385th Auction

“RECOVERED FROM WRECK OF MEXICAN”, fair strike in red on franked cover from “BLOEMFONTEIN AP 1 (19)00” to London, reverse triangle censor postmark and arrival cds. “CHISWICK AP 28 00”, some tears and wear but a very scarce combination with the Orange Free State overprinted franking

1868/1902 (ca.), large mint never hinged/unused and used balance collection with plenty of covers and postal stationery cards, many duplicates and multiples including large part sheets, fine part of cancellations and some interesting usages, some occasional faults as to be expected, overall in fine condition, in one box, some envelopes and 9 stockbooks

1868/99, mint never hinged/unused and used collection with covers, highly specialized with the overprint settings, plenty of multiples with blocs and large part sheets, advanced study of the 1896 provisional overprints including double and triple overprint varieties, an attractive group of a dozen used military frank stamps (SG-Nr. M1) together with a fine selection of covers with multiple and combination frankings. Some occasional faults, mostly in fine to very fine and fresh condition, with a few certificates, in three albums. A most interesting specialist holding

1870/1900 (ca.), Postmarks and Cancellations collection with circa 400 covers and postal stationery cards, together with hundreds of used, many duplicates and multiples, strength in the postmarks with a superb group of numeral and lettered barred cancels including “15” BRITHANY (2), “C” BUSHMANSKOP, followed by an abundance of dumb, squarred, circular and coloured cancellations, many with excellent strikes, better items with 1887 “POST-KANTOO BETHANIE”, 1892 “ORANGE VRYSTAAT ARTILLERIE”, 1900 “ALBERTINA”, OHMS and Field Post Offices mail, together with a fine selection of underpaid and taxed correspondence, reply cards and wrappers, etc., somewhat mixed condition as to be expected, in 5 albums. An outstanding specialist group

1884/1902 (ca.), Postal Stationery Cards from both OFS and ORC, group of over 100 cards unused and used, many different types, some duplicates including reply cards, some occasional faults, mostly in very fine and fresh condition, in one album

1892/1905 (ca.), Railway Station Postmarks, specialized collection with around 110 covers and cards, together with used and multiples, some better items like “WOLVERHOEK O.V.S.S.” on 1899 postal stationery card, greenish blue cds. “BETHANY R.O” (2), etc., many interesting multiple and combination frankings, some occasional faults, some expertly described on exhibition pages, a useful group in two albums

1900, Victoria Rex Imperator issues, impressive mint never hinged/unused and used collection with over 100 covers, highly specialized with the overprint settings, superb range of printing varieties with omitted, misplaced, without stops, etc., with an abundance of multiples including part sheets, together with an attractive selection of covers with some multiple and combination frankings, a few forgeries noted, some occasoinal faults, mostly very fine, in three albums. An outstanding lot

1899/1902, large accumulation of circa 275 covers and cards, offerring an ecclectic choice spanning from the Boer invasion of Natal to the Orange Colony River, including returned to the sender and OHMS mail, Boer censor marks and seals, “in commando dienst” mail, a fine group of Boer Field Post Offices postmarks together with the scarce oval truncated rubber band “ELANGSLAAGTE”, some invalidated Orange Free State frankings in pencil, many better items with a rare incoming letter to General Cronje ´s commandos with blue cds. “BANK 18 JAN 00 Z.A.R”, outgoing mail from Ladysmith Siege (3), one with “LADYSMITH SIEGE POST OFFICE Feb. 27th. 1900.”, Mooi River British relief mail, etc., together with a few used and multiples. Mixed condition, some neatly mounted and expertly described on album pages.  A most unusual aggregation

BLOEMFONTEIN POSTAL HISTORY: specialized study group of the Bloemfontein postmarks used in the period 1893/1908, with over 85 covers and cards and a fine group of used stamps showing the evolution of many of the Bloemfontein types including scarcer ones, interesting usages with foreign destinations, incoming and registered mail, better items with a well travelled 1898 redirected illustrated envelope with Britain-OFS-Cape of Good Hope mixed franking, etc., together with over 40 illustrated postcards mostly from the city. Some occasional faults, overall in fine and fresh condition, an interesting lot, in one album

REFUGEE AND CONCENTRATION CAMPS IN THE ORANGE FREE STATE: a fine assembly of over 60 covers and cards, noted the camps of Bethulie, Bloemfontein, Harrismith, Heilbron, Kroonstad, Springfontein, Ladybrand, Vredefort Road, Vinburg and Zastron-Alistar North, many interesting usages with some scarce incoming mail and several intercamp letters, censor marks and seals, etc., together with some illustrated postcards and a few related documents. Mixed condition, an interesting lot in one album