See RED TEXT ABOVE for world wide BANK TRANSFERS by WISE, PayPal also available. Contact on WhatsApp on 0066 0823715197
| Country: All Subject: All | Sort: Price lowest > highest |
;) | Combination first types HLABISA and LOWER UMFOLOSI, Zululand postal history 1895 exceptionally rare and perhaps unique side-by-side combination purple Resident Magistrate's Office (R.M. OFFICE) cds for HLABISA 16 NOV 1895 and LOWER UMFOLOSI NOV 19 1895 on GB ovp'd 1d Post Card written by Edith Turnbull at "Bush View 15th Nov. 1895" to Cockington, Torquay with ESHOWE and DURBAN transits. Exhibition item. £2400 |
;) | ST. VINCENT stamps: 1882 DLR QV 1d drab ovp'd "Revenue" with OVERPRINT INVERTED (PML.9), the only example showing clear date of "31/12/83", minor blemish one perf. tip. Only four examples from a single sheet of 60 stamps are currently known to have survived. The three other examples dated "15/12/83" (faults, Peter Jaffe lot 537), "15/12/83" (fine), and "29/12/83" (illus. PML handbook Page 147). £2400 |
;) ;) | 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 |
;) | 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 |
;) ;) | The Chinese minority (period violent anti-Chinese Lambing Flat Riots), Victoria postal history 1861 exceptionally rare handmade envelope from a Chinaman sent with correct QV 4d inland postage plus 1/- for registration pmk'd Castlemaine "31" numerals (no despatch date) to a Hung Hat, 53 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne (present day Chinatown) with red REGISTERED/A/AU 22 61/MELBOURNE. Exhibition item ex PACK, FORSTER, PERRY, KELLOW. Chinese peasants had flocked to the newly discovered goldfields in the 1850's but their different organised methods of mining constantly aggravated their Europeans counterparts. By 1861 Australia had at least 38,000 Chinese in the country (1 in 9 of the population - at Bendigo gold fields there were 5367 Chinese men and only 1 woman). They were fanatically loyal to a despotic foreign emperor and the local fear was that he could order them to rise up at any moment. In 10 months of unrest at Burrangong, NSW (about 375 miles away) the most infamous riot of the goldfields occurred on the night of June 30th 1861 (some 7 weeks earlier) when a mob of 1500-2000 drove the Chinese off the Lambing Flat, and then moved to the Back Creek Diggings where they destroyed tents, stole possessions, and cruelly beat up 150-200 Chinese. This led to the NSW Chinese Immigration Act of November 1861 which seriously limited the flow of Chinese into the Colony. £2750 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | THE UNIQUE B.W.I. "DOUBLE COUNTRY" JAMAICA and BAHAMAS SAILOR'S CONCESSIONARY RATE ENTIRE 1835 entire "From Alexander Spain on board His Majestys Brig Wasp" to his sister Charlotte Spain in Southampton countersigned on face by J.N. Syke, Lt. Acting Commanding Officer with "Paid 1" in horizontal oval and matching red ink LIVERPOOL AP 14 1835 arrival backstamp. Written at Port Royal, Jamaica 12th February, travelled with him to Belize, with cross-written finish at Nassau, Bahamas 12th March with "since writing the first part we have been with troops to Honduras in New Spain and thence to this place on the same errand". Opening tear into address panel hardly detracts, some small internal splits but clean with delightful content including mention of fond memories of picking buttercups and daisies on their way to school. No privilege rate countersigned pre-stamp Sailor's letters are currently recorded from Jamaica (which is quite extraordinary for such a large island) or the Bahamas, and the only two recorded entires as such for the B.W.I. group, are from Antigua (HMS Pique MY 26 1845) with rate paid by attached sewn 1d coin, and 1d paid from Alexander to his sister Charlotte Spain on the Wasp while again at Belize 30 June landed Dartmouth 29 August 1835. The "Wasp" was built during 1811-12 and at this time was on duty on the North America and West Indies station with 85 officers and men, 24 boys, 20 marines. Alexander Spain was a first class boy waiting to be rated. He mentions homecoming in about 20 months - the Wasp arrived Portsmouth 15 April 1837 having left Jamaica 11 February but during a gale on 4 April she lost her foremast and straps plus her bowsprit during a mid-Atlantic collision with the Elizabeth due poor visibility. £2800 |
;) ;) ;) | VIRGIN ISLANDS temporary rubber datestamps postal history EAST END and ROAD TOWN, the unique side by side combination of temporary rubber datestamps both dated 4 JUL 1907, the latter in purple, on Ursula ½d Post Card to Islington. Exceptionally clean and exciting exhibition item. No example of the ROAD TOWN TRD has been found on loose stamp, the only other example known is on the reverse of envelope from same correspondence when writer sent the Post Office Order enclosed in an envelope from EAST END with TRD cancelling adhesive on face. £3000 |
;) ;) | QUEENSLAND postal history 1875 Wagstaff family cover from California with U.S. 3c x 2, 10c tied segmented cork cancels with adjacent red SAN FRANCISCO PAID cds dated MAR 8 and marked "per City of Melbourne Ship" to John Wagstaff, Agricultural (Station?), Rockhampton, Queensland forwarded with tied Queensland QV 2d blue to Lily Vale via Gainsford, backstamped Brisbane AP 5 75 with Rockhampton AP 9 75 arrival and forwarded Rockhampton AP 22 75 with Lilly Vale MY 3 1875 arrival. An exceptional combination. On JA 1 1874 the rate to all Australian Colonies, New Zealand and Fiji was reduced to 2d. £3000 |
;) ;) ;) | Wreck of the 'Schiller' (Hoboken N.J, Scilly Isles, Germany's "Titanic"), Canada postal history THE ONLY RECORDED WRECK COVER ORIGINATING FROM CANADA marked "Via United States" with Small Queen 2c green x 2, QV 6c brown x 2 pmk'd HALIFAX N.S. A/AP 22 75 duplex to The Manager, The Imperial Bank, Lothbury, London taken from the wrecked S.S. Schiller on the Retarrier Ledges, Scilly Isles to London where red London Paid 10 MY 75 cds applied, reverse with handwritten contemporary endorsement of "This Envelope was down in the Sr. Ship Schiller wrecked on a rock off the Scilly Isles in the month of May 1875". Accompanied by a wonderfully easy to read pre-owned copy of "The Victorian Titanic". £3000 |
;) ;) | CEYLON postal history 1869 OFFICERS CONCESSION RATE OF 10d cover (1 of 2 known) endorsed "Chichester/Cap. A.D.C." at lower left to his daughter Amy in Cleobury-Mortimer RE-DIRECTED THREE TIMES on arrival with Ceylon QV 10d orange pmk'd black "B" showing red TRICOMALEE PAID AU 18 69 cds alongside and b/stamped red COLOMBO PAID A/AU 21 69. On arrival b/stamped LONDON N7/SP 20 69 and LONDON X10/SP 20 69 with re-direction to a Square in London S.W with circled "1d" due handstamp; further re-direction to Army Agents Cox & Co, Craig Street with free re-direction within London crowned "R" applied plus CHARING CROSS W.C. A6/SP 20 69 cds, finally re-posted with GB QV 1d red Plate 108 pmk'd BEWDLEY SP 21 69 duplex to Tiverton, Devon. Flap removed plus minor faults. Officers did not mark their mail for the privilege postage rate of 6d per ½oz (plus any Foreign Rate) unless there was a savings. There was no advantage on U.K. mail when rates were 6d via Southampton and 10d via Marseilles, but increases to 9d and 1/1d respectively on FE 1 1868 allowed a savings of 3d (as seen on the above cover). The concessionary rate was withdrawn DE 31 1869 so savings were only possible over a 23 month period. £3250 |
;) | 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 |
;) | The SG uncatalogued 1866 QV 1/- in bluish slate (SG.8 variety), ST. VINCENT stamps: A very fine exceedingly rare fresh mounted mint example of this unlisted stamp with printer's guide-line lower right corner, together with a fine used example with crisp horiz. brown "A10" (PML.3), plus a mint pair of the QV 1/- indigo (SG.13) for comparison. The QV 1/- indigo (SG.13) was invoiced FE 27 1869 and the known covers spanning period AP 24 69 to OC 10 70 all fall within the use of the VERTICAL "A10" used period SP 25 68 to JU 10 72. Use of the horizontal "A10" on 1/- indigo is therefore an impossible contemporary combination. The St. Vincent PML handbook Page 34 acknowledges that the August 1866 QV 1/- Perforation B 11-13 exist in both the listed slate-grey (SG.8, Cat.£2500 mint) and also in a "bluish-shade" and initially surmised that at least two sheets perforated B slate-grey were mixed among the 500 plus sheets of the consignment. BWISC member Dr. Bruce Aitken has suggested that as this stamp was printed alongside the QV 4d deep blue (SG.6) the printers may have realised they were a few sheets short and made a special printing that came out a bit bluish in order to fill the order. Brown ink was used in the last 3 months of 1867, and used examples of this bluish slate variety were offered in the Jaffe collection. £3500 |
;) ;) | 10 (used Brighton), TASMANIA postal history 1861 cover "per Tasmania" to James S. Harrison, 22 Charlotte Place, Sydney, New South Wales with Chalon 2d slate-green pair (uneven setting), single superbly pmk'd Brighton "10" numerals with red PRE-PAID 4 SP 1861 alongside, reverse Sydney C/SP 9 61 arrival. James Start Harrison (1837-1902) arrived Sydney in January 1849 with his parents after a voyage of 157 days on board the Penyard Park and eventually took up the profession of an accountant working with the new partnership formed 1861 of Alexander Learmonth & Samuel Dickinson, merchant and commission agents. He is best known as a philanthropist and local newspapers capture his interests and service given to the Sydney Ragged Schools, Sydney City Mission, Sydney Female Refuge. £3500 |
;) ;) ;) | OFFICERS 10d CONCESSION and CIVILIAN 1/1d SAME DAY SAILING, CEYLON postal history TWO COVERS TRAVELLING ON THE SAME DATE VIA MARSEILLES to ENGLAND, the first with exceptionally rare (1 of only 2 known) OFFICERS CONCESSION RATE of 10d endorsed "Chichester/Cap. A.D.C." to his daughter in London pmk'd COLOMBO B/JY 3 69 backstamped London AU 2 69, the second with standard 1/1d rate to Axminster, Devon pmk'd COLOMBO B/JY 2 69 backstamped Axminster A/AU 3 69, both with missing flaps. An exceptional pairing. Officers did not mark their mail for the privilege postage rate of 6d per ½oz (plus any Foreign Rate) unless there was a savings. There was no advantage on U.K. mail when rates were 6d via Southampton and 10d via Marseilles, but increases to 9d and 1/1d respectively on FE 1 1868 allowed a savings of 3d (as seen on the above cover). The concessionary rate was withdrawn DE 31 1869 so savings were only possible over a 23 month period. £3750 |
;) | 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 |
;) | MONTSERRAT taken to ST. CHRISTOPHER for posting to BARBADOS postal history 1876 cover endorsed "J.S. Hollings Montserrat W.I" at lower left from the known correspondence to James Sanderson, Bridgetown, Barbados conveyed "loose" (as too late for sealed bag) by the Cassin contract mailboat to St. Kitts where inter-island rate QV 6d green affixed and tied by dumb circled single central bar cancel with ST. KITTS JY 13 76 despatch rated red "4". An exquisite and most unusual exhibition piece. Ex HART. TOO LATE FOR INCLUSION FIRST SAILING OF JY 12 1876 BEARING MONTSERRAT 1st PRINTING QV 1d, 6d ADHESIVES: The 1st printings Montserrat QV 1d red (13,200 stamps) and QV 6d green (6,960 stamps) Crown CC Perf.14 were invoiced JU 12 1876 and would have arrived in time for the JY 12 1876 first sailing bearing Montserrat's own adhesives. Montserrat had lost its steamer service in 1852 and for many years thereafter the mails were conveyed to and from St. Kitts by means of sailing vessels. From SP 26 1864 to DE 31 1879 Frederick Slater Cassin, of Antigua, held the contract to convey the mails between St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat, for which he received a subsidy of £490 a year. £4250 |
;) ;) | 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 |
;) | 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 |
;) ;) ;) | North Africa BARBARY COAST and GB USED ABROAD combination, GIBRALTAR postal history 1871 mourning cover with unidentified blue Arabic-like origin cachet almost certainly originating in the Barbary Coast regions of North Africa, addressed with French salutation to Madame Isabella Wilson, Youngstown, Ohio with GB 4d, 6d pmk'd "A26" with GIBRALTAR A/NO 22 71 despatch showing London 7 DE 71 and New York Paid All (indistinct date) transits over red "2/CENTS" handstamp). No backstamps and smaller portion of flap missing. A currently unique and intriguing item. At that time there was no state postal system and foreign post offices were in only a few North African coastal towns. The Parmenter & Gordon handbook Page 1/5 states that "From 1st March 1858 mail from Tangier and other British Consulates in "Barbary" had to be prepaid in GB adhesives which were later cancelled in Gibraltar". The first TANGIER cds was sent from the GPO London on 16th March 1872 (some 4 months later than this cover, examples of use are TANGIER A/JU 29 73 and A/OC 15 73 placed below GB 6d, and GB 2d,4d each pmk'd "A26" on covers to Monsieur A. Boucard, London, Ex Glassco). Some irregular private couriers were also actively taking international mail to European Post Offices. The handstamp was probably carved from wood and the manufacturer chiselled it as he would see it but when struck it would appear in mirror image, ie reverse. It is also noted that if the third digit in the "date" were not inverted and reversed it might read 1871. (See also Kabyle Rebellion, Algeria) £4250 |
;) ;) | "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 |