Australia Post issues reduced-rate ‘concession’ stamp

By Denise McCarty

A new stamp from Australia is inscribed “concession post” in place of a denomination.

Australia Post issued this stamp Oct. 2. It purpose is to provide a reduced domestic postage rate for people who have federal concession cards. These include pensioner, health care, senior’s health care, Department of Veteran’s Affairs, and veteran’s repatriation cards. The current reduced postage rate is 60¢ per stamp instead of $1.

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

    Sign up for our newsletter
    Like us on Facebook
    Follow us on Twitter

Australia Post also offers a limited number of these stamps to collectors in the form of special products, included a first-day cover, a stamp pack and a maxi card. The stamp pack contains a pane of five of the new concession stamp.

Australia Post issued its first concession stamps March 24, 2014 (Scott 4068-4069). The two designs depict an outline map of Australia on a beach, and a kangaroo, respectively.

The new stamp features “Australia” spelled out using the following cultural emblems: the Parliament in Canberra for A, stars representing the Southern Cross from the flag for U, an emu for S, a kangaroo for T, a surfer for R, a cockatoo for A, a boomerang for L, a cricket bat and ball for I, and the Sydney Opera House for A.

Sonia White designed the stamp, and EGO/RA Printing produced it by offset lithography.