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;) | 1 used BRIDGETOWN, Barbados postmark/cancel (Ex Hurlock) (C1) on 1854 bisected (2d) greyish slate (SG.4a), very fine used tied Bridgetown "1" obliterator clearly demonstrating the practice of downward scissor-cutting resulting in subsequent tear correctly tied to piece. (Alex Rendon, New York certificate issued 1994). Ex HURLOCK (1958, Lot 72). Evidence of pre-preparing imperforate stamps by cutting into horizontal strips and scissor cutting vertically between each stamp, for easy separation, is found on FE 16 1860 cover to London (ex Sir James Marshall Robson Lowe May 7 1946, Lot 140) with horiz. pair imperf. 6d pale rose-red scissor-cut vertically about 90 percent with clear separation tear showing at top right corner. At least one bisected 1854 cover shows identical downward scissor-cutting and separation tear. £600 |
;) ;) ;) | THE UNIQUE and SG UNLISTED SURCHARGE DOUBLE with SHORT “F”, St. Vincent stamps: 1894 “FIVE PENCE” on QV 6d lake (SG.60c + d combination), a used example part dated Kingstown – 13 95 showing the three distinctive coloured marks on Queen’s neck (aptly named the Southern Cross plate flaw by Peter Jaffe) as always found in conjunction with the short “F” overprint variety on Row 5/1 of the complete sheet, corner perf. fault and with BPA Certificate. Ex CHARLTON-HENRY. The SURCHARGE DOUBLE error is SG catalogued £6,000 mint and £3,000 used for any of the few known survivors, the SURCHARGE DOUBLE with short “F” is not known mint and this is probably the only surviving example. £1800 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | BRITISH HONDURAS and UNITED STATES combination postal history (Ex Ralph HART) c1868 exceptional and exquisite combination piece with vertical strip of four plus horizontal pair British Honduras 1865 QV 1d pale blue No wmk P.14 (SG.1, Cat.£65) tied "A06", and pair 1861-62 U.S. 3c rose Washington tied partial cds and pmk'd segmented cork cancels at New Orleans where framed "STEAMSHIP" also applied. The U.S. 6c, by adhesives, show the double rate and the manuscript crayon "due 14" completes the 20c rate, the double rate franking with BRH adhesives should have totalled 8d. Some adhesive faults but a unique franking (Ex Ralph HART 1978, Lot 264 as pencilled). Letters from British Honduras 1866 to 1869 could prepay the U.S. internal postage and supplies of the U.S. 3c rose Postal Stationery Envelope were evidently available in Belize for partial pre-payment as witnessed by covers (as per scans) of JA 12 1868 to Natchez, Mississippi (ex Edward S. Knapp, Maurice Burrus), and FE 27 1868 to Shreveport, Louisiana (Ex Ralph Hart). As the normal U.S. internal rate was 10c single rate, it is not understood why partial franking of 3c were the chosen partial prepayments, but this may have been the fee payable to the private contract steamboat carrier that made the trip between New Orleans and Belize City once a month starting in May 1867. £1725 |
;) | The "GALLE PENNY" Surcharge on NEW SOUTH WALES mail routed through Melbourne, VICTORIA 1874 cover marked "via Galle" to Dublin, Ireland with QV 1d, 6d pmk'd Sydney MY 16 74 duplex, no backstamps, part flap missing. Ex Trevor DAVIS (2002), "Emerald" (2003), CHARTELL (2018). When the new contracts came into force in 1874 New South Wales refused to contribute to the P & O service because Melbourne, Victoria was made the mail terminus, and because NSW favoured the route via San Francisco. To use the route via Melbourne and Pt de Galle NSW had to pay a fee to Victoria based on the amount of letters sent by that route. In order to defray that expense, and also to discourage NSW writers from using the route, a 1d surcharge was added to the basic rate (6d via Southampton, and 9d via Brindisi) from 10 FEB 1874 to 27 MAY 1875. This surcharge is commonly called the "Galle Penny". £300 |
;) | ST. LUCIA stamps: Essay in black with typographed head and surround but without outer name and duty plate frame-lines, the top tablet "ST. LUCIA" and bottom tablet "HALFPENNY" hand-painted, cut down to stamp size and affixed to small piece. Ex De La Rue Archives (1979). £750 |
