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;) ;) ;) | BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION advertising label, British Honduras postal history 1924 use of KGV 2c brown/buff newswrapper to South Kensington, London pmk'd Belize JY 11 24 cds, reverse 60x74mm locally produced "BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION/VISIT BRITISH HONDURAS COURT" label with lower edge showing printed broken line and separation rougher edge. £1250 |
;) | 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 |
;) | 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 |
;) ;) | The 2½d on 1d lake INTER-ISLAND RATE from CALLIAQUA, St. Vincent to BARBADOS postal history 1884 cover to H.A. King, Bridgetown, Barbados with QV 2½d on 1d lake positional copy showing curved arc below "N" of "ONE" (SG.40) left to be cancelled at Kingstown by vertical black "A10" (PML.7) with red Kingstown C/NO 28 84 and CALLIAQUA C/NO 28 84 origin cds alongside, b/stamped BARBADOES NO 29 1884 broken dbl-arc. This QV 2½d on 1d lake was issued specifically for pre-payment of the under 300 miles inter-island rate. £1425 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | THE SEARCH FOR EXPLORERS BURKE and WILLS, South Australia postal and social history 1862 cover to Mr. Edward Palmer, McKinlays Exploring Expedition, Adelaide G.P. Office with pair QV 1d (one defective corner) pmk'd PORT-AUGUSTA OC 6 62 with handstruck "UNCLAIMED", reverse GPO OC 8 1862/7 datestamp. Filing crease crosses adhesives as the unclaimed letter was placed in the accompanying "Returned Paid Letter" back to Mr. H. Mildred, Port Augusta making an exceptionally rare "round trip" pair. In 1859 the South Australian Government offered £2,000 for the first successful south-north crossing of the continent west of the 143rd line of longitude. In 1860-61 Robert O'Hara Burke and Willian John Wills led an ill-fated expedition of 19 men with the ingroup back to report only to find that another expedition under Howitt, which had left June 1861, had already found the graves of both Burke and Willstention of crossing from Melbourne (south) to the Gulf of Carpentaria (north), approx. 2,000 miles. At that time most of the continent had not been explored by non-indigenous people. The south-north crossing was successful but both of the expedition leaders died on the return journey. Only one man, John King, made the eventual return to Melbourne. Six expeditions were sent to search for Burke and Wills. One left August 1861, under McKinlay, and found the remains of Charles Gray, one of the expedition, and a partially empty grave in the Cooper Creek area. McKinley sent part of his in that same area. In December McKinley visited the site of the graves and then went on to explore the lakes region around Lake Moolionburinna. In February he left the Cooper region following Burke and Wills track to the Eyre Creek and the Gulf before turning east to a station on the Bowen River near Port Denison in Queensland, and the party returned by sea to Adelaide. Edward Palmer was the bullock driver with the McKinley led "South Australian Burke Relief Expedition". Accompanied by previously owned Sarah Murgatroyd's book THE DIG TREE, the extraordinary story of the ill-fated Burke and Wills Expedition (372 pages) and 150th anniversary commemorative stamps. £1425 |
;) ;) | INCORRECT VICTORIAN GRAMMAR on PREPARATION PROOF SHEET with UNISSUED VERTICAL LINED PAPER 1866 QV 1d pale rose INLAND REVENUE on unissued vertical laid paper, a generally fine and fresh IMPERFORATE complete sheet of twelve stamps showing the two units of six stamps laid down but BADLY ALIGNED within the full marginal inscriptions including One Penny Each - One Shilling per Sheet. at base (changed on issued sheets) on gummed paper sheet numbered 256 at top left. Trace of rusty paper clip at top which probably had a note attached re the two corrections required. Some slight creasing. Note: The initial delivery is thought to be Sheets 1 to 250 making a total of 3,000 stamps being issued on horizontal laid paper with base inscription reading One Penny each - One Shilling per Sheet. - the change from Each to each being made at preparation stage due Victorians being fussy about incorrect grammar. Only three imperforate sheets (numbered 256,257,258) are currently known with the original "Each" setting, and each showing differing adjustments to the lining up of the two units. Morley in 1910 reported the existence of these stamps on vertical laid paper but both Britnor (1965) and Robson Lowe (1990) were unable to confirm their existance in their handbooks. Sheets 251 to 260 are therefore printer’s unissued preparation sheets. The "Each" error was not noticed by philatelists until 2001 (135 years later!). £1500 |
