368. Auction

1 d. pale blue in horizontal pair, large margins, nicely cancelled "60" LAUNCESTON, very fine and scarce, sign. Pfenninger

4 d. bright red-orange, nice colour and good to large margins, cancelled "60", very fine

1853, 4 d. red-orange, plate I, second state, fresh colour and large margins, lightly cancelled "59" LAUNCESTON, very fine

4 d. orange, plate 2, showing behind Queen's head small triangular 'Prisoner's' punch hole, fresh colour and large margins, tied by numeral "18" to small piece with adjacent boxed "CAMP TOWN 18 May. 55", very fine. The 'prisoner's' punch hole is believed to be a form of control used by a settler at Campbell town on letters addressed to government officials or solicitors; 3 covers and this piece are recorded

1855, 4 d. blue, slightly touched at bottom, otherwise good to large margins, tied by numeral "60" LAUNCESTON with 2 different "PRE-PAID" marks to Hobard, very fine

Unissued 6 d. dull lilac, block of 4 from the only recorded creased proof sheet, ungummed, slightly touched at left, otherwise good to large margins; a scarce multiple, certificate RPS (1965) (SG £ 3.000,-)

1856, 4 page letter of April 21 from postmaster general F.C. Smith to the colonial agent Edward Barnard with receiving mark of July 30, 1856. The postmaster general asked for quality postage stamp paper, sending as samples 3 strips taken from the margins of existing postage stamp sheets. A highly interesting and unique document

1856/57, 1 d. deep red-brown on pelure paper, horizontal pair, the right stamp showing large part of papermaker's watermark, good colour, ample to large margins, neatly cancelled by no. "64" HOBART, fine and rare, certificates RPS (1973) and Brandon (2003)

1858, 6 d. dull lilac, slightly cut into at top and slightly touched at left, tied by clear "52" to small envelope to Secundrabad, India, showing on front clear arrival mark and boxed "BOMBAY Bearing 2 Annas", very fine

1870/71, 1 d. rose-red with additional horizontal perforation above "ONE PENNY" and 2 d. yellow-green (scissors' cut at top and applied damaged at lower right) tied (most likely upon arrival) by Melbourne numeral "1" to small envelope to Carlton with transit and arrival marks of December 20, 1870 on reverse; an interesting cover and the earliest recorded use of the 'Sideface' issue on cover

1871/78, wm TAS, 4 d. buff, horizontal strip of 4 from the upper left sheet corner with large part of plate no. "43", unused o.g., the stamps unmounted mint, very fine and scarce in this condition (SG for unused single stamps £ 1.400,-)

1878, 1 d. carmine, imperforate plate proof in block of 4 from the upper sheet margin with plate no. "3", unused o.g., the stamps unmounted mint, very fine

1878, 8 d., stamp-size die proof in black on glazed card, mounted in small frame, very fine

8 d., 6 die proofs showing different states of the engraving, dated June 28-July 10, 1878, one with additional "AFTER HARDENING"; a remarkable and rare group with explaining text on exhibition pages

1880/91, 4 d. deep yellow, printed both sides, horizontal pair with nice fresh colour, unused with large part of original gum, very fine and scarce, certificate Brandon (2001) (SG £ 1.500,-)

1891, Folded tracing by De La Rue printers proposing new watermark paper, accompanied by original file copy of letter dated June 5 to the agent general for Tasmania about problems with the dandy-roll and original letter from the agent general to De La Rue, accepting their proposal; a most remarkable group

1892/99, key plate issue ½ d. orange/mauve, block of 4 with right sheet margin, endorsed "1 stamp colour book", unused o.g., 3 stamps unmounted mint

2½ d. purple, marginal block of 4 from the colour book with date stamp "1 DEC 91" in the margin, also stamp size die proof in black on glazed paper

2½ d., tied by cds. "LAUNCESTON JU 22" (1909) to acknowledgement of delivery, fine and scarce