;) | GREAT BRITAIN (Elgin, Scotland) to VICTORIA, Australia postal history (Ex von Uexkull) 1872 cover with sender's "North Street Elgin" albino embossed flap to The Reverend William Ross, c/o Solicitors, Queen Street, Melbourne with two GB QV 3d rose Plate 7 pmk'd ELGIN "133" duplex dated E/AP 8 72, on arrival re-directed with VICTORIA QV 2d brown-lilac tied MELBOURNE 8H/MY 31 72 duplex to Mrs. Ross's Lodgings, Campbell Street, Castlemaine, b/stamped London AP 9 72, Melbourne A/MY 31 72 and Castlemaine MY 31 72. Ex Jakob von UEXKULL (1997). Few covers from Great Britain forwarded with VICTORIA QV adhesives locally or to other Australian States exist, and I can only currently record GB 1/- (DE 5 1855) forwarded Melbourne to Castlemaine with 2 x 3d; GB stampless (JA 21 1856) forwarded Melbourne to Tarrengower with 1d, 3d, 1/- REGISTERED stamp; GB 1d x 3d, 6d (AP 10 1860) forwarded to Encounter Bay, S. Australia with 6d; GB 1d, 9d (MR 19 1872) Dublin to Melbourne forwarded Minnebah Reefs, Tasmania with 3d. The only other Victoria QV 2d forwardings known to me are on cover USA 5c (DE 28 1880) Adelaide to Sydney, NSW with 2d (von Uexkull), and USA 6c rose pair (JA 19 1882) forwarded Brisbane to Sydney, NSW with 2d (Edward S. Knapp). £1200 |
;) ;) | THE UNIQUE "HALF OPEN BOOTHEEL DUPLEX" CDS COVER, BARBADOS Postal history (See BLOGS section) 1875 local cover to T.P. Goring, above "Rices", St. Philip with last and last recorded use 1872 (1d) blue (SG.52) tied 19mm BARBADOS I/JU 28 75 cds at Bridgetown with alongside previously unseen 21mm BARBADOS JU 28 75 code A cds which has now been shown to be part of the newly introduced cobbled together open bootheel duplex which took up duty 12 days later on JY 10 1875, no backstamps. Ex 'OLIVE BLOSSOM'. £2400 |
;) | Vertical "A05", Bahamas postmark (Ex Hoey) (K2, unlisted Proud handbook) on QV 1d carmine-rose (SG.48), extremely rare. Ex HOEY. The only other copy seen being on QV 2½d (SG.52) overstruck Nassau C/JA 11 99 cds. £625 |
;) | 13 used Kingston, TASMANIA postal history (Ex TINSLEY, BOMBIERI, BLAKE, CHARTWELL) 1864 drop letter mailed within Kingston with Chalon 1d brick-red imperforate superbly tied "13" addressed Mr. Dixon, Browns River with postmaster's manuscript "Kingston 11-1-64" alongside, no reverse markings. Ex TINSLEY, BOMBIERI, BLAKE, CHARTWELL. The settlement known as Browns River had its name changed to Kingston by the Governor of Tasmania in 1851, so the postmaster followed this edict which was not acknowledged until a Government Gazette in 1881. It was then changed to Kingston Beach in 1900. £825 |
;) | SHORT DURATION CHALON 2d with INTRODUCTION OF SIDEFACE NEW RATE, TASMANIA postal history 1870 FIRST DAY OF ISSUE OF SIDEFACE with new rate paid by Chalon 2d yellow-green pmk'd Hobart Town NO 1 70 to The Hon. Joseph Archer, Panshanger, Longford. Ex CHARTWELL collection. APS (1994) Certificate. This adhesive had short duration, compounded by survival, adding to rarity. £1250 |
;) ;) | 52 used LAUNCESTON DROP LETTER CIRCULAR, Tasmania postal history (Ex CHARTWELL) 1867 printed circular from William A. Collins requesting William John Johnstone, St. John Street (Launceston) to attend a Special Meeting of the Committee of the Northern Railway Leauge at the Mechanics Institute mailed with Chalon 1d brick-red P.10 tied upright Launceston "52" numeral. Ex CHARTWELL £650 |
;) | ST. KITTS PAID (used during shortage 1d stamps for the internal rate) to NEVIS. 1889 stampless cover to Miss. Richardson, opposite the church, Charlestown, Nevis with the (1d) rate covered by black undated ST. KITTS PAID with ST. KITTS C/DE 10 89 despatch and NEVIS A/DE 11 89 arrival backstamp. Minor blemishes but unique as such and the latest recorded use. Ex BROOKES. The 1889 shortage of ½d, 1d, 2½d, 4d stamps currently spans a 22 day period NO 21 1889 to DE 12 1889. New supplies were invoiced NO 29 1889 comprising ½d dull green (6,080 stamps), 1d carmine-rose, 2½d ultramarine, 4d grey (6,100 each) all Crown CA wmk, with expected arrival in time for the DE 19 89 sailing to UK. Only four covers and two cover fronts are recorded comprising NO 21 89 (at the over 300 miles rate) to Trinidad, NO 21 89 and DE 5 89 cover fronts (at the 4d UPU rate) to Edinburgh and London respectively, DE 5 89 and DE 12 89 (at the 2½d under 300 miles radius rate) to Barbados and Antigua respectively, and DE 10 89 (at the 1d local rate) to Nevis. £1350 |
