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There are 4 types, listed in Robson Lowe as follows:

Type 1: A long prong to the top right angle joining at an obtuse angle
Type 2: The prong on top left is securely joined to curl, then at right it is detached
Type 3: Both the above are detached and the “hook” is present.
Type 4: The first “I” of shilling if produced passes through the right limb of the first “N” of ‘QUEENSLAND”. In all other types this line cuts the first of second “E” of this word.

I have interpreted this as follows:

The scans are 2 pairs = types:

12
34

Types 1 and 2



Types 3 and 4


I have no idea what the "hook" is in type 3. Is anyone able to explain it?

I have also done a table on the prongs but will need to check a number of examples to see if it is accurate.

Top Prongs
Type Left Prong Right Prong
1 Detached - short Attached - long
2 Attached - long Detached – short
3 Detached – short Detached – short
4 Detached – long Detached - long

I have also read that there are differences in the lettering for each type as well but am yet to explore that.

Also here are the bottom prongs, for what it is worth. I am yet to look at other examples to see if they are constant.

Bottom Prongs
Type Left Prong Right Prong
1 Detached - short Attached - long
2 Slightly Attached -short Detached – short
3 Detached – shortish Attached - long
4 Detached – short Attached - long


Comments and examples welcome

Thanks

Jeremy

I have now looked at a number of these and the prongs do seem to be constant. Some of the prongs are a little shorter or a little longer but they are all detached or attached as per the tables

Got to disagree.

Type 4: The first “I” of shilling if produced passes through the right limb of the first “N” of ‘QUEENSLAND”. In all other types this line cuts the first of second “E” of this word.

I think this means that if you were to extend the I it would p[ass through the N or the E. The stamp you show as Type 3 is the only one where this extension of the I goes through the N.

Type 4 is tricky. I have tried extending all of them, but it is very suggestive as I could have moved the line anywhere. If I had kept it straight up none of them would have been near. I may need to find a better way to distinguish type 4

These 4 are from the bottom left corner of a sheet so I am reasonably confident that the bottom 2 are types 3 and 4. A bit hard to see, we may need someone with a better mint block to provide a high res scan but from this it looks very difficult to tell between types 3 and 4 using the method of extending the I

This is the famous hook first described and named by Bornefeld on 1907. It occurs in type 3. It is small but clear. Note the type 4 next to it where the hook is absent

Here is the updated type 1

Type 1: The top prong of the right ornament / arabesque joins the curl and if prolonged would run immediately into the oval line. The top of the “S’ in Shilling points to the top of the ‘H” and the top of the “S” parallel to the oval line above it is flatter than in the other types where they are more rounded.

Updated Type 2: The upper end of the left ornament is compressed and this is the only type in which the prong is securely joined to the curl. The prong at the top of the right ornament /arabesque is slightly detached. The space between “N” and “E” is wider than in the other types especially at the bottom; the upper part of the letter “S’ is heavy and the lower part short; there is much less space between the “G” and the right-hand ornament than in the others.

Updated Type 3: The top prong of the left ornament / arabesque is quite separate from the curl. The prong at the top of the right ornament /arabesque is detached. The space between “N” and “E” is very narrow; the first “L” almost touches the oval line below it; there is greater space between the “G” and the ornament than in the others. This type has the hook, a little loop on the right-hand side of the upper branch of the foliate ornament in the right lower spandrel and so named by Bornefeld in 1907.

Updated Type 4: The top prong of the left ornament / arabesque, though still not touching the curl, is longer than types 1 or 3 and the top prong of the right ornament / arabesque if prolonged would touch the oval line much lower down than type 1, although in its shape and nearness to the curl it resembles that type. The space between the letters “N” and “E” is similar to type 1 but rather wider at the bottom; the top of the “S” of Shilling is more round than type 1.