382nd Auction

(2d.) on 10 pfg. with overprint variety ".GR.I 1d.", surcharged with wrong value and with stop before "G" and no stop after the "G", used with two-line "RABAUL NOV 16 1914", slightly toned, lower left corner perf added, otherwise a fine and attractive example of this major rarity of British Commonwealth philately, certificate RPSL (1973)

G.R.I. 2d., six impression on backing paper with the usual pencil guidelines, horizontal crease, otherwise a fine and interesting item

1s. on 1m. red (Setting 3, position 2) fresh color and good perforation, unused,  light printers pencil-guidelines in the margin, very fine, signed Farouk

2s. on 2m. blue (Setting 1, position 3) fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine and scarce, signed Farouk

2s. on 2m. blue, setting 4, position 3, fresh color and good perforation, tied by oval "RABAUL JUN 18 1915" to cover addressed to Sydney, few short perfs at left, cover with adherences on front, otherwise fine and scarce, signed Holcombe with certificate (1994) and certificates Zumstein (1955) and BPA (1930)

2s. on 2m. blue (Setting 5A) with variety "large S", fresh color and good perforation, unused, a very attractive of this tremendously rare stamp of which just 3 copies are known, two of them ununused, this being the only copy from Setting 5A (see als Gibbs page 50)

5s. on 5m. carmine/black-green, (Setting 1, Position 2), fresh color and good perforation, used with part of oval Rabaul cancel, a very fine and desirable example of this elusive stamp, signed Holcombe with certificate (1993)

1s. on 1m. red (Setting 2, position 3), fresh color and good perforation, unused, tiny and shallow thin, otherwise a very attractive example of this rare stamp, signed Bothe and Bloch with certificate (1983)

1s. on 1m. carmine, fresh color and good perforation, setting 3, position 2, fresh vibrant color and good perforation, unused, a very rare stamp with only 133 printed. An exceptional example of a very rare stamp, signed Gibbons and certificate PF (1991)

3s. on 3m. violet-black, setting 3, position 2 with variety "no stop after I", fresh color, very well centered and good perforation, unused, a very fine and fresh example of this rare variety, signed Holcombe with certificate (1997)

5s. on 5m. slate/carmine, fresh color and good perforation, setting 3, position 4, unused, with the typical overprint offset on reverse, small thinning, otherwise a very fine example of this key rarity with only 72 printed, signed Champion and Holcombe with certificate (1994)

3s. on 3m. violet-black, fresh color and good perforation, clearly from Setting 7 as this is a very clean-cut surcharge, unused, two light brownish gum spots, otherwise fine and a superb copy of this tremendously rare stamp, signed     

3d. on Rabaul, position 2, in combination with horizontal pair 2½d.  NW Pacific Island, tied by oval "RABAUL NEW BRITAIN FEB 6 - 1915" to small piece, fine and attractive, signed Kilian BPP and Kosack

3d. on Käwieng, "Deutsch Neuguinea", block of four, positions 4-5, fresh color and good perforation, without gum, small crease through left stamps, an attractive multiple

3d. on Käwieng, position 1, with variety "s in Deutsch appears inverted", without gum, tiny thin at top, otherwise fine, certificate Ceremuga (2001)

3d. on Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen, vertical strip of four, positio 1, fresh color and good perforation, the 2nd stamp with variety "missing ( before Deutsch", without gum, lower stamp small corner crease, otherwise fine and attractive multiple

3d. on Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen, marginal horizontal pair, positions 4-5, the left stamp showing variety "missing stop after d", fresh color and good perforation, without gum, very fine and attractive, certificate BPA (1980)

3d. on Käwieng, horizontal pair, positions 4-5, the left stamp showing variety "missing dot after d", fresh color, without gum, very fine and attractive, certificate Ceremuga (1999)

3d. on Kieta, block of four, position 4-5, fresh color and good perforation, left stamps showing variety "missing dot after d", without gum, very fine and attractive multiple

3d. on Rabaul, vertical pair with right sheet margin, position 5, the lower stamp with tilted double-overprint "G.R.I.", unused, very fine with just three copies recorded a great and very attractive rarity, signed Holcombe with certificate (1993) (Gibbs 33d)

3d. on Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen, block of four, positions 2-3, fresh color and good perforation, without gum, very fine and attractive

