383rd Auction

3s. on 3m. violet-black, with clear double-surcharge, unused with slightly tropicalized as all the known copies have, two perfs at right slightly shortened, a very fine copy of this rare stamp with only 20 printed (one of which with the "inverted s" variety), signed Holcombe with certificate (1992)

5s. on 5m. carmine and black, with variety "s inverted", with right sheet margin, unused, gum slightly tropicalized and soaked in, otherwise very fine, signed

5s. on 5m. carmine and black, vertical pair with right sheet margin, the upper stamp with variety "s inverted", unused, lower stamp tiny tear, otherwise fine, scarce multiple, signed Holcombe

5s. on 5m. carmine and black, with variety "broken s at top", unused, one short perf at left, otherwise fine

"On Active Service  - No stamps available" endorsement on cover from "DUALA 27.10.14" to Wicklow, Ireland, reverse with arrival mark "GREYSTONE 28 NO 14", some minor wear, otherwise fine

"AKABO" violet straight-line on horizontal pair 1d. on 10 pfg. on small piece with adjacent cds. "LONDON 22 FE 16 F.S.62", the adhesives some minor imperfections, a very rare and interesting cancellation which was used by the Elder Dempster and Company's steamship S.S. Akabo

1923, personally signed letter of confirmation from J.D. Mackay about the creation of the G.R. MAFIA overprints during the occupation "....I certify that the German East Africa stamps overprinted G.R. MAFIA were issued by me for postal purposes....", neatly pasted on cardboard, a very interesting document

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 4h. green, fresh color and good perforation, unused, a very fine example of this rare stamp with approximately only 30 issued, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 7½h. red, fresh color and good perforation, just one blunted perf at bottom, unused, a very fine example of this rare stamp with approximately only 30 issued, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 15h. blue, fresh color and good perforation, just one blunted perf at top right, tiny age spot, unused, a very fine example of this rare stamp with approximately only 30 issued, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 20h. black and red/yellow, with upper sheet margin, fresh color and good perforation, a very fine and attractive example of this rare stamp with approximately only 30 issued, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 30h. black and carmine, fresh color and good perforation, just one slightly blunted perf at right, a very fine and attractive example of this rare stamp with approximately only 30 issued, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 30h. black and carmine, vertical pair with left sheet margin, fresh color, bottom stamps few short perfs, otherwise good perforation, mint never hinged, tiny age spots, an exceedingly rare multiple, with approximately only 30 stamps issued

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 45h. black and mauve, fresh color and good perforation, just one slightly blunted perf at right, a very fine and attractive example of this rare stamp with approximately only 30 issued, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 1r. carmine, fresh color, mostly good perforation, just a few very slightly blunted, unused with fresh original gum, an exceptionally rare stamp with just 15 (David Field) issued or 20 examples (Bob Gibbs) believed to have been issued regardless of overprint colour; Gibbs estimates just 8 stamps were overprinted in black, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 2r. green, fresh color and good perforation, minor ageing, unused with fresh original gum, an exceptionally rare stamp with just 15 (David Field) issued or 20 examples (Bob Gibbs) believed to have been issued regardless of overprint colour; Gibbs estimates just 8 stamps were overprinted in black, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in black: 3r. blue-black and red, fresh color and good perforation, one blunted perf and one with soaked in gum at lower right, minor ageing, unused with fresh original gum, an exceptionally rare stamp with just 15 (David Field) issued or 20 examples (Bob Gibbs) believed to have been issued regardless of overprint colour; Gibbs estimates just 8 stamps were overprinted in black, signed Hoffmann-Giesecke a.o.

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in violett: 2½-20h., fresh color and good perforation, 15h. as horizontal pair, just 20h. short perf at top, all washed and without gum, otherwise fine, opinion Holcombe (1997)

1915, G.R. MAFIA handstamp in violett: 2½-15h., fresh color and good perforation, 15h. with upper sheet margin, mint never hinged, one tiny age spot on 2½ resp. 15h., very fine, signed Bühler/ Hoffmann-Giesecke

1915, G.R. MAFIA Handstamp in violet: 3r. blue-black and red, fresh color, good centring and perforation, unused with usual brownish gum, an exceptionally rare stamp with just 14 (David Field) issued or 20 examples (Bob Gibbs) believed to have been issued regardless of the overprint colour; Gibbs estimates just 12 examples were overprinted in reddish violet, several known pieces have flaws, a really pristine piece, one of the greatest rarities of the "Mafia" issue, signed Hoffmann Giesecke a.o. and certificate BPA (1947)

G.R. POST 6 CENTS MAFIA: Violet overprint on 20h., with lower sheet margin, fresh color and good perforation, mint never hinged, hinge remainder in the margin only, a fine and very rare stamp

G.R. POST 6 CENTS MAFIA: Black overprint on 30h. black and carmine, fresh color and good perforation, tied by fieldpost cancellation to small piece, one perf tip with minor ageing spot, otherwise a fine example of this very rare stamp, signed Kilian a.o. and certificate GPS (1983)

G.R. Post MAFIA (Type 5) in blue on Yacht type 4h. green, without gum, slightly washed, otherwise fine. Very interesting item, mentioned in Gibbs page 253, certificate Holcombe (1996; for two values)

1915, O.H.D.M.S. MAFIA: Fiscals "STATISTIK DES WAAREN-VERKEHRS" 24p. tied by cds. "MAFIA 6 JY 16" to small cover to Zanzibar with arrival mark, fine and scarce, certificate BPA (1996)

1915, O.H.D.M.S. MAFIA: Fiscals "STATISTIK DES WAAREN-VERKEHRS" 24p. - 1r. and "ÜBERSETZUNGS-GEBÜHREN" 25h., all fresh color and good centering, 24p. and 25h. small corner crease, few minor imperfections, a very attractive and indeed rare set, with only a handful of complete sets in existence, certificates RPSL (1978) and BPA (1962)

G.  R. POST MAFIA (Type M4) in violet on 7½h. red, fresh color and good perforation, just one blunted perf at upper left, minor ageing, unused, an extremely rare stamp, mentioned in Gibbons footnote and Gibbs on page 253. Signed Holcombe with certificate (1988)

1916, picture postcard (Porters at Rest) from a soldier endorsed "Active service" from "MASARA 08.07.16" via "MOMBASA 17 JY 16" to Paris, long message, slight corner crease, otherwise fine

"Defense du Tanganika * Etat VU POUR LA CENSURE" violet two-line censor mark on Belgian-Congo picture postal stationery 5c. from "KABALO 7-9 1916" to London, small corner crease, otherwise fine

1d. on 5 pfg., vertical pair with variety "straight serif on 1", position 5, fresh color and good perforation, tied by two-line "RABAUL 22 17 1914" to locally addressed Cover, fine, a scarce variety, especially so on cover

1d. on 5pfg., fresh color, tied by two-line "RABAUL Oct. 29 14" to cover to Sydney with machine arrival mark "SYDNEY NO 20" on front, upper left corner a some minor paper abhrasion, a fine and scarce entire

Provenance: 267. Heinrich Köhler Auction (1990)

1d. on 5 pfg. with variety "straight serif on 1", position 5, fresh color and good perforation, tied by two-line "RABAUL OCT 17 1914" to locally addressed First-Day-Cover, cover folded vertically, otherwise fine, a scarce variety especially so on cover, signed Holcombe with certificate (1997) 

1d. on 5pfg., 2d. on 10 pfg. and 2d. on 20 pfg., all tied by two-line "RABAUL Oct 17 1914" to local cover with adjacent register Label 3d. on Rabaul (Setting A, position 4) with straight-line "RABAUL", Gibbs mentions that probaly the labels have been added and cancelled after original use, very fine, certificate BPA (1967)

3d. on 25pfg. and 3d. on 30 pfg. with additional franking including Registry label 3d. on Rabaul (faults), fresh color and good perforations, tied by first day use of oval cancel "RABAUL JAN 4 1915" to locally addressed cover, fine and scarce, signed Bothe BPP

3d. on 25pfg., position 3, fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine, signed

3d. on 25 pfg., fresh color and good perforation, tiny paper fault at left, used with "SS MATUNGA" handstamp (Gibbs type 24), scarce

3d. on 30pfg., position 3, fresh color and good perforation, unused, very fine, signed