10 shilling kangaroo and map essay stamp originated from the competition held in 1911 to create Australia’s first commonwealth stamp. Until that point each Australian colonies had their Postal Services and issued their own stamps. The competition was won by Hermann Altmann, but his exquisite design was never to be used. In October 1911, Charles Frazer was appointed as postmaster-general and he incorporated elements from a number of designs to create 10 shilling kangaroo and map essay stamp. The example of this unique item was auctioned for $142,563 at the top of the Morgan Collection of Australian Commonwealth Stamps on 13-14 November 2012 in London.
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