373rd Auction

1 r. with 3 p. (12) and George VI 1 a. (2), used on reverse of airmail cover from "BAHRAIN PERSIAN GULF 27 NOV 39" to Copenhagen, Denmark with white label "OPENED BY CENSOR", fixed with staples and tied by the cds., leaving 4 stamps underneath the label uncancelled. A most attractive and very rare censored letter

5 r., horizontal marginal pair tied to commercial airmail cover from "BAHRAIN 17 NOV. 45" to San Francisco with adjacent red "O.A.T." (Onward Air Transport). A very rare usage of these stamps and highest recorded franking of this issue

1934/37, 2 a. vermilion and 3 a. carmine, tied cds. "BAHRAIN 21 MAR 36" to cover with violet "OVERLAND" to England with Basrah transit mark on reverse

2 a. vermilion, small die, horizontal pair with George VI 1a., tied by light Bahrain cds. to small envelope with adjacent "OVERLAND MAIL" to England with transit mark "BASRA 9 MAR 40"

3 a. carmine and 4 a. sage-green, tied to picture postcard 18.10.1934 to Germany with blue straight line "AIR MAIL" deleted by black bars cancel, as insufficiently prepaid

½ a., 4 copies, tied to reverse of cover to Tchahbahar, underpaid by ½ a. and taxed on arrival, franked with 2 copies Iran 1938, 50 d., tied by Tchahbahar cds.; a very rare combination cover

1938/41, George VI 25 r., center block of printing sheet with horizontal and vertical gutter pairs, unmounted mint, some minor gum creasing and 2 perfs split, otherwise very fine, a scarce multiple

4 a. in combination with India 1945, Victory 1½ a., used on commercial registered airmail cover from Bahrain to Bombay with arrival mark of 16.9.1945. A very scarce usage of the Indian Victory issue at Bahrain; just few covers recorded

1948, ½ a. on ½ d.-5 a. on 5 s. (all values issued on that day) tied by first day cancel "BAHRAIN 1 APR 48" to locally addressed cover, some minor staining, very scarce

1948/49, ½ a. (2), 1 a., 1½ a. and 2½ a., tied by 3 strikes of cds. "EXPERIMENTAL P.O. K-121" (Muharraq post office) to airmail cover to England; one ½ a. slight transportation marks, otherwise fine. The experimentals K121-postmark is the rarest postmark of Bahrain, according to Donaldson just one further cover has been reported

6 a. on 6 d. in combination with Kuwait 3 a. on 3 d., used on commercial registered airmail cover from "BAHRAIN REG 9 OCT. 48" to India with arrival mark

2 r. on 2 s. 6 d., 2 copies with 3 copies 1 a. on 1 d., tied to registered parcel label to Switzerland with adjacent "PASSÉ en DOUANE à Genève"; usual slight transportation marks, still very fine and rare

1948, Olympic Games 2½ a. on 2½ d. with variety "surcharge double", copy from the left sheet margin, unused o.g., very fine and rare, certificate RPS (1982)

6 a. on 6 d., used on commercial cover from "BAHRAIN 20 SEP. 48" to England a scarce commercial usage

1 r. on 1 sh., used on commercial airmail cover from Bahrain 1948 to the US, minor toning, very scarce

1950/55, George VI 2 r. on 2 s. 6 d. in horizontal pair with 6 a. on 6 d. and Elizabeth Coronation 1 r., tied by oval "REGISTERED BAHRAIN 13 JY 53" to registered airmail cover to New York; slight transportation marks; a scarce high franking

2 r., surcharge type II, block of 4, used with oval "REGISTERED BAHRAIN 10 .. 54"; a fine and rare multiple

2 r., surcharge type III, reconstructed block of 3, used with large size violet parcel post cancellation "BAHRAIN 1 SEP 55", very scarce

1952/54, Elizabeth ½ a. on ½ d. with "½" omitted, block of 4, unmounted mint, very fine and scarce multiple (SG £ 800,-)

½ d. with "½" omitted, together with 1 a. on 1 d. tied by cds. "MUHARRAG P.O. BAHRAIN 21 NO 51", locally used; a very fine and rare cover, certificate BPA (1959)

