388. Auktion

1840, "CASTLEDOUGLAS MY 6 1840", boxed handstamp in red on front of entire prepaid letter to Kirkcudbright, with manuscript “1”. A fine and scarce entire.

1840, QV 2d. blue, plate 2, horizontal pair, lettered EK-EL, four mostly good margins, cancelled with Maltese Cross in black, lovely bold strikes, right stamp tiny vertical crease, otherwise fine and attractive. Certificate P.E. London. (1996)

1854/57, 2 d. blue, block of 4, nice fresh colour and well perforated, tied by duplex "IPSWICH JU 9 58" and partly by red "AUS ENGLAND PER AACHEN FRANCO", to entire letter to Minden in Prussia. Very fine and fresh.

1862/64, 9 d. straw, tied by duplex "545/NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE AP 23 63" to entire letter, endorsed "via Osend" and with Hamburger transit mark, to Copenhagen. A scarce reduced rate franking. Certificate Sismondo (2002)

1878, wm 'Maltese Cross', 10 s. greenish-gray, GF, bright fresh colour, very good perforations, unused with part original gum and various paper residues, central thin on reverse causing internal tear below the Queen's ear, otherwise in fresh quality. The stamp originally from an “antique” printed stamp album where it was stuck on a page with its original gum. According to Mr Louis, only 60 unused stamps of this classic rarity are known to exist, some of which are held in institutional collections, such as postal museums, and are therefore unavailable to private collectors. This stamp was previsouly not recorded. Cert. Louis BPP (2025)

Provenance: 2025, re-discovered from a recent find near Frankfurt, Main (Germany) in a printed “All World” stamp album, assembled by a stamp collector around 1900.

1878, wm 'Maltese Cross', £1 brown-lilac, DI, very good colour, very good perforations, unused without gum, central heavy thin on reverse and minor surface rubbing on the front in the bottom right corner, two light horizontal creases (almost invisible and not further affecting the appearance), otherwise in fresh quality. The stamp originally from an “antique” printed stamp album where it was stuck on a page with its original gum.  According to Mr Louis, only 56 unused stamps of this classic rarity are known to exist, some of which are held in institutional collections, e.g. postal museums, and are therefore unavailable to private collectors. This stamp was previsouly not recorded. Cert. Louis BPP (2025).

Provenance: 2025, re-discovered from a recent find near Frankfurt, Main (Germany) in a printed “All World” stamp album, assembled by a stamp collector around 1900.

1882, £5 orange on blued paper, AA, handstamped "SPECIMEN", type 9, very good colour, mostly very good perforations, unused with part original gum with various paper residues, a few shortened perfs at upper right and one short perf at lower right, otherwise in fine and fresh quality. Certificate Louis BPP (2025)

Provenance: 2025, re-discovered from a recent find near Frankfurt, Main (Germany) in a printed “All World” stamp album, assembled by a stamp collector around 1900.

1883/84, Victoria 10sh. ultramarin on blued paper, lettered I-G, fresh color and good perforation, tiny natural paper wrinkles, unused with fresh original gum, lightly hinged, an immensly rare stamp and major rarity, especially in this choice condition, certificates RPSL (1969,1987) (Scott 109b)

1969, Anniversaries NATO 1 s. 6 d., one showing variety black omitted, the other with variety yellow-green (flags) omitted, both mint never hinged and very fine, each with cert. BPA (2014)

OFFICIALS: 1840, Unissued "VR" 1 d. black, LL, small but regular margins all around, unused without gum, slightly toned, otherwise in good and fresh quality. According to Mr. Louis, “It is possible that the stamp was used by Rowland Hill for cancellation removal trials carried out in June 1840. The stamps were coated with unknown substances, then cancelled, and finally treated chemically to remove or wash off the obliteration. The chemical process might have caused the toning of the paper. Stamps from the horizontal “L” row are recorded having been used for those trials." Certificate Louis BPP (2025)

Provenance: 2025, re-discovered from a recent find near Frankfurt, Main (Germany) in a printed “All World” stamp album, assembled by a stamp collector around 1900.

1884-88, I.R. OFFICIAL: Vicotria 5 sh. rose on white paper, fresh color and good perforation, used with clear cds., a fine and attractive example of this rare stamp, certificate RPSL (2025)

1902, I.R. OFFICIAL: Edward VII 5s. carmine rose, fresh colour and good centering and perforation, neatly used with hooded “LONDON REGISTERED ”, a fine and attractive copy of this rare stamp, certificate RPLS (2025) (SG Spec. MO6)

1902, I.R. OFFICIAL: Edward VII. 10 sh. ultramarine, fresh color, nicely centered, mostly good perforation, just a few nibbed at bottom, used with clear cds. “SOUTHAMPTON 10 FE 03”, minor rubbed surface, of no real importance, a very attractive example of this major rarity. This legendary stamp is one of the rarest items in philately, already described in 1921 by Heinrich Köhler “…This stamp is the rarest in Europe...and is significantly rarer than the 81 parale Romania stamp.” Signed a.o. Thier und Köhler, certificates Grobe (1962) and RPSL (2025) and Provenance certificate Louis (2024) (SG Spec. MO7)

Provenance: 24th. Heinrich Köhler-Auktion (1921)

94th Hans Grobe-Auktion (1953)

107th Hans-Grobe-Auktion (1956, illustrated on the front page of the catalog)

1896, O.W. OFFICIAL: Edward VII. 10 sh. dull-purple and carmine, fresh color and good perforation tied by clear cds. to small piece, certificates mentiones “surface abrasions” which are barely perceptible, a very attractive example of this rare and elusive stamp,  certificate RPSL (2025) (SG Spec. MO18)

1926, König Georg V. mit schwarzem L1 “HOMERIC” auf Luftpost-Vordruckbrief als Versuchs-Vorausflug von der SS Homeric für spätere Katapultpost-Flüge via “NEW YORK NOV.25” mit Freimarke 2 C. nach Milburn mit Ankunftsstempel und vorderseitig eigenhändiger Unterschrift des Piloten. Dazu Vordruckbrief mit Freimarke USA 5 C. und Maschinenstempel “N.Y. AUG.29.1924” sowie L1 “HOMERIC nach Deutschland und kleiner Prospekt ”HOMERIC - THE SHIP OF SPLENDOR"