5 d., die proof on glazed white card, dated "28 SEP. 91" and stamped "BEFORE HARDENING", fine and scarce

1892/99, key plate issue 6 d. violet/black, block of 4 with right sheet margin, endorsed "1 stamp colour book", unused o.g., 3 stamps unmounted mint

10 d. purple-lake/deep green, original colour recipe bearing 2 dummy stamps in the used colours, dated "1 Nov. 98", also die proof of the value tablet only, dated "26 SEP 98" and endorsed "Jamaica" (excised) and "Tasmania", stamp size die proof of the frame only and 2 blocks of 4 of the stamp colour book with marginal inscriptions; a most interesting and rare group

2 sh. 6 d. brown/blue, 2nd printing, block of 12 from the lower right sheet corner with plate no. "1", handstamp "12 MAR. 96" and initialed as approval of the 2nd printing, unused o.g., the stamps unmounted mint, some minor creasing, unique

1903, 1 sh. rose/green, block of 17 with pictorial 3 d., tied by clear cds. "HOBARD TASMANIA MY 25 1904" to reverse of linen parcel tag, registered to Mathinna with arrival mark; 2 stamps little rubbed surface and some minor imperfections, very scarce

1850/53, Thomas Ham 2 d. brown-lilac with full to large margins, tied by clear butterfly "15" GEELONG to piece, very fine, sign. Holcombe with certificate (1983)

2 d. grey-lilac with good to large margins, ca. 2,5 mm sheet margin at bottom, neatly cancelled by butterfly "37" MELBOURNE, very fine, sign. Holcombe

3 d. blue with good to large margins, cancelled by central butterfly "15" GEELONG, very fine, sign. Hunziker with certificate (1963)

Second state of die 1 d. red-brown with ample to large margins, used with central clear butterfly "37", very fine, sign. Hunziker with certificate (1962)

1861, Victoria 4d. dull rose-pink as horizontal strip of three and single 2d. dull reddish lilac tied by duplex cancel "MELBOURNE OC 26 63 VICTRORA" to cover to Johannesdorf, Prussia endorsed 'via Southampton'. Carried on the P&O 'Bombay', to Galle, on the 'Nemesis' to Suez and thence on the 'Pera'. Red 'London / Paid' transit cds (Dec 18) on front and circular 'Aus England Per Aachen / Franco' below and arrival cds on reverse, a fine cover (#17 in the Palmer Census). Provenance: Collection Trevor Davis (May 2003), lot 52934  

1854, Black Swan 1 d. black with good to large margins, parts of neighbour stamps at right and bottom, cancelled in red, very fine

1913, Kangoroo 2£ black and rose, fresh colour and good centering and perforations, used with perfectly centered cds. "CYGNET TASMANIA 18 AU 18", a superb example of this stamp

1852/55, (2 d.) greyish-slade, vertical bisect, right half with good to large margins on 3 sides, tied by clear barred oval "1" to entire letter from "BARBADOES SP 11 1854" via "ST:-THOMAS SE 16 1854" to Hamilton, Bermudas, very fine, certificate BPA (1964)

1853/59, 1 c. vermilion without line above "ONE CENT", lightly used "DEMERARA JA 8 1856", nice deep colour and good to large margins, very fine

1853/55, 4 c. pale-blue with good to large margins, extremely fine cancelled with central "B G A 4 C / AP 26 1855", very fine

1856, 4c. black on rose-carmine with superb colour and wide full square margins, used with central "DEMERARA OC 29 1856" and initialled "EDW"(ight), tiny pinhole by V of "Vicissim" and pressed creasing at bottom almost imperceptible on front, an outstanding example of this classic rarity and one of the finest known, signed with Ferrary handstamp and certificate BPA (2018) (SG. £40.000)

Provenance: Baron Philipp Ferrary de la Renotière (Sale 1, June 1921, Lot 52)

1882, 12c. blue with overprint Type I, unused, very fine, certificate BPA (2018) (SG £ 1.500)