380th Auction

Indian Expeditionary Forces with G.R. POST MAFIA: 1r. red-brown/deep blue-green from the upper left sheet corner, with inverted overprint, unused, thin in outer margin only, very fine and scarce

1917, Indian Expeditionary Forces with new G.R. POST MAFIA overprint: 3p-8a., tied by backdated cds. "MAFIA JA 23 1915" to cover, 2a. faults, otherwise fine, opinion Holcombe (2000)

1917, registered envelope endorsed "O.H.M.S" with Registered handstamp "MAFIA R. No" with handwritten registration number "60" and two-line handstamp "Officer in Charge Mafia" at bottom right, adressed to "E. Koenig postal clerk" in Geneva, Switzerland. reverse with transit marks of "ZANZIBAR JU 21 17" and red "LONDON REGISTERED 2 AU 17", the envelope with some obvious but not disturbing imperfections, in good condition, a very rare cover

1917, Indian Expeditionary Forces Postal stationery card with new G.R. POST MAFIA overprint: ¼a. grey, used with cds. "MAFIA NO 9 1916", a scarce an interesting item, message added at a later date, very fine, opinion Holcombe (2000)

INDIVIDUAL SETTING 1b (2½mm between Anglo and French, Togo with one narrow and one wide "O" and Occupation with a wide "O": 3 pfg. fresh color and good perforation, used with clear cds. "ASSAHUN 3/1 15", a rare stamp from this distinctive setting, fine, signed Holcombe with certificate (1994) 

INDIVIDUAL SETTING 1b (2½mm between Anglo and French, Togo with one narrow and one wide "O" and Occupation with a wide "O": 5 pfg. fresh color and good perforation, tied by clear cds. "ASSAHUN 4/1 15" to small piece, a rare stamp from this distinctive setting, fine, signed Holcombe with certificate (1994) 

1914, 3mm Spacing: 10 pfg. block of four (Setting 1A pos. 12-13, 22-23), mint never hinged, the lower right stamp small corner fault, otherwise fine

1914, 3mm Spacing: 10 pfg. block of four with upper sheet margin (Setting 1A pos. 7-8, 17-18), showing the characteristic variety of this setting on position 8 "large spacing between G and O of TOGO thus very wide TOGO 7½mm", fine and scarce

1914, 3mm Spacing: 10 pfg. block of four from the upper left sheet corner with inverted overprint, fresh color and good perforation, used with two clear cds. "LOME 4/10 14". An extremely rare and attractive multiple, in total only one upper half of the sheet (compl. setting) was overprinted with inverted overprint, the upper left stamp with front side virtually invisible vertical crease, completely irrelevant and in no way disturbing, signed with certificate Holcombe (1992)

INDIVIDUAL SETTING 1b (2½mm between Anglo and French, Togo with one narrow and one wide "O" and Occupation with a wide "O": 10 pfg. without watermark, fresh color and good perforation, tied by clear cds. "ASSAHUN 1/1 15" to small piece (lifted for examination), a very rare stamp with less than 10 recorded, especially interesting with such a significantly tilted overprint, certificate Ceremuga (2009)

1914, 3mm Spacing: 50 pfg. horizontal pair (position 7-8), tied by clear cds. "LOME TOGOGEBIET 1/10 14" to small piece, the right stamp few pulled perfs at top, overall an attractive pair, the small imperfections of no importance, the only available multiple of this stamp, with only one unused block of four known which resides in the Royal Collection, certificate RPSL (1968)

1914, 3mm Spacing: 80 pfg. block of four from the upper right sheet corner, mint never hinged, very fine and attractive, a scarce multiple, certificate Ceremuga (2002)

1914, 3mm Spacing: 1m. fresh color and good perforation, tied by cds. "LOME 30.9.14" to piece, two tiny toned perfs tip, still a fine and rare stamp, signed with certificate Holcombe (1989)

1914, 3mm Spacing: 2m. fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine and rare with only 40 stamps printed, signed Champion and Bothe BPP with certificate (1980)

1914, 3mm Spacing: 2m. fresh color and good perforation, with inverted overprint, unused, a very fine and rare stamp with only 20 printed, signed Bothe BPP wit certificate (1979) and certificate BPA (1980)

1914, 3mm Spacing: Half Penny on 3 pfg. with variety "small y in Penny", used with clear cds. "LOME -7.12.14", fine

1914, 3mm Spacing: One Penny on 5 pfg., block of six with right sheet margin with HAN "H 4313.10", tied by cds. "LOME -7.12.14" to small piece, very scarce with only 7 HAN possible, fine

1914, 3mm Spacing: One Penny on 5 pfg. with lower sheet margin, with variety "small y in Penny", mint never hinged, very fine, signed Kosack and Bothe BPP and Kilian BPP, with two certificates (1980, 1982)

