360 / Mai 2015 London

1860 (Jan): 'Riverina' Combination Covers (2) from Moama, New South Wales via Echuca, Victoria on the Murray River to Huddersfield, UK both carried on the same ship to England, one franked by New South Wales 1854/59 Diadem 1 s. pale brownish red tied by rare MOAMA barred numeral '137' in black used in combination with Victoria 6 d. deep blue (2), each cancelled by manuscript pen cross. Reverse with Melbourne transit cds (Jan 17) and Huddersfield arrival (March 12) - ex Trevor Davis and Dr Ed Druce. Coupled with a registered 1860 cover from the same correspondence franked by New South Wales 1854/59 Diadem 1 s. pale brownish red and tied by rare MOAMA barred numeral '137' in black and Registration 1856/59 (-) orange & prussian blue similarly tied; again used in combination with Victoria 6 d. deep blue (2), which are tied by aging and the slight ink spots apparent on face. Transit of REGISTERED / MELBOURNE in red (Jan 17), reverse with MOAMA despatch cds of the previous day and Huddersfield arrival (March 12) in black. The registered cover with corner missing at upper right and with faults, but a dramatic and rare pair of combination covers. Cert. BPA (2009). Provenance: Baetgen (March 1994), lot 2724.  

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.

1900: Stampless cover endorsed at lower left 'No Stamps. Active Service / R. Baden-Powell Maj. Gen.' addressed to a Mr. J. Figorski, Razor Strap Manufacturer in Sheffield, England; struck with RUSTENBURG squared circle datestamp in black of despatch (June 27). Two line PASSED / CENSOR in black and counter-signed below by 'H. Nicholson, Col.' in red ink. London 'Paid' arrival cds on front (July 27) in red. Flap missing on reverse and slight corner crumple to cover at left but extremely rare, Baden-Powell occupied Rustenburg from June 15, 1900. Note: The letter (not with the lot) was sold at Christies in June, 1993, written on June 25 from Camp Rustenburg to J. Figorski thanking him foir a present of a razor strap - 'and am very proud to have so useful an article dedicated to me - in recognition I presume of my attempts to blunt the keeness of the Boers'.

1879: Double eagle definitives, lithography 10 kr. dark-blue, 15 kr. brown, 20 kr. olive green (corner wear), and 25 kr. lilac in diff. perfs., fresh colour, normal line perf., tied by neat "K. UND K. MILIT. POST XIV BIHAC 13/3/93" to registered envelope (vert. fold), sent to Birmingham with Austrian "RECOM." mark and British arrival handstamp in red (18 MR 93) alongside. Early use of the 20 Kr. definitive, an attractive four colour franking of the highest lithographed values. Signed Ferchenbauer, cert. Puschmann (2014) Ferchenbauer = € 6'250+.

1842 (Dec 26): Entire letter written from Tunja to Manuel Mosquera, Chargé d'Affaires of New Granada, in London. Struck with fine oval BOGOTÁ / FRANCA in red and handstruck '3' reales rate marking, mistakenly struck in transit with JAMAICA / PAID datestamp in red in transit. The datestamp deleted in manuscript and the entire rated '2/3d.' to pay at lower left, struck on entry into England at Falmouth with circular CARTHAGENA fleuron in oily red ink. London arrival cds (March 6, 1843) in red on reverse of a rare and appealing entire.