3d. on Manus (sans serif), block of four, positions 3-4, fresh color and good perforation, mint never hinged, horizontal perforation partially separated, a fine and attractive multiple, certificate Ceremuga (2004)

3d. on Manus (sans serif) with right sheet margin, position 5, unused, very fine 

3d. on Manus (sans serif) from the upper left sheet margin, fresh color and good perforation, unused with large part original gum, fine

3d. on Rabaul, fresh color and good perforation, straight edge at right, showing variety "Deutsch-Neuguinea", in combination with horizontal pair NWPI ½d., tied by oval "RABAUL JUN 8 - 1915" to cover addressed to Kodak Ltd. in Sydney, some very minor aging, otherwise fine and attractive

3d. on Kieta, position 4, fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine

3d. on Manus (serif), fresh color and good perforation, position 5, unused, very fine and attractive, very rare with just approx. 25 printed from this setting, signed Holcombe with certificate (1999)

3d. on Herbertshöhe, marginal horizontal pair, positions 9-10, the right stamp showing variety "comma shaped dot after d", fresh color, without gum, some perf faults at top, otherwise very fine and attractive

Provenance: Marquess of Bute (Robson Lowe, 1959)

3d. on Stephansort, block of four (#962-963, 967-968), positions 3-4 and 8-9, block of four, vertical perfs re-enforced, fresh color and good perforations, used with clear strikes of cds. "STEPHANSORT", a very rare and attractive multiple, just 50 labels were overprinted for postage from this setting (numbered between 951 and 1000), Gibbs stating on page 103 of the handbook, that no unused examples are recorded, this being one of just three known multiples, two blocks of four (including this one) and a pair (sold at Corinphila in 2018)

Provenance: Robert M. Gibbs (78. Corinphila, 1988)

Reference: depicted in G.R.I. by Robert M. Gibbs, page 98

3d. on Kieta "301", position 10, showing typical flaws except for the letter "R" whichs seems to have been substituted from Setting H, Position 10, unused without gum, very fine and interesting item, signed Bloch and certificate Sismondo (2006)

The following 9 lots represent one of the two known sets of covers of N.W.P.L/German New Guinea Reg. labels surcharged GRI prepared by Major J. P. Fry of the Rabaul Australian Naval and Military Exped. Force. This, the first set, has the "Passed by Censor" handstamp, the second set does not have this.

3d. on Rabaul "#992" in combination with KGV "N.W. PACIFIC ISLANDS." 1d. red, block of four, left stamps Die I, right stamps Die II, all tied by cds. "STEPHANSORT 13" to cover with adjacent straight-line "PASSED BY CENSOR", adhesives some toning, otherwise fine, one of the two known

3d. on Rabaul "#993" in combination with Kangaroo "N.W. PACIFIC ISLANDS." 2d. grey, block of four, all tied by cds. "STEPHANSORT 13" to cover with adjacent straight-line "PASSED BY CENSOR", adhesives some toning, otherwise fine, one of the two known

3d. on Rabaul "#993" in combination with Kangaroo "N.W. PACIFIC ISLANDS." 2½d. indigo, block of four, setting C, all tied by cds. "STEPHANSORT 13" to cover with adjacent straight-line "PASSED BY CENSOR", adhesives some toning, otherwise fine, one of the two known

3d. on Rabaul "#995" in combination with Kangaroo "N.W. PACIFIC ISLANDS." 3d. yellow-green, block of four, setting A, all tied by cds. "STEPHANSORT 13" to cover with adjacent straight-line "PASSED BY CENSOR", adhesives some toning, otherwise fine, one of the two known

3d. on Rabaul "#996" in combination with KGV "N.W. PACIFIC ISLANDS." 4d. yellow-orange, block of four, top stamps setting B and lower stamps setting C, all tied by cds. "STEPHANSORT 13" to cover with adjacent straight-line "PASSED BY CENSOR", adhesives some toning, otherwise fine, one of the two known

3d. on Rabaul "#997" in combination with KGV "N.W. PACIFIC ISLANDS." 5d. brown, block of four, top stamps setting A and lower stamps setting B, Rabaul label with interesting variety "thin l in Rabaul", all tied by cds. "STEPHANSORT 13" to cover with adjacent straight-line "PASSED BY CENSOR", adhesives some toning, otherwise fine, one of the two known