1914, 3mm Spacing: 3 pfg., fresh color and good perforation, used with clear central cds. "LOME 7.11.14", fine, a scarce stamp with only 25 printed, signed A. Brun and Calves

1914, 3mm Spacing: 5 pfg., fresh color and good perforation, used with clear central cds. "LOME 30.10.14", fine, a scarce stamp with only 40 printed, signed Holcombe with certificate (1996)

1914, 2mm Spacing: 10 pfg. tied by cds. "ANECHO 31/12 14" to small piece, minuscule toned perf tip, otherwise very fine and rare with approximately 15-20 copies existant, signed Holcombe with certificate (1994) (Gibbs 16)

1914, 2mm Spacing: 10 and 40 pfg. with additional franking tied by cds. "LOME 17.10.14" to locally adressed cover, two folds  not affecting adhesives, 10 pfg. a bit stained, 25 pfg. of additional franking corner fault, otherwise fine, rare with approximately 15-20 copies of the 10 pfg. existant

1914, 2mm Spacing: 40 pfg. fresh color and good perforation, unused, an exceptionally rare stamp, most of the already small print run of 25-30 pieces is known used, only very few unused pieces known, signed Schlesinger and certificate Behr (1998)

INDIVIDUAL SETTING 2 c (2mm between Anglo and French and wide "O" in Occupation: 40 pfg. fresh color and good perforation, used with central cds. "LOME 30.10.14", a very rare stamp showing an unrecorded sub-setting of 2b by Gibbs, a fine, rare and possibly unique stamp, signed with detailed certificate Holcombe (1996)

INDIVIDUAL SETTING 2b (2¼mm between Anglo and French and all "O"s narrow: 40 pfg. fresh color and good perforation, just one short perf at top, tied by cds. "LOME 13.11.14" to small piece, a very rare stamp with only few recorded, signed Holcombe with certificate (1988)

Reference: depicted in G.R.I. by Robert M. Gibbs, page 167

INDIVIDUAL SETTING 3c - Anglo-French spaced approx. 1¾mm and three narrow "0"s in Togo : 1915, 30 pfg, fresh color, neatly used with clear blue cds. "LOME 8.4.15", utterly insignificantly shortened perf at bottom, a fine and very rare stamp with less than a handful known, signed Holcombe with certificate (1996)

1914, 2mm Spacing: 50 pfg. fresh color and good perforation, tied by part cds. of Lome to small piece, a very rare stamp with only 20 printed, all of them known used, signed Bothe BPP

1914, 2mm Spacing: 80 pfg. fresh color and good perforation, used, a very rare stamp with only 25 printed, signed Bothe BPP (Gibbs 22)

1914, 2mm Spacing: 1m. carmine, fresh color and good perforations, used with clear cds. of "LOME 29.9.14", one perf at bottom slightly thinned of no importance, a very rare stamp with only 40 issued, signed Kilian BPP and Holcome with certificate (1993)

1915, Sansane-Mangu: 3 pfg, fresh color and good perforation, tied by clear part cds. of "LOME -7..." to small piece, very fine and rare with only approx. 50 printed, signed Holcombe with certificate (1994)

INDIVIDUAL SETTING 3d: 1915, 3 pfg, fresh color and good perforation, showing first broken "O" in Togo, being the characteristic of this rare setting, used with clear blue cds. "LOME 8/4 15"., very fine and rare with only very few copies extant, signed Holcombe with certificate (1990)

1915, Sansane-Mangu: 5 pfg, fresh color and good perforation, with variety "TOGU" from position 5 within the setting of 25, unused, minimally toned, otherwise fine, scarce with only 35 printed, signed Holcombe with Opinion (1998) (Gibbs 30a)

1915, Sansane-Mangu: 5 pfg., horizontal strip of three , fresh color and good perforation, position 3-5 with position 5 showing variety "TOGU", used with clear cds. "LOME", two left stamps some light staining not affecting the variety, left stamp vertical stain, otherwise fine and scarce, copy of certificate Holcombe (1995)

Provenance: Collection Marquess of Bute (Robson Lowe, 1959)

1915, Sansane-Mangu: 10 pfg., three singles, each fresh color and good perforation, printed from positions 15 "mixed Os", 17 "TOG corrected" and 23 "notch in the T", position 17 and 23 minimal toned, otherwise fine and scarce group, signed Bothe BPP 

1915, Sansane-Mangu: 10 pfg. horizontal pair, tied by central first day cds. "LOME -7.1.15" to small piece, fine, signed Bothe BPP

1915, Sansane-Mangu: 10 pfg., horizontal strip of three, fresh color and good perforation, position 3-5 with position 5 showing variety "TOGU", used with clear cds. "LOME", left stamp small blue dot, right stamp with on front side quasi invisible corner crease, otherwise fine, certificate Holcombe (1995)

Provenance: Collection Marquess of Bute (Robson Lowe, 1959)