;) | ST. KITTS PAID (used during shortage 2½d stamps for the under 300 sea miles rate) to ANTIGUA. 1889 stampless cover to Joe Goodwin, High Street, (St. John's), Antigua with the (2½d) rate covered by black undated ST. KITTS PAID with ST. KITTS C/DE 12 89 despatch being the latest known date of use. Frontal vertical fold and with no arrival backstamp which is consistent with covers to Antigua at this time. Ex FORSYTH, BROOKES. The 1889 shortage of ½d, 1d, 2½d, 4d stamps currently spans a 22 day period NO 21 1889 to DE 12 1889. New supplies were invoiced NO 29 1889 comprising ½d dull green (6,080 stamps), 1d carmine-rose, 2½d ultramarine, 4d grey (6,100 each) all Crown CA wmk, with expected arrival in time for the DE 19 89 sailing to UK. Only four covers and two cover fronts are recorded comprising NO 21 89 (at the over 300 miles rate) to Trinidad, NO 21 89 and DE 5 89 cover fronts (at the 4d UPU rate) to Edinburgh and London respectively, DE 5 89 and DE 12 89 (at the 2½d under 300 miles radius rate) to Barbados and Antigua respectively, and DE 10 89 (at the 1d local rate) to Nevis. £1250 |
;) ;) | The UNIQUE QV 1d red INVERTED "S" cover, Montserrat postal history (Ex THOMPSON) 1886 commercial cover to Mrs. Witham, Basseterre, St. Kitts with accepted by Post Office and correctly tied diagonally bisected QV 1d red (SG.8ca) with full QV 1d red with INVERTED "S" (SG.8a) alongside partly pmk'd identically inked "A08" with both MONTSERRAT A/JA 23 86 despatch and ST. KITTS C/JA 29 86 alongside address panel. A further 1d stamp, making up the 2½d inter-island rate, was lost during transit or subsequently removed, peripheral faults. Ex THOMPSON (1977). This Perf. 14 bisect Cat.£1300 on cover, Inverted "S" Cat.£1000 and rated from x12 on cover. Sir Edward Bacon whilst examining a full sheet of 120 stamps established that the Setting was twice arranged in five horizontal rows with the inverted "S" appearing Stamp No.3 in both 2nd and 7th rows. £2500 |
;) ;) | 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 |
;) | NEW BRUNSWICK postal history (Ex DALE LICHTENSTEIN, CARTIER) 1863 treble rate local cover with exceptionally rare QV 10c red bisected diagonally in se-tenant pair with whole stamp (SG.17) tied by mute grids on orange envelope to Richibucto, flap torn on opening, backstamped weak red KINGSTON and clearer black SHEDIAC both dated JY 20 1863. Ex DALE LICHTENSTEIN (Nov/1868) and CARTIER (Sept/1977 realised £1300). The 10c red bisected on its own (SG.17a, Cat.£600 on cover) paying the 5c local rate is commonly found (the bisect being a temporary solution for the suppressed 5c Connell stamp which was never issue, the QV 5c was issued in or around July 18). The 10c alongside a separate 10c bisect on cover is exceptional (one noted dated DE 1860 paying 5c local rate plus 10c registration from Salisbury to Lower Coverdale SG Auction May/1979 realised £1300). Argenti only recorded three examples of the se-tenant 10c pair, one bisected on entire. The two other dated covers being FE 14 1861 from W.O. Albert Mines to Hampton paying 5c local, 10c registration (Dale Lichtenstein May/1969 R$525, Sothebys Sept/1984 E£800) and a second triple local rate dated MR 30 1865 from St. John to Kingston, Richibucto marked "with note enclosure" no doubt accounting for the extra weight (ex Argenti, Groom, Chester Beatty). Argenti only recorded three examples of this 15c make-up, two being treble local rate (for letters weighing 1 oz. but not exceeding 1½ oz.), and one paying 5c local rate plus 10c registration. £4250 |
;) | BERMUDA postal history 1852 wrapper, no side flaps, to George Clerk, Ireland Island with red HAMILTON+BERMUDA (PM4) dated JA 1 1852 (day slug inverted) struck on face due being a locally addressed letter. Ex TUCKER, ULRICH, "LONGTAIL". The Forand/Freeland handbook only records two red PM4 entires to Ireland Island (other dated OC 4 1854). £375 |
;) ;) | Rare watercolour "View at IDANRE from Camp", Lagos postal history (Ex John FORREST) 1898 outer wrapper with reverse showing an exceptional rare inclusion of watercoloured painting addressed to Miss Ambrose, Hampstead, London with QV 2½d tied oval of bars with rare POST OFFICE EPE (T.11) cds dated A/JU 7 1898 (ERD), lower left portion of this single sheet torn away. Ex JOHN FORREST. £825 |
;) ;) | VIRGIN ISLANDS ..... Ex HOPKINS long tailed "S" on 1/- black & rose-carmine/greyish (SG.20a, Cat.£2000), fine mint with full extended margin from sheet position 11. Ex Adrian HOPKINS (1936 RPS certificate). Robson Lowe encyclopaedia Page 169 considers the sheets perforated outside the border to be an experimental printing limited to 25 to 50 sheets. All examples being rare. £1200 |