360 / Mai 2015 London

7½ d. yellow-green, fine example in a deep shade, with close but clear margins on two sides, enormous margins at top and at right with portion of adjoining stamp, lightly tied to 1858 cover to the Police Office, West India Docks, London by barred obliterator in black. Endorsed 'By Canadian Steamer - Paid' in manuscript (carried on the Allan Line Steamer 'Nova Scotian' from Quebec) with 'Toronto / UC' datestamp of despatch at left (Aug 25) and 'London / Paid' arrival cds (Sept 10) alongside in red. A fine and rare cover Scott 9a = $ 5'500.

10 d. blue, imperforate, clear impression, a fine example with four large margins, used on 1858 Cunard Line cover to Shrewsbury, England lightly cancelled in black. Carried on the Steamer 'Niagara' with Toronto datestamp of despatch at left in black (Jan 11) and framed 'PKT. LETTER / PAID / LIVERPOOL' in red of entry (Jan 25). Reverse with Shrewsbury arrival cds of the following day in blue. A fine and rare cover Scott 7 = $ 3'250. Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary (Oct 1956) lot 97.

1859: Beaver 5 c. pale red and 12½ c. pale yellow-green used on 1864 envelope from Quebec to London carried by Cunard Steamer 'China', tied by '37' numeral obliterators of Quebec in black with Quebec/LC cds at left (Feb 20), the adhesives also tied by 'London / Paid' arrival cds (March 8) in red. Part flap missing but a charming and scarce example of the 17½ cent Cunard rate. Signed A. Bolaffi, R. Mondolfo. Provenance: Corinphila sale 145 (April 2006), lot 1771.

3 d. dull red on blued paper, a diagonally bisected example used with two further single examples, one with corner fault at edge of envelope at right, pre-paying the 7½ d. rate on 1858 cover to Miss Smith in London, England tied by oval '1' barred obliterators in black. ST. JOHN - NEW BRUNSWICK despatch cds on reverse (Jan 11) in black. London arrival cds (Jan 26) in red on front. Despite the fault a rare franking on an attractive small cover. Cert. BPA (1977) Scott 1b+1 = $ 4'750+ / Gi = £ 3'000+.

1851/60: 3 d. dull red, a magnificent strip of three with large margins all round, top stamp diagonally bisected to prepay the 7½ d. rate to Durham, England, tied to 1859 cover by barred '23' numeral obliterators of Richibucto. At right circular '7½d /Cs.' handstamp in red and manuscript notation 'pd'. Reverse with RICHIBUCTO / NB datestamp of despatch (July 25), Sackville transit cds and Sunderland (Aug 7) arrival. File fold well away from the superb adhesives, a very rare cover. Cert. RPS (1959) Scott 1b = $ 4'750 / Gi. = £ 3'000.

1851/60: 3 d. dull red on blued paper, a diagonally bisected example used with 6 d. olive-yellow on blued, margin just touched at right, pre-paying the 7½ d. rate on 1855 mourning cover to Miss Smith in Ware, Herts., England tied by oval '1' barred obliterator in black. ST. JOHN - NB / PAID despatch at left (May 21) in brown and BRITISH / 5 d. / CLAIM in same ink. The adhesives also tied by framed 'Packet Letter / Paid / Liverpool' in red (June 17) and London datestamp of the following day. Ware arrival cds in green on reverse of a rare and attractive cover Scott 1b+2 = $ 4'750+ / Gi = £ 3'000+. Note: The Arthur Hind cover (May, 1934) lot 246, was used to the same addressee on the same day.

1861: 6 d. rose-lake, a superb large margined example in a deep shade, small contemporary affixing crease at left mentioned for accuracy, used on 1862 cover from Greenspond to Poole, England tied by barred obliterator in black. Fine GREENSPOND datestamp at left (Aug 7) in black and 'St. Johns-Newfoundland-Paid' cds in red at left (Aug 15) of transit on front, reverse with black St. John's cds and Poole arrival cds (Sept 13). Envelope with some manuscript docketing but a great rarity - only 12 covers are recorded in the Pratt census (this is #4) - and this is the earliest recorded usage of this stamp. Illustrated in 'The Pence Issues of Newfoundland' by Robert Pratt on page 173. Cert. Graves Greene (2004) Scott 20 = $ 9'250. Provenance: John Hubbard; Col. Robert H. Pratt (Oct 1986) lot 277; Dr. Chan Chin Cheung (Sept 1995) lot 184; Henry H. Conland (April 2001) lot 536.

1851/60: 3 d. blue, a diagonally bisected example used as 1½ d., overlapping fine 6 d. yellow green on 1860 cover to London to pay the 7½ d. rate, the stamps cancelled by barred obliterator in black. Reverse with PICTOU / NS datestamp of depatch (Jan 24) and front with 'London / Paid' arrival cds (Feb 6) in red. A fine and very scarce usage. Handstamped Vincent Graves Greene. Cert. PF (1993) Scott 2a+5 = $ 3'750 / Gi. 2'500+.

1851/60: The Postal History collection of cover/entires (21) with 1 d. red-brown in a strip of three on 1855 entire (signed A. Diena), 3 d. blue single franking covers (9, one with cert. Greene), 3 d. blue covers with two examples paying 6 d. rate to USA (3), 3 d. blue bisected usages with two further 3 d. blue on covers to England at 7½ d. rate (2, one with cert. Friedl), further cover with bisected 3 d. and 6 d. deep green to England (cert. Bühler), 6 d. green single frankings on covers to the USA (3, one with cert. Bühler, another cert. Holcombe), 6 d. green (2 examples) used on entire to Nova Scotia and a 6 d. green bisected usage. Condition variable but an extraordinary lot of enormous catalogue value.