;) | AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE CASE OF "O.R." (Official Registration), Victoria postal history 1876 interrupted mail cover to Horse Shoe Bend with QV 1d, 2d pmk'd Sandhurst "4" duplex dated B/MY 29 76. Marked in manuscript "O.R." (Officially Registered) as it contained something of value contrary to law with two strikes framed REGISTERED and oval MORE TO PAY appended "6d" in matching ink. Some faults, soiling and backstamped Redesdale Victoria MY 30 76 clear of missing flap. RPSV Certificate (2008). The expectation is that the survival rate of Officially Registered covers, because they contained coin or other valuables, for the pre-1885 adhesive period is approximately 1 within every 10,000. This means that most countries can offer no examples. For the whole of the British West Indies group I record only one cover which was compulsorily registered. £2250 |
;) ;) | "A36" used DRY HARBOUR (Ex Trivett, Glassco, Jose P. Simon, Simpson, Mahfood, Pitts) The unique and complete entire with letter headed "Dry Harbour 9th Dec 1859 " from John Ellis to Edward Leahy, Chief Engineers Office, Spanish Town with GB QV 4d rose pmk'd "A36" (H) with matching inked DRY HARBOUR code 2/DE 9 1859 across upper flap which would display perfectly for exhibition if a few hinge remainders were professionally removed. The adhesive with top left wing marginal short perfs. Ex TRIVETT, GLASSCO, JOSE P. SIMON, SIMPSON, MAHFOOD, PITTS. Distance Dry Harbour to Kingston 71 miles, Spanish Town to Kingston 13 miles being 71 less 13 = 58 miles (4d rate under 60 miles). The code "2" was previously unlisted. The only other known entire is the top portion of a wrapper to Barclays & McDowell (Kingston) pmk'd code 2/SP 2 1858 which has GB QV 6d lilac for the 71 mile distance (over 60 miles rate). The “A36” (H) had a short life being either lost or mislaid as the earliest Pine watermark Jamaica stamps are cancelled by manuscript “36”. The best explanation probably comes from Bill Atmore in his January 2000 “Land of Wood and Water” publication where he wrote “It is known that stocks of imperial stamps had begun to run out at several offices as early as 1859, even before their official withdrawal from use on 1st August 1860. In these circumstances, the obliterators at most, if not all, offices became temporarily redundant, possibly leading to their loss or damage”. £4500 |
;) ;) | B01 used ALEXANDRIA, Egypt postal history (Ex GRIFFITHS) 1869 entire with handstruck "POSTED AFTER/DEPARTURE OF PACKET" to Liverpool with pair GB QV 6d Plate 8 pmk'd "B01" with ALEXANDRIA JY 10 69 alongside, fine GIUSEPPE CAMPOS sender's cachet with Liverpool 27 JY 69 arrival on upper flap. Ex JOHN O. GRIFFITHS. £825 |
;) | K3a "14", Bermuda postmark on 1873 3d yellow-buff Crown CC wmk (SG.5), very rare on this issue. £225 |
;) | BRITISH GUIANA to FRANCE 1859 cover with GB QV 1d, 6d pmk’d “A03” dated DEMERARA A/MR 11 1859 to Dieppe, France showing London AP 5, AMB Calais, Le Havre A Paris, and Paris 6 AVRIL transits. Flap removed by recipient to show his hand-written notes re content. Only one other GB QV 1d, 6d combination is recorded dated JA 23 1860 ex Paramaribo via Demerara to Dunkerque. £2500 |
;) | "54" used JAFFNAKACHCHERI, Ceylon postal history 1883 QV 2c brown complete Newswrapper with added QV 2c pale brown (SG.146, creased) tied "54" numerals to The Catholic Mission, Lyon, France with JAFFNAKACHCHERI PAID JU 30 83 cds, red framed TOO LATE and red MODANE A PARIS 31 JUIL 83 d/ring alongside. £375 |
;) | Obsolete JAMAICA "A01" transferred to G.P.O, LONDON FOREIGN SECTION, Transvaal postal history 1902 censored cover to The Hague, Holland with 2 x 1d E.R.I. overprints tied Johannesburg 18 APR 02 with further uncancelled KE7 ½d firmly "killed" by obsolete Jamaica "A01" numeral (Type E) transferred from Kingston to the G.P.O. London Foreign Section specifically for the duty of cancelling uncancelled adhesives. A wonderful combination cover. £350 |