3 a. and 3 a. 6 p., each in pair, together with 1 r. and 1942/45, 3 p.-1 a., 2 a., 4 a., 8 a. and 12 a. as additional franking on registered letter George VI 3 a. + 1½ a., as registered airmail cover from "BAHRAIN 24 JLY. 45" via Lagos, Nigeria to the US with several transit marks; fine and remarkable cover with scarce franking

1955, 10 a. on 10 s. with 1956/57, 1 r. on 1 s. 6 d. and new currency 20 np on 3 d., tied by oval "REGISTERED BAHRAIN 18 JU 60" to parcel tag

1956/57, Elizabeth 1 r. on 1 s. 6 d. with surcharge double, nice fresh colour and with good perforation, used with light cds. A very fine copy of this extremely rare stamp of which only few used but no unused copies have been recorded. Opinion KG VI Expertizing (1986)

ISSUES OF THE BRITISH POSTAL AGENCIES IN EASTERN ARABIA: 1956/57, wm St. Edward's crown 1½ a. on 1½ d. in horizontal pair (separated at bottom) with 1952/54, ½ a. on ½ d., used on commercial airmail cover from "BAHRAIN .. FE 57" to Doha, Qatar; the envelope with some marginal faults, the unique pair in fine condition (partly lifted for inspection of watermark). One of the greatest rarities of Bahrain and the British agencies in Arabia. Certificate David Brandon (1997)

1960, Unissued Mosque 10 f., single stamp and 100 f. in marginal block of 4, unused o.g., 10 f. somewhat toned and the block light gum crease, scarce

1969, Satellite Earth Station Ras Abu Jarjour 20 f., unique artist essay, photographic and hand painted with overlay in sunken presentation card of De La Rue Co. A marvellous item

1971, Independance Day 30 f., imperforated proof similar to the issued design but with additional red map of Bahrain (rejected because inaccurate), mounted on Harrison & Sons presentation card; very fine and rare

1980, Falconry 100 f., all 8 values cpl. in 2 imperforated plate proof blocks of 4, each on Harrison & Sons presentation card; fine and very rare

LOCAL STAMPS: 1953/56, 1½ a. carmine, 5 copies tied by oval "REGISTERED BAHRAIN 25 MR 55" to commercial local registered cover. One applied with tear, otherwise very fine, only very few local registered letters have been recorded

WAR TAX STAMPS: 1973, 5 f. blue and cobalt, tied together with postage stamp to registered commercial airmail cover to Pakistan

SERVICE: 1923, George V ½ a. (2) and 2 a. tied by cds. "BAHRAIN 4 AUG 23" to registered O.H.M.S. coverfront to Bombay; entires from Bahrain with service stamps are exceedingly rare

POSTAL STATIONERY: 1926, envelope 1 a. brown, used from "BAHRAIN 22 APR. 26" to Kot, India with arrival mark

1934, Registered envelope 3 a. + 1 a. 3 p. used abroad with cds. "C-POST OFFICE 2 .. JUN 47" (Basra Margil) with adjacent violet "R No. "c" base P.O." to England, little roughly opened, very rare

1947, British India postcard HALF ANNA on 9 p. green, overprinted "BAHRAIN" with additional franking 1942/45, 3 p. in horizontal pair, making the correct 1 a. rate, tied by cds. "BAHRAIN 5 OCT. 47", sent to Veraval, India with arrival mark on front partly tying the addtional franking. A very rare item of Bahrain postal history; this is the only recorded example of the Indian provisional postcard overprinted "BAHRAIN"

Postal order George VI 1/- with overprint "B.P.O. AGENCIES PERSIAN GULF 2 ANNAS" with small "BAHRAIN 16 JU 50" ; creased and slight marginal faults. This is the only recorded George VI postal order from the Persian Gulf agencies

1932, "RÉEXPEDIÉ", clear straight line on envelope from England to Bahrain with arrival mark of November 2, 1932 and re-directed to England; a very scarce instructional marking