383rd Auction

1854, Die I, ½ a. blue, six used examples with major flaws/retouches in the printing stone; on old exhibition page

½ a. pale blue, Die I, cut to shape, tied to reverse of small envelope from Poona to Panwell with adjacent "TOO LATE"

Die I, ½ a. deep blue, clear to large margins, tied by diamond of bars to native envelope from Bombay to Calcutta, very fine

Die I,  ½ a. deep blue, large margins, tied by numeral “1” to small native envelope from Bombay to Madras, very fine

Die I, ½ a. indigo, horizontal pair, good to large margins, tied by octogonal handstamp to small piece, very fine

Die I, ½ a. indigo, good to large margins, cancelled by pen strokes and tied by diamond of bars, to entire folded up native letter with adjacent greenish blue cds. "LAHORE 8 SEP. 1857" to Mooltau, very fine

Die II, ½ a. blue, horizontal strip of 4, good to large margins, used by diamond of dots, very fine (2 tiny scissors cuts not affecting the design)

Die II, ½ a. blue, two blocks of four, making up a vertical block of 8, ample to mostly large margins and fresh color, showing large part of central watermark (sideways), neatly cancelled by new type Bombay circle numeral “244”. Very fine and scarce (watermark on reverse highlighted in pencil)

Die II, ½ a. blue, good to large margins, tied by numeral "75" to native envelope, with red dispatch "NAGPORE Paid 1856 JAN 6", very fine

Die II, ½ a. deep blue, large margins, tied by diamond of dots to small native envelope, with red cds."RAWALPINDEE 21 APR 1856" on reverse, very fine

Die II, ½ a. blue, good to large margins, tied by numeral "27" to small native envelope from Kaira, with red boxed handstamp on reverse, to Madras, very fine

Die II, ½ a. blue, just clear at lower left, otherwise good to large margins, tied by diamond of dots to small native envelope with adjacent red "COCHIN PAID" of 10.11.54 to Madras, very fine

Die II, ½ a. indigo, marginal block of 4 with inscription “SIX POSTAGE STAMPS”, nice fresh colour and large margins, unused. Very fine.

½ a. deep blue, die II, used with numeral "75" on small envelope from Nagpore to Jubbulpore with Nagpore despatch hand-stamp in red on the reverse; very fine

½ a. blue, Die II, 10 used copies with different retouches in frames resp. chignon

½ a. blue, die III, Chignon completely redrawn and major retouch to the bottom label, neatly cancelled

Die III, ½ a. blue, horizontal pair with large margins, tied by numeral "36" and arrival mark, to reverse of cover with adjacent red "NASSICS Paid (21 7 56)" to Ahmednagar, very fine

Die III, ½ a. blue, clear to large margins, used as 'seal' and tied by numeral "1" reverse of  lettersheet from Bombay to Ahmednagar, very fine

½ a. greenish blue, Die III, horizontal pair with close margins,  right stamp with large retouche in left frame, used on letter sheet from Jaulnah to Hydrabad, fine and very scarce.

½ a. greenish blue, Die III with  left frame arches completely redrawn, used on envelope from Nasick to Ahmednuggur with oval arrival mark, somewhat roughly opened

Die III, ½ a. deep blue, clear to large margins, tied by numeral "172", to small native envelope with red cds. of Umritsur and Loodiana on reverse. Very fine.

½ a. red, 1894 reprint, horizontal block of 32 stamps with "SPECIMEN" printed on reverse, very fine

½ a. blue, 1894 reprint, horizontal strip of 8 stamps with "SPECIMEN" printed on reverse, very fine

Die 2: 1 a. dull red, horizontal strip of 3 from the lower left sheet corner, showing corner ornament and full sheet margins, horizontal fold just below the stamps, otherwise very fine (some printing colour on reverse)

1 a. dull red, block of 4 with clear to large margins, neatly cancelled with Bombay type numeral "37" , very fine and scarce

1a. red Die I,  horizontal strip of four with clear to large margins, neatly cancelled by diamond of dots, very fine, signe AD and Pfenninger

1854, 1 a. red, Die II, two singles with close to good margins and fresh colours, neatly tied by dotted lozenge cancel with adjacent framed "INDIA" to envelope to Lancashire, England, endorsed "Via Southampton" and "Paid", 1 s. annotated on front to be collected by the recipient, reverse cds. dated 1855. An unusual case of the double inland rate of 2 annas being paid by stamps (from October 1854 to January 1856, mail via the Southampton route could be prepaid or sent bearing), fine and rare cover

1a. red Die II,  horizontal strip of four with large margins,  clearly cancelled by diamond of dots, very fine

1854, 4 a., first printing, blue and pale red, horizontal pair with large part of wm., ample to good margins, neatly cancelled by 9x8 diamond of dots, little stained, still fine. Certificate BPA (2022) (SG 6000 £)

1854/55, 4 a. blue and red, 2nd printing, two copies, cut square, the right stamp close at base, otherwise with full margins, cancelled by diamond of dots and tied by boxed red ´´INDIA PAID´´ to letter sheet (2 side flaps missing) from Akyab, Burma to Amsterdam, endorsed "Per Overland mail via Triest", Amsterdam arrival mark of 1.5.1855. A fine and very rare letter from Burma. Certificate BPA (2011)

4 a. blue and red, cut to shape, together with pair 1 a. red, tied by "95" to cover from Karachi via Bombay 1858 to London

4 a., 1890 reprint with Essay Head, lithographic transfer, sheet with 3 rows of four, including one stamp with 'head inverted', without the outer  wavy lines and rosettes, on yellowish wove paper (218x170mm.) with "SPECIMEN" on reverse, very fine (Spence 57/58R)

4 a., 1891 reprint with issued head, lithographic transfer, sheet with 3 rows of four, including one stamp with 'head inverted', with blue wavy lines and rosettes, little stained, one stamp with pinhole and two small thins, in the margins only.  (Spence 20)

4 a., 1894 reprint in sheet of 24 on pelure paper, inscribed "FACSIMILE COPY – 1894", faint notation in the lower margin and vertical folds in the outer margins at left and right, still fine. (Spence 40)

4 a., 1894 reprint in sheet of 12 with outer framelines and rosettes, inscribed "FACSIMILE COPY – 1894", minor marginal creasing, still fine. (Spence 65)

4 a. 1894 reprint with Essay Head, lithographic transfer, horizontal corner block of six on yellowish paper with watermark, one vertical fold not affecting the dies, little toned in the outer right margin, otherwise very fine. (Spence 62)