380th Auction

3d. on Rabaul, fresh color, usual perfs small corner crease, position 2, tied by Gibbs type 8 oval "RABAUL JUN 12 1915 (NEW BRITAIN) to small piece, 

3d. on Rabaul, position 5, in combination with Australia Kangoroo ½d. green and horizontal pair 1d. red, tied by Gibbs tpye 8 cancel "RABAUL JUN 11 1915" to cover to Switzerland with two strikes of straight-line censor mark "PASSED BY CENSOR" alongside, with Sydney transit and Lausanne arrival mark on reverse, R-label with straight top, ½d. some nibbed perfs, an attractive and scarce cover

3d. on Manus (serif), fresh color and good perforation, position 3, mint never hinged, two almost invisible creases, as often encountered on this stamp with just approx. 25 printed from this setting, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke BPP

Provenance: 208th. Heinrich Köhler Auction (1973)

3d. on Stephansort (No. 970), fresh color and mostly good perforation, used with cds. "STEPHANSORT", very minor toning, attractive and rare, certificate BPA (1983)

3d. on Herbertshöhe, fresh color and good perforation, position 5 with additional damage to the "R", without gum, small imperceptible tear at top, otherwise fine. Probably only one sheet from Herbertshöhe (no. 701-750) was overprinted with this setting, a "Kieta" stamp from the same field is illustrated in the handbook of Robert M. Gibbs from page 60

3d. on Rabaul, fresh color, no bracket before "Deutsch", unused, somewhat tropicalized, few short perfs, still quite attractive, a scarce variety, signed Holcombe with opinion (1994)

Provenance: "Fontane" (23. HBA 1994)

"No stamps available" endorsedment on cover with adjacent Gibbs type 8 cancel "RABAUL MAY 7 1915 NEW BRITAIN" addressed to New-South-Wales, on upper left with further endorsedment "Garrison Duty Kaewieng" and "Captain M..." at lower left, small parts overwritten, opened out for display, vertical fold and light aging, an interesting and rare cover

Reference: depicted in G.R.I. by Robert M. Gibbs, page 137

1d. on 3 pfg. brown, fresh color and good perforation, position 8 with variety "1 and d spaced", tied by cds. "STEPHANSORT 13" to Captain J.P. Frey (who was responsible for the Treasury) in Rabaul, fine and scarce, opinion Holcombe (1994)

1d. on 3 pfg. brown, fresh color and good perforation, position 8 with variety "space of approx. 1 1/3mm between 1 and d.", tied by Gibbs type 8 cancel "RABAUL NEW BRITAIN MAY 25 1915" to cover addressed to The Assistant Postmaster, fine

1d. on 5 pfg. green, block of six, fresh color and good perforation, positions 2-4, mint never hinged, some perf seperation first vertical row, a fine and attractive multiple

1915/1939, used and mint balance of apprx. 690 stamps (thereof apprx. 310 "N.W.PACIFIC ISLANDS" surcharges on Australia), well sorted up to high denominations incl. better stamps (acquired as single lots), airmails, etc., slightly mixed condition, mainly fine.

1916/1939, assortment of 31 covers, incl. "N.W. PACIFIC ISLANDS." surcharges, nice airmail, censored internee's mail to Holland, etc.