;) ;) ;) | "33" used UDA PUSSELLAWA, Ceylon postal history 1883 opened for display reg. mourning cover with superb intact UDA PUSSELLAWA/(crown)/POST OFFICE wax seal on reverse to The Vicarage, Fremington, North Devon with QV 4c rosy mauve x 3, QV 24c green tied "33" numerals with NO 9 83 PAID cds alongside, some faults. £325 |
;) | BRITISH GUIANA to FRANCE 1859 cover with GB QV 1d pair, QV 6d pmk’d “A03” dated DEMERARA A/JU 25 59 to Dieppe, France re-directed to 47 Avenue des Champs Elysees, Paris showing London JY 19, AMB Calais 20 JUL, Le Havre A Paris 22 JUIL transits. Flap removed by recipient to show his hand-written notes re content. Thought to be a unique GB used abroad combination (use of 8d rate to France is confirmed by double rate entire (1/4d) from same correspondence bearing GB QV 4d, pair QV 6d dated OC 10 1859. £3500 |
;) | JAMAICA USED AT BRITISH POST OFFICES ABROAD The currently unique trio of “C51” (used St. Thomas) on QV 1d Pine wmk, the unrecorded on GB used abroad “D60” (whereabouts of use unknown, RPS certificate) on QV 6d Pine wmk, and “E88” (used Colon) on QV 2d CC wmk. Similar to the accepted use of Trinidad stamps at Ciudad Bolivar, it is now thought that Jamaica stamps may have had permitted or accepted use on correspondence back to the island – see Foster Page 31. (A red ink “D63” is also recorded on Jamaica QV 6d Pine wmk). The "D60" illustrated Parmenter & Gordon handbook Page 3 / 52 £4000 |
;) ;) | EXTRAORDINARY USE OF BROKEN OBLITERATOR "A 9" USED AT NEWLY OPENED OFFICE, Jamaica postal history 1875 unique cover with temporary re-introduction of the broken "A 9" numeral obliterator (Type H "A79" with "7" missing); two strong clear strikes on 2 x QV 1d blue Crown CC wmk (SG.8) addressed Bules Penn, Four Paths Post Office, Clarendon with KINGSTON MR 11 75 transit alonside. Reverse with manuscript "Mt Charles 11 Mar 1875" written top left corner and central poor FOUR PATHS MR 15 75 arrival. Arguably one of Jamaica's greatest rarity covers and a great exhibition item. The "A79" (H) was allocated to the Richmond Post Office (St. Mary Parish) and only one cover is known dated FE 2 1866. Shortly after this date the instrument became damaged as a differing format replacement "A79" (Type J) is known used at Richmond AU 7 1866 (just five months later). Robert Topaz in his 1967 rarity guide recorded no examples damaged "A 9" on Pine wmk issues, but recorded the "A 9" on CC wmk 1d, 2d, 3d, 4d, 6d each described as very rare and each allocated his highest pricing of £270 each in his 1981 pricing guide. The Mount Charles Post Office (St. Andrews Parish) was opened September 15th 1874. £4250 |
;) | 18, TOBAGO rural postmark boxed type of the 14, 15, 16 Tobago rural numeral series on Trinidad 1904 1d Britannia (SG.134). Only two excellent and two poor strikes known. Numeral figures being 8mm high, not to be confused with the Trinidad Type 0.4 "18" used Princes Town which has numeral figures 7mm high. £350 |
;) ;) | P.O.A. 59, NATAL postal history P.O.A. 59 on much travelled opened-out 1898 Transvaal 1d rate cover pmk'd Johannesburg 3 ME1 98 to Lower Umzimkulu re-addressed Imbezana, Natal with GPO, Natal 4 MY 98, Durban 5 MY 98, Umzinto 5 5 98, Umhlangeni MY 12 98 and MY 13 98, 2 x POA 59, Port Shepstone JY 7 98, Umhlangeni JY 8 98 and purple Returned Letter Office 15 9 98 plus 2 OCT 98 unidentified Z.A.R. return arrival, reverse with blue crayon "Advertised + Unclaimed". Exhibition item. £525 |
;) ;) | NATAL postal history 1902 reg. cover to Cradock with 7 x QV 1d (SG.99a) tied P.O.A. 91 numerals, b/stamped Durban MR 6 1902, flap tied by stamp selvedge and marked "Reported" with initials to show registered mail has extra sealing (stamp selvedge), staining on reverse. £725 |
;) | TRANSVAAL to a gold mining company in London postal history 36 used EUREKA KAAP GOUDV., (T.6a) in blue on pair ½d grey, 2 x 2d olive-bistre cover dated A/27 AP 93 to a Gold Mining Company in London. £625 |