;) | A UNIQUE PREPARATION SHEET Montserrat 1866 QV 1d pale rose INLAND REVENUE on unissued vertical laid paper, a generally fine and fresh IMPERFORATE sheet (on the provided cut ungummed and unwatermarked paper) showing a misaligned printed impression of the unit of six stamps and sheet numbered 259 at top left. Slight creasing but the only printers preparation sheet known as such. Sheets 1-250 made up the actual consignment of 3,000 stamps (250 x 12) on horizontal laid paper, Sheets 251 to 259 are the printer's preparatory or set-up sheets and the stamps thereon, with vertically laid lines, were never issued. Their survival represents a near unique opportunity to see how a classic issue was born £1500 |
;) | FIRST DAY with PREPAYMENT U.S. 3c green SUPPLIED NASSAU arrangement, Bahamas postal history 1878 cover to Boston, Massachusetts with QV Chalon 4d rose P.14 (torn through on opening) pmk'd "A05" in combination with U.S. Washington 3c green tied New York JAN 12 79 "2" duplex, reverse BAHAMAS DE 31 1878 despatch dbl-arc and Boston, Mass, Carrier JAN 13 arrival plus pencil address of sender staying at the Royal Victoria Hotel, Nassau. As of JA 1 1879 and until Bahamas joined the UPU JY 1 1880 USA 3c green adhesives could be bought in Nassau by those who wished to prepay the USA internal postage on letters thus avoiding Postage Due on arrival. Only three other covers are currently recorded with prepaid Washington 3c green for MR xx 1879, MR 19 1879, DE 1 1879. A further seven covers are recorded with U.S. 3c brown Postage Dues added on arrival for SP 20 1879, JA 5 1880, FE 10 1880, MR 8 1880, MR 16 1880, MY 20 1880, JU 18 1880. £1500 |
;) ;) | INCORRECT VICTORIAN GRAMMAR on PREPARATION PROOF SHEET with UNISSUED VERTICAL LINED PAPER 1866 QV 1d pale rose INLAND REVENUE on UNISSUED vertical laid paper stamps, a generally fine and fresh IMPERFORATE complete sheet of twelve stamps showing the two units of six stamps laid down and aligned for printing purposes (unlike BADLY ALIGNED Sheet 256) within the full marginal inscriptions including One Penny Each - One Shilling per Sheet. at base (changed on issued sheets) on gummed paper sheet numbered 258 at top left. Some slight creasing. Note: The initial delivery is thought to be Sheets 1 to 250 making a total of 3,000 stamps being issued on horizontal laid paper with base inscription reading One Penny each - One Shilling per Sheet. - the change from Each to each being made at preparation stage due Victorians being fussy about incorrect grammar. Only three imperforate sheets (numbered 256,257,258) are currently known with the original "Each" setting, and each showing differing adjustments to the lining up of the two units. Morley in 1910 reported the existence of these stamps on vertical laid paper but both Britnor (1965) and Robson Lowe (1990) were unable to confirm their existance in their handbooks. Sheets 251 to 260 are therefore printer’s unissued preparation sheets. The "Each" error was not noticed by philatelists until 2001 (135 years later!). £1500 |
;) ;) | CONSIGNEE'S LETTER into DUNEDIN, New Zealand postal history 1868 initially stampless entire (no indication of sender's origin) travelling with goods marked "Consignee's Letter per Margaret" destined for a merchant in Otahuhu, Auckland put into the Post Office at first port of call Dunedin with pair, single QV Chalon 1d dull vermilion added (affixed over writing) pmk'd Dunedin D/NZ/SP 25 68 duplex paying the 3d inter-provincial rate, b/stamped Auckland OC 7 transit and with OTAHUHU OCT 8 68 (13 days journey) on address panel, missing part flap. Extremely rare with Chalon stamps added. The letter, having been put into the Dunedin post office (South Island), would travel by land to the recipient advising details of goods to be expected, and the "Margaret" would continue its sea journey to the most convenient port in North Island for off-loading of same. £1625 |
;) | A67 used PORT ROYAL, Jamaica postal history 1883 commercial reg. cover (opened top and right side) with SUNBEAM crested crown printed flap to Fraser, Manager of The La Guayra and Caracas Railway, Caracas, Venezuela with horiz. strip pf six QV 2d deep rose CC wmk (SG.9a) neatly pmk'd "A67" obliterators with PORT-ROYAL A/NO 12 83 backstamp, alongside address panel both Jamaica and St. Thomas registration handstamps and French Messageries Maritime line paquebot d/ring. The Venezuelan capital, Caracas, is situated seven miles from the Caribbean sea, but lies at an altitude of 3,000 feet. Surveys for a rail line from La Guaira began in 1867 and British and U.S. engineers disputed the route and financing for 14 years. An English group finally secured a contract in 1881, registered La Guaira and Caracas Railway Company in London, and began construction of a 23 mile line that involved neither cables, switchbacks nor rack, It ordered eight locomotives from Nasmyth, Wilson & Co. in Manchester and an assortment of passenger and freight cars, The line began carrying passengers in July 1883. £1650 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | 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 unique HIGINBOTHOM & HUMPHRYS forwarding agents cachet, ANTIGUA postal history 1851 mourning band entire headed "St. Martin 2nd March 1851" marked "Particular care of R. Higginbothom Esq., U.S. Consul, Antigua" with "FORWARDED BY/HIGINBOTHOM & HUMPHRYS/ANTIGUA" double lined oval cachet posted with ANTIGUA MR 11 1851 dbl-arc to St. James Street, London locally directed Stratford Place rated 2/-. £1750 |
;) | BERMUDA postal history 1884 cover marked "per Orinoco" to Roxbury, Massachusetts with QV ½d stone, QV 2d bright blue CC wmk (SG.19,4) tied K3a "5" duplex used Paget East dated A/AP 10 84. A rare combination as such. The David Pitts chart only recorded K3a "5" on one example 2d blue CC (SG.3/4) and two examples on ½d stone. My own chart could only record K3a "5" on one 2d blue CC and one copy ½d stone. £1750 |
;) | The unique (2d) greyish-slate QUADRISECT, Barbados stamps fragment with used previously unrecorded and SG unlisted quadrisect (SG.4a variety) tied Bridgetown obliterator on newspaper piece (½d rate) mounted on small piece. £1750 |
;) ;) ;) | 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 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | WRECK of the Private Ship "ROBERT" at Egg Island, Bahamas, journey continued by "Lord Eldon" A newly discovered wreck entire written "Nassau 11 Dec 1816" marked "Robert" changed "Lord Eldon" to Glasgow landed with PORTSMOUTH/SHIP LETTER rated 1/4 and 1/6 with poor boxed Scottish wheel tax "½", two chisel slits, rarely found on Private Ship Letters from the BWI, struck from reverse (about 1½ inches or 1 6/16th inches or 17mm) with (London) 13 FE 13 1817 b/stamp, Glasgow 16 FEB receiver above address panel. Robert entered Lloyd's Register in 1815 as an American prize. Until 1822 the brig was a West Indiaman based in Liverpool and sailing to the Bahamas or Havana. Lloyd's List reported (FE 2 1817) that the "Robert", Wilkes, master, had been sailing from New Providence to Liverpool when she struck a reef off Egg Island, Bahamas, and had to put back for repairs. £2000 |
;) ;) ;) | VICTORIOUS "PORTLAND" RAN AGROUND in RIVER SHANNON and STRANDED, ANTIGUA INTERRUPTED PACKET MAIL This entire is headed “Antigua 28th Octr 1796” and marked “by Portland packet” from the Tudway correspondence to Wells, Somersetshire with handstruck S:KITTS rated 2/- changed 3/2. The “Portland” had left Falmouth with the mails for the Leeward Islands on AU 29 1796 and when off Barbados was attacked by a French privateer in which she beat off the attacker and preserved the mails. The Cook, William Thomson, lost a leg during the fighting and subsequently died of his injuries. In calm seas, near Guadeloupe, another armed privateer, the “Temeraire”, of much superior force gave chase. At daylight on October 18th the enemy hoisted her French colours and came alongside to board. The Master, Nathaniel Taylor, organised the passengers to open their musquetry upon her killing or wounding 41 of 68 on board. Captain Taylor was killed in the moment of victory. The “Temeraire” was taken into Montserrat as a prize, and the “Portland” left St. Kitts on 30th October bound Falmouth. Due a shortage of fresh water she put into the River Shannon on the west coast of Ireland on 6th January 1797. Sailing shortly after she had to put back because of bad weather, and whilst sheltering she was driven from her moorings and higher up the river ran aground. Stranded and waiting to be refloated on the Spring Tides she eventually arrived at Falmouth on 25th March. In the interim the Mate, Richard Leonard, personally took the mails from Limerick to London and they were placed in the post JA 14 97 per backstamp. This is the first recorded “Portland” interrupted mail entire clearly documenting its journey. The full story can be found in “The History of the Sailing Packets to the West Indies” by Len Britnor Pages 72-73 published by the BWI Study Circle 1973. £2250 |
;) | 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 |
;) ;) | 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 |