which I could obtain a copy of the Australia In Space cover with the 4 stamps and the relevant postmark. I was informed NO. The cover was also illustrated in the Stamp Bulletin with NO RELEASE DATE and no special postmark shown, at a price of $18.95. In the not so distant past - I have been a collector since the 1970s - such covers as for sale at the Perth event were also made available to all collectors from the Philatelic Sales Section, at a reasonable cost.

I was seeking the Australia In Space PNC out of interest. I do not collect PNCs, but I do collect souvenir covers. I was attracted to this specific cover. The collecting of PNCs is beyond the finances of a pensioner such as myself. Prior to this, I was unaware of the extent of the limited edition nature of covers now issued by Australia Post, many of which are only made available through the end-of-year Impressions catalogue process. That process is, in part, a lottery. This is objectionable enough, to say the least, as it is blatantly discriminatory against collectors based on economic circumstances. There should be no lottery concerning the sale and availability of ordinary philatelic items such as stamps and covers. This is not how Australia Post should be operating. I would also suggest that this practice is having significant negative impacts upon the hobby of stamp collecting. The ordinary collector - old or young, rich or poor, local or overseas - who may have an interest in Australian stamps and covers, is being priced out of the market and of the ability to obtain a complete collection of such items. Whereas in the past there were only a few items such as the 5/- Harbour Bridge or the 1 pound Kangaroo that were beyond the reach of most collectors, now there is a plethora of such material.

The 4 Australia in Space PNCs are a case in point - immediate rarities upon release, and immediately subject to exorbitant markups. And I should not forget to mention the 'special' set of 5 PNCs made available by Australia Post to the organisers of the Show and sold in print runs of 300-325. Theses are now being offer on eBay for $300 - a 70% markup in a single day! No notice of these items was provided in the aforementioned Stamp Bulletin; neither was there any avenue made available to collectors to obtain the items from Australia Post at the recommended retail price, apart from going to Perth, attending the Show, and hoping that they could purchase the items before they sold out. Therefore, a collector of Australia Post PNCs is now obliged to spend $730 on the 9 Perth Stamp and Coin Show PNCs if they seek to maintain a complete collection of such items. In addition, the complexity of the items on offer by Australia Post - both the genuine post items, and the faux-postal limited edition items - is getting beyond the scope of understanding of many collectors.

I would therefore ask that Australia Post returns to the democratic practice of making all normal philatelic items offered to collectors available at a reasonable price, and as requested (without limits) during the period of 12 months from the time of release. The Australia in Space cover should be made available in such a way, as it would have been in the past. It seems obvious that the inclusion of numismatic elements is severely restricting, and limiting, the ability of ordinary collectors to access Australia Post philatelic material. I will be bringing this manipulation of the market, and what I see as the discriminatory practices I have outlined above, to the attention of the Minister. I will be seeking from the Minister a determination that Australia Post return it is past, equitable practices which appropriately serve the people and stamp collecting community of Australia. I will also be suggesting to the Minister that Australia Post's Collectible section (i.e. the former Philatelic Sales Section) be returned to its former status, and that all sales of numismatic materials be managed by a separate section of the organisation. In catering to the numismatic market, Australia Post has, in my view, lost the plot in regard to the desires and needs of ordinary Australian stamp collectors / philatelists. I would venture to hazard a guess that coin collectors are not the same demographic as stamp collectors, though Australia Post appears to believe they are, based on it activities dating back to the early 2000s.

Thank you.

A response was received from Australia Post the following week. It merely repeated information that was provided in the letter or the State Bulletin, and offered nothing new apart from the fact that a copy of the Perth Stamp & Show covers was contained in a news item on the Collectibles website issued prior to the show. It also repeated the obvious fact that individuals are free to on-sell their items at whatever price they want. It did not accept that there was anything wrong with the Australia Post limited release strategy, nor that it was in any way responsible for the exorbitant prices being asked at point of release. Obviously there would be no change.

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Summary

As times goes by it seems inevitable that Australia Post covers will continue to increase in complexity of type, and cost. As long as covers are tied to coins, then the inherent cost of those, including premium examples minted in silver and gold, will rise. Print runs of less than 1,000 are obviously not going to serve the community of collectors and will, as a result, force people out of that area, or deter others from entering it. This was pointed out in the letter, but Australia Post appears either oblivious to the fact, or merely chooses to ignore it in preference to short term profit. The present author is not the first to raise this issue. Glen Stephens opened up a discussion around PNCs on the Stampboards discussion group back in 2007 (Stephens 2007). David Mallen's Australian Stamp Variations website contains numerous publications which describe the proliferation of philatelic material by Australia Post in recent years, including one which he refers to as the annual spew of expensive limited edition products through the Impressions catalogue (Mallen 2018). The term rip-off is also used, noting that the total cost of the 2017 Impressions material - much of which was non-philatelic - was $40,974! The ad hoc release of items such as the aforementioned Australia in Space cover can also be including within this group of non-traditional material. Apart from loosing faith with the local collecting community, Mallen notes that one overseas collector has called Australia Post greedy and the worst in the world for the release of such expensive and ultimately irrelevant material. In fact, since December 2007, Australia Post has issued so-called Collectible stamps which it classifies as not valid for postage. As philately is traditionally defined as the collection and study of postage stamps, it is clear that this material no longer fits the bill, though this is not something that Australia Post necessarily promotes to the collecting community.

An in depth study of the subject has been a real eye opener for the present writer, and reinforced his concerns over the direction Australia Post has been taking since the beginning of the new millennium.

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References

Almeida, Noel G., Australian Post Office Souvenir Covers, 1970-1997, Melbourne, 1982-97.

Glen Stephens, Australia Philatelic Numismatic Covers or PNCs - discuss here, Stampboards [discussion list], 29 April 2007.

McDonald, Greg, Australian Postal Numismatic Covers (PNCs), Greg McDonald Publishing, 2023, 456p.

Mallen, David, Australian Impressions 2005-2017 - Australia Post's "Limited Edition" Stamps, 2018, 76p.

Organ, Michael, Australia Post Souvenir Covers 1997+ [blog], 7 October 2021.

Philatelic Team, How to spot a genuine Australia Post Postal Numismatic Cover (PNC), Australia Post Collectibles, 23 June 2016.

-----, Australia Post Collectibles [website], Australia Post, 2024.

-----, See you at the Perth Stamp and Coin Show 2024, Australia Post Collectibles [website], 20 February 2024.

Stamp Bulletin [website], Australia Post, 2012-2024.

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Last updated: 2 April 2024

Michael Organ